Regional cooperation in adult learning and education

The Belém Framework for Action (BFA) included guidelines and a range of commitments concerning the further development of adult learning and education (ALE) on international, regional and national levels. To acknowledge regional differences in the most effective ways of implementing the BFA and to promote regional cooperation to that end, a series of regional meetings has been held in all regions:

• Latin America and the Caribbean , 2011,
• Africa , 2012,
• Asia and the Pacific , 2013,
• Europa and North America , 2013,
• Arab States , 2015.

These meetings brought together key stakeholders from Member States, including ministers responsible for ALE or national directors of adult education/literacy in order to contextualize the global follow-up by identifying priority activities concerning further implementation of the BFA in the region. To re-position ALE in the perspective of the Education 2030 Framework for Action, and in view of the CONFINTEA Mid-term Review 2016, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) will further support UNESCO Member States’ efforts to improve learning conditions for adult learners in continuation of the priority activities initiated by the regional meetings. This will include disseminating information on the potential of the new UNESCO Recommendation on ALE (2015), disseminating the findings of GRALE 3 on benefits of ALE for health, employment and social and community development, and focused support to policy development and implementation in specific countries through technical support and through the CONFINTEA Fellowship Programme at UIL.