SESSION ON THE
UNECE STRATEGY ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 22 MAY
STATEMENT DELIVERED BY PROF. MICHAEL SCOULLOS, MIO-ECSDE, EUROPEAN ECO-FORUM
Mr. Chairman,
This organization, the Mediterranean Information
Office is associated with and represents ECO-Forum and I express here the collective
view of a very large number of organizations, active in the area of Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD) and Public Awareness from the very beginning and also in the
preparations of the Strategy.
A region wide strategy on Education for Sustainable
Development is in our view extremely important because this region includes on one hand
most of the economically and technologically advanced countries of the world and on the
other many countries with economies in transition. The transition process involves rapid
economic and social changes with serious environmental implications. Every effort should
be made not to repeat mistakes made in the past and avoid unsustainable development
patterns. Education and training are considered as the most valuable tools in transferring
experience and knowledge.
Appropriately tuned ESD emerges as a crucial political
instrument that facilitates economic development, reinforces social values and social
cohesion and ensures integrity of the natural environment and of biodiversity. Strong
political commitment is necessary in order for Education to be placed at the top of our
priorities as a political and developmental goal to facilitate and support all other
efforts.
Therefore, we welcome the inclusion of Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD) as a component of the UNECE Ministerial Declaration.
The civil society regrets, nevertheless, the fact, that
not even a draft of the UNECE Strategy on ESD is ready for discussion here despite the
efforts made for more than a year.
My organization expressing today the views of a very
large number of NGOs of the region calls upon Ministers to endorse the Statement on ESD
and invite their colleagues dealing with education and other competent Ministers and
bodies to work systematically towards developing the Strategy using the Basic Elements
attached in the Addendum.
That this process should be completed in time in order
to be used as a major contribution to the UN Decade for ESD starting in 2005.
We firmly believe that the Strategy should be developed
within the framework of UNECE. It is essential that a Task Force is established as soon as
possible in order to ensure the coordinated follow up and successful development of the
strategy with the involvement of interested UNECE Member States, international
organizations such as UNESCO, the Council of Europe, eventually the EU and partners from
other relevant sectors with the full involvement of NGOs at all stages of its development.
It should be stressed that this Strategy is vital for
young people and the wide public to be mobilized in order to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and the targets agreed in the Plan of Implementation of the WSSD. It may
also facilitate the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements in the UNECE
region.
The Strategy, in our view, should include provisions
for ESD at all levels from pre-school to higher education, formal, non-formal and
informal, as well as awareness raising and life-long learning. It should also include a
framework programme for training educators, decision-makers, professionals and
Journalists.
After all the ultimate goal of Education should be to
achieve peaceful co-existence among peoples, with less suffering, less hunger and less
poverty in a healthy natural environment without depleted natural resources. Richness in
diversity in all sectors of the natural, cultural and social environment is a basic
component for a stable ecosystem and for the safety and resilience of every community. |
