Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
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Achieving SDG4 Through a Human Rights Based Approach to Education: World Development Report 2018 Background Paper Year of publication: 2018 Author: Kate Moriarty Corporate author: World Bank Quality education is a critical dimension for the achievement of sustainable development. The renewed political commitment set out in sustainable development goal 4 (SDG4) is an opportunity to ensure strong coherence between education policy and the right to education first articulated more than 70 years ago. This paper presents the results of a desk-based study on a human rights-based approach to education (HRBAE) in the context of SDG4. It explores the ways in which such an approach can guide policy, planning, and the delivery of education in observance with agreed international frameworks providing for the right to education. The paper argues that the human rights conventions on the right to education are not passive instruments designed to remain only at the level of discourse but, as legal obligations, require action from the state and should be central in the development of education services, including in the context of large scale displacement and crisis. This paper outlines the legally binding commitments of the right to education. It considers how these can be applied practically through a HRBA-E to address the continuing barriers to access and completion of quality education and learning. 
Sub-Education Policy Review Report: Inclusive Education Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: UNESCO Inclusion highlights opportunities for an equal involvement of individuals with disabilities (physical, social, and emotional) when possible into typical education, but leaves accessible the probability of individual selections and possibilities for special aid and accommodations for persons who need it. This review was initiated by UNESCO to inform the ongoing discourse about inclusive education within Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippine and Timur-Leste. Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) reinforces the importance of inclusive education which adheres nations to adopt the framework of action in providing inclusion and equity through education of children with perceived differences. The review contributes to the body of literature on inclusive education by synthesizing policy recommendations and evaluations and identifying contradictions and overlaps in those policies. This review draws upon UNESCO reports pertaining to inclusive education policies and initiatives. In addition, a systematic review of empirical studies on inclusive education policy (2010-2020) identified from related and major databases (Eric) is conducted. Both the UNSECO reports and empirical studies are analyzed based on the SDG4 and its targets pertaining to inclusion policy. 
Municipalities and Regions Take Action on Global Citizenship Education: The Road Towards 2030 Year of publication: 2021 Author: Aurèle Destrée | Tereza Čajková Corporate author: PLATFORMA | European Union (EU) Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR)/Global Citizenship Education (GCE) can cultivate the spirit of the 2030 Agenda because it helps acquiring missing knowledge on global interconnections and creates spaces for enquiries.Whilst old constraints still remain and new challenges are appearing, local and regional governments continue to innovate, experiment and work hand in hand with key partners, including with their peers across the globe, to find new solutions and achieve their ambitions.Discover in this publication how local and regional governments are active in supporting learning and fostering changes in a context of socio-economic recovery plans. 
On Education & Democracy: 25 Lessons from the Teaching Profession Year of publication: 2019 Author: Susan Hopgood | Fred van Leeuwen Corporate author: Education International (EI) On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Education International, the authors have selected 25 lessons which educators and their organizations have learnt throughout history on education and democracy.These lessons serve as a set of recommendations to every classroom teacher working at all levels in education systems and in their education unions. These lessons are an invitation to take a stand in favour of democracy and its institutions and to consider contributions that teachers, schools, universities and representative organizations can make to solidify and progress democratic life. 
Taking Stock of Progress Towards Gender Equality in the Water Domain: Where Do We Stand 25 Years After the Beijing Declaration? Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) Women are not only the main persons responsible for water collection in many parts of the world, but they also possess invaluable knowledge with regard to water resources and play a key role in water and sanitation management at the local and community levels. Accordingly, women must be able to enjoy equal access to water and also have an equal say in the management and governance of water resources. Twenty-five years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, progress towards gender equality through the fulfilment of the basic right to water and sanitation is clearly off track.Despite advances at the policy level in acknowledging the need to progress towards gender equality in the water sector – and the resulting benefits – large gender inequalities persist in practice. Women are generally under-represented in terms of participation at all levels: from institutional bodies that manage national or transboundary waters, to water-related institutions such as governmental water agencies and water utilities, to local water management institutions.This report provides a detailed overview of the existing and emerging challenges to gender equality in the water domain with a particular focus on: access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, employment,climate change management, water governance, education and training, and data collection and funding. Systematic and sustained efforts to eliminate these inequalities are essential to achieve meaningful and lasting gender equality in the water sector, and to promote sustainable development in general.Governments, international organizations, professionals and policy-makers in the water sector, academia and NGOs are invited to join forces to accelerate the achievement of gender equality in water for a more just, sustainable and peaceful future. 
Evaluation of UNESCO’s Action to Revitalize and Promote Indigenous Languages: Within the Framework of the International Year of Indigenous Languages Year of publication: 2021 Author: Claire Thomas | Lydia van de Fliert | Oliver Loode | Silvia Quattrini | Mihaela Cojocaru Corporate author: UNESCO To draw attention to the critical loss of indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote them and to take further urgent steps at the national and international levels, in 2016 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 71/178 proclaimed the year beginning on 1 January 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages (hereafter the IYIL2019). UNESCO was invited to serve as the lead agency for the Year and the coordination role was internally assigned to the Communication and Information Sector. UNESCO requested an evaluation of its action within the IYIL2019 with a view to learning from its experience during 2019 and further strengthening its coordination and implementation role during the upcoming Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032).As the lead agency for the IYIL2019, UNESCO played a key role raising awareness of not only the critical loss of indigenous languages, but also the positive value and meanings that indigenous languages provide to Indigenous Peoples and humanity at large. The evaluation found that UNESCO led the development of an ambitious and relevant Action Plan for the Year. It also succeeded in setting up an 18-member Steering Committee composed of representatives of Member States, Indigenous Peoples and the UN three-party indigenous mechanisms. UNESCO staff implemented more than 80 activities around the world, with three-quarters of these at the global level and the majority of national events in Latin America and the Caribbean region. It also maintained an interactive website, which registered more than 880 events around the world.Leading and coordinating the IYIL2019 was not without its challenges, particularly as UNESCO was asked to lead this effort within existing resources and relying on a very small core team. Its programme sectors found creative solutions for indigenous language programming, but without a budget for intersectoral activities, collaboration between sectors was limited to information sharing and activities in Africa and the Arab States were few. The evaluation also found that the Action Plan lacked a meaningful results framework and thereby did not facilitate the monitoring of the IYIL2019. Partnerships with UNESCO networks and the wider UN system were underutilized and many opportunities for future collaboration have been highlighted for the upcoming Decade. 
The World in 2030: Public Survey Report Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: UNESCO This report presents the results of the World in 2030 Survey, launched by UNESCO in May 2020 to provide a platform for people to share their views on our world’s most pressing challenges, including what specifically they are worried about, and, most importantly, what solutions they feel are mostneeded. The results of this survey present a clear and systematic framework for action, one that can enrich global reflection over the coming decade as part of a renewed push to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.Over 15,000 respondents from all regions of the world responded to the survey, providing a clear snapshot of global per- spectives. This survey received particular participation from women and young people. A majority of respondents had a university education, and the top region from which participants hailed was Latin America and the Caribbean.Responses to the World in 2030 Survey indicate clear trends in the concerns felt by global citizens. According to survey respondents, the top challenge facing peaceful societies in the lead up to 2030 was, by far, climate change and loss of biodiversity, ranking in the top four challenges of 67% of respondents, and coming out on top for all regions and demographics. When examining this challenge, people were most concerned about increasing natural disasters and extreme weather, loss of biodiversity and its impact on people, pollution of the ocean and rising sea levels, and risk of conflict or violence. The top proposed solutions were investing in green energy and sustainable economies, teaching sustainability through education, effective international cooperation, and building trust in science and science-based decisions.The next four most highlighted global challenges were violence and conflict (44%), discrimination and inequality (43%), lack of food, water and housing (42%), and health and disease (37%). There was some limited variation in the rankings of the relative importance of these four challenges across regions and demographics. For example, women and minority group respondents both ranked discrimination and inequality as the second most important global challenge, following climate change and biodiversity loss, rather than third, while respondents from indigenous communities and from Asia and the Pacific ranked health and disease as the second most important global challenge, rather than fifth. The World in 2030 survey was an open online questionnaire held from May to September 2020. It was made available in more than 25 languages. This report also analyses results along regional, gender, age and other demographic lines, presenting a complex and valuable portrait of global sentiment on these key issues. 
Mapping the Mainstreaming of Education for Sustainable Development Across SDG 4.7: A Comparative Analysis of the Mainstreaming of ESD in Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Turkey Year of publication: 2020 Author: Devonne Goad Corporate author: UNESCO The objective of the present report is to summarize the state of ESD implementation in Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Turkey. This report summarizes and shares the successes and challenges highlighted within National Implementation Reports, as such a summary could be an important contribution to UNESCO, as the organization is currently facilitating dialogues to establish the direction of the new global programme for ESD. For that reason, these four countries within the regional scope of the UNESCO Regional Bureau in Venice, Italy, were chosen for the preliminary study. For the purpose of this study, the binary data contained within the National Implementation reports of Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Turkey were extracted to summarize the state of ESD implementation. 
Freedom & Creativity: Defending Art, Defending Diversity; Special Edition Year of publication: 2020 Author: Laurence Cuny Corporate author: UNESCO In anticipation of the third edition of Re|Shaping Cultural Policies, this special edition of the Global Report series that monitors the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, focuses on one of the Convention’s overarching goals: the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms and, in particular, artistic freedom. Freedom of expression, information and communication, as well as the ability of individuals to choose cultural expressions is a prerequisite for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.Building on the recommendations put forth in the 2018 Global Report, this special edition provides an overview of current advances and challenges in the legal protection of artistic freedom, the protection of the social and economic rights of artists and cultural professionals and the monitoring of artistic freedom at the national, regional and international levels.By producing new evidence and valuable analysis, the 2005 Convention Global Report series is intended as a reference tool for cultural policymaking and advancing creativity for development. 
The Planet and the 17 Goals Author: Margreet De Heer Corporate author: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) UNICEF has teamed up with the Comics UnitingNations initiative to use the creative and exciting medium of comics to bring the messages of sustainable development to comics fans globally! Comics have been developed by world renown illustrators, writers and comics developers from around the world.Dutch illustrator Margreet de Heer has lent her talents to the Comics United Nations project to help inform children and youth about the new global goals.