Confintea VII Seventh International Conference on Adult Education: Final Report

Abstract

The International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) is a UNESCO intergovernmental conference for policy dialogue on adult learning and education (ALE) and related research and advocacy, which has taken place every 12 to 13 years since 1949. The first conference was held in 1949 in Elsinore (Denmark), followed by Montreal (Canada) in 1960; Tokyo (Japan) in 1972; Paris (France) in 1985; Hamburg (Germany) in 1997; and Belém (Brazil) in 2009. In 2009, CONFINTEA VI led to the adoption of the Belém Framework for Action (BFA) which recognized the critical role of lifelong learning in addressing global educational issues and challenges, and called for more ambitious and inclusive policies. Participating countries committed to making progress in five key areas of adult learning and education: policy; governance; financing; participation, inclusion and equity; and quality. The Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) was convened by the Director-General of UNESCO, following Resolution 7, adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference at its 41st session, and 212 EX/Decision 42 of the Executive Board of UNESCO. Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, CONFINTEA VII, with the theme ‘Adult learning and education for sustainable development: A transformative agenda’, was held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, from 15 to 17 June 2022. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held as a hybrid event, comprising both in-person and online participation. It was organized on behalf of UNESCO by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports of the Kingdom of Morocco, UNESCO Headquarters and the Agence Nationale de Lutte Contre l’Analphabétisme (ANLCA). A total of 1,126 participants from 149 countries attended, including one head of state, 49 ministers and deputy ministers, and ambassadors and permanent UNESCO delegates, representatives of UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, as well as youth organizations and the private sector (see Appendix H). Just over half (54 per cent) of participants were women. The objectives of CONFINTEA VII were to: • bring together the international community and advance the right to education; • take stock of achievements in ALE; • discuss challenges and recommend solutions; • develop a new framework for action – the Marrakech Framework for Action – to make ALE a reality around the world. Since CONFINTEA VI (2009), the world has gone through many changes. Some have been positive (e.g. technological advancement). Others pose challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, threats to democracy, and climatic and environmental issues. Following UNESCO’s call for a new social contract for education and in light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a number of other major initiatives, participants at CONFINTEA VII discussed how to use the transformative power of ALE to promote sustainable development in the context of current challenges and opportunities. The conference closed with the adoption of the Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA), Harnessing the transformational power of adult learning and education, a commitment by Member States and a road map for the advancement of ALE over the next 12 years – to 2030 and beyond (see Appendix A). The MFA recognizes ALE as a fundamental human right in the framework of lifelong learning, an important promoter of inclusion, and a precondtion for social and ecological justice, health and well-being, societal change and transformation. “ Building a culture of lifelong learning is … about enabling us, collectively and individually, to prepare ourselves to face the major transitions of our times, be they economic, energy-related, part of the green transition, or digital … Adult education is … an essential lever if we are to advance, together, towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO