The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has proclaimed Friday 24 January 2020 as the International Day of Education. The day will celebrate education as humanity’s greatest renewable resource and reaffirm it as a fundamental human right. The theme for 2020 is ‘Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace’.
The aim of the day is to increase awareness around education as a fundamental human right and a public responsibility. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights learning as key to all of its sustainable development goals (SDGs). In particular, SDG 4 aims to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ by 2030.
Through events and media, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will demonstrate how learning can ‘empower people, preserve the planet, build shared prosperity and foster peace’. It will also highlight the fact that so many people around the world still do not have access to educational opportunities, violating their right to education.
There will be special events at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and the UN Headquarters in New York, alongside events throughout UNESCO’s education and development networks across the world. For more information, visit the UNESCO website.
