Second Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education (FAPED II)

From 05-05-2009 to 07-05-2009 (Senegal) 

On 5 and 6 May 2009 UNESCO organized the Second Forum of African Parliamentarians for Education (FAPED II) in Dakar Senegal. The main objective of this session was to revitalize the FAPED institutional framework and to mobilize parliamentarians to support the implementation of the 6 Education for All (EFA) Goals in the Africa region.

A total of 85 participants, 52 of which were parliamentarians representing 40 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, accepted the invitation sent by the Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ahmed Sayyad, on behalf of UNESCO.

The main stakeholders working in the field of education also took part in this important parliamentary meeting, including representatives of United Nations agencies (PNUD, UNICEF, FNUAP), technical and financial partners, (ADB et ADEA,) civil society organizations (FAWE et ANCEFA) and the President of the Forum of Arab Parliamentarians for Education (FARPED). Both the national and international press were also present at the event.

The opening ceremony was presided over by the Honourable Mr Mamadou Seck, Speaker of the National Assembly of Senegal. Alongside him, the Honourable Mr Justin Koumba, Speaker of the National Assembly of Congo, Mr Ahmed Sayyad, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Cooperation and representative of the Director-General of UNESCO, and Mr Abdoulaye Babou, representing Ms Gertrude Mongella, President of the Pan-African Parliament, all delivered addresses.

The speakers expressed their appreciation to UNESCO for the organization of this meeting, and offered their support to the action of UNESCO in the field of education as well to the FAPED.

At the end of the working sessions, parliamentarians adopted the final report of the conference along with the Action Plan 2010-2011, both of which aim to mobilize FAPED members of parliaments to implement EFA Goals and to increase the national budget for Education, as well as to mobilize private funds to actively contribute to their achievement.

The Closing Ceremony was presided over by Mr Kalidou Diallo, Minister of Education in charge of pre-school, elementary and intermediate levels education, during which the FAPED II Declaration was unanimously adopted.