Panel discussion on World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development
Within the framework of UNESCO's Executive Board in Paris the Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research Andreas Storm and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education Nicholas Burnett presented, on 14 April 2008, the World Conference Education for Sustainable Development. Some 150 representatives of UNESCO Member States attended the panel discussion. The World Conference will take place 31 March to 2 April 2009 in Bonn, Germany, and is organized by UNESCO and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO.
Ambassador Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaϊ, Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board, and Ambassador Günter Overfeld, Permanent Representative of Germany to UNESCO, opened the event. Ambassador Overfeld emphasized in his speech that sustainable development is one of the critical challenges of our time. "I am convinced that Education for Sustainable Development is one of the fundamental tasks of UNESCO" said Overfeld.
Andreas Storm highlighted the achievements made so far regarding the implementation of the UN Decade, which has been declared by the United Nations for the years 2005-2014. He underlined the importance of developing strategies at the world conference "to truly move ESD from the margins into the centre of all educational efforts".
Nicholas Burnett thanked Germany for hosting the World Conference next year. He underlined the increasing importance of ESD internationally and stressed the role of the Bonn conference as a platform for international exchange.
Carl Lindberg, a member of the High-Level panel on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, noted that the principles of sustainability-oriented education are central to the quality of education, both in developed countries, as well as in countries in transition and developing countries.
In a debate following the panel discussion, numerous representatives of UNESCO Member States reaffirmed the importance of the World Conference for the further implementation of the UN Decade.
