Unesco wants environment education curriculum by 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has urged countries to make environmental education a core curriculum component by 2025.

The organization is working with its 193 member-states to support curriculum reform and track progress to ensure everyone acquires the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to introduce positive change and protect planet Earth in the future.

“UNESCO has therefore set a new target: to make environmental education a core curriculum component in all countries by 2025,” it said in a statement.

The World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, which takes place online from Berlin, Germany from May 17 to 19, brings together some 2,500 participants, including 81 education ministers and leading players committed to the transformation of education to address climate crisis, biodiversity loss and other sustainable development challenges.

The conference aims to create strategies for the integration of education for sustainable development into every level of education and training, in line with a new framework.

Over three days, sessions focus on optimal ways to harness education to address interconnected global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, green and circular economies, technological advancement and building resilient relationships with the planet through education.

UNESCO is looking at ways to reinforce the capacity of educators, empower youth and take local actions through education for sustainable development.

It urged all country participants to commit to the Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development that will outline a range of policies encompassing teaching, learning, professional training and civic engagement.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed are among the participants in the conference.

Human rights

Meanwhile, the Philippines provided the United Nations with funding to assist countries in implementing human rights recommendations, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

The DFA said the Philippines’ modest voluntary contribution is “walking the talk.”

At the 38th Session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group held from May 3 to14, Philippine permanent representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Evan Garcia stressed the need to step up efforts and strengthen measures to further protect human rights, especially of vulnerable groups.

Garcia said the Philippines had provided the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights this year with “a modest voluntary contribution to support concrete technical cooperation programs at country level, as well as assist requesting states with the implementation of the recommendations arising from the Universal Periodic Review.”

Among the recommendations made by the Philippines during the 38th Session are those relating to strengthening of measures against gender-based violence, human trafficking, promoting gender mainstreaming, human rights education and training, advancement of the human rights of vulnerable sectors and encouraging the ratification of treaties and conventions such as on migrant and domestic workers.

The countries reviewed in the session were Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Somalia.

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted in October a resolution on technical assistance and capacity building to improve the human rights situation in the Philippines.

It asked the Office of the High Commissioner to provide support for the Philippines in its continued fulfillment of its international human rights obligations and commitments.

The Philippines came under scrutiny when the UN Human Rights Council convened in Geneva in June.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet presented a report on the Philippines, describing widespread abuses against drug suspects, political activists, indigenous peoples and journalists in the country.