Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs reaffirms its commitment to the goals of the United Nations' Education 2030 Agenda

At the meeting of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK) in Berlin on 17 and 18 October, the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder adopted a joint declaration on the United Nations' Education 2030 Agenda (SDG 4).

In the declaration, the KMK underlines "the high degree of agreement between the education policies of the Länder and the goals of the Education 2030 Agenda, whose core goals - participation, equal opportunities, quality of education and lifelong learning - are the subject of intensive education policy efforts by the Länder". The comprehensive concept of education, which underlies the 2030 Agenda Education as well as the German education system, promotes the development of the individual personality and a free, democratic and sustainable society in equal measure. The KMK refers to the numerous education policy measures and initiatives of the Länder in the fields of action of the Agenda. The international exchange under the umbrella of UNESCO and other international organisations offers the opportunity to receive valuable suggestions for the development of one's own strategies and to present one's own good practice to other countries. The KMK affirms that it will "continue its commitment to the goals contained in the 2030 Agenda for Education together with national and international partners in the future".

The President of the German Commission for UNESCO, Prof. Dr Maria Böhmer, welcomes the KMK's declaration: "Worldwide economic progress in harmony with social justice and within the Earth's ecological limits - this is what the 17 Global Sustainability Goals of the United Nations are geared towards. Education is both a goal and a key factor in achieving all the goals. Global challenges can only be solved together. That is why the commitment of the countries to the Education 2030 Agenda is essential. With their commitment to equitable and quality education for all, the countries are making an important contribution to the global community.

In 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which describe the central future tasks of humanity. Global Sustainable Development Goal 4, differentiated by the 2030 Agenda for Education, calls for "ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030". UNESCO coordinates the implementation of the Education 2030 Agenda at the international level.

Further information Agenda Education 2030

Source: German Commission for UNESCO, 17.10.2019