In 1990, delegates from 155 countries, as well as representatives from some 150 governmental and non-governmental organizations, agreed at the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand (5-9 March 1990) to make primary education accessible to all children and to massively reduce illiteracy before the end of the decade.

The delegates adopted a World Declaration on Education for All, which reaffirmed the notion of education as a fundamental human right and urged countries to intensify efforts to address the basic learning needs of all.  The Framework for Action to Meet the Basic Learning Needs defined targets and strategies to meet the basic learning needs of all by the year 2000. The goals included:

- universal access to learning;
- a focus on equity;
- emphasis on learning outcomes;
- broadening the means and the scope of basic education;
- enhancing the environment for learning; and
- strengthening partnerships by 2000.

However, the Jomtien EFA targets were not achieved by the year 2000.