MDGs: Countries still have “serious unfinished business”

Education representatives from business, government, academia, civil society, and the development and donor communities gathered in Port Louis, Mauritius today to discuss and debate practical measures to transform education delivery around the Commonwealth.

Meeting at the 18 Commonwealth civil society education (CCEM) Stakeholders’ Forum - a major international education conference supporting the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers.

Charles-Gaëtan Xavier-Luc Duval, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance & Economic Development of Mauritius, welcomed delegates to the Forum and highlighted the progress his country has made in education provision and quality since 1968.

Speaking on the theme ‘Education in the Commonwealth: Making it Happen’ Ms. Amina J Mohammed, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning, said what is needed now is a ‘heart to heart’ discussion with sincere commitment at its core in facing the facts that there is no ‘quick fix’ to the situation, three years to MDGs deadline.

 “It is not for want of best practice, status reports, civil society advocacy and citizens demands that we have failed. It is, I believe, a collective responsibility of governments around the world who articulated and signed onto visions and declarations, but have failed to give sufficient priority to education investments, requisite political will and timely actions that will give at the very least the foundations for an education that is NOT charity but a fundamental right of every child in this world of ours,” she said.

Mme Simone de Comarmond, Chair, Commonwealth Foundation called for the serious examination of the capacities in education, areas where Commonwealth cooperation can be most beneficial, and thinking on the scope for the different education partners to work together to perform such functions.

The Stakeholders’ Forum theme will be approached through three parallel ‘clusters’: Making Basic Education Systems Better, Connecting Commonwealth Education and Cultures, and Skills for the Future.