SDG 4: Education

In September 2015, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, Member States formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in New York. The agenda contains 17 goals including a new global education goal (SDG 4). SDG 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and has seven targets and three means of implementation.

This goal came about through an intensive consultative process led by Member-States, but with broad participation from civil society, teachers, unions, bilateral agencies, regional organisations, the private sector and research institutes and foundations.

Additional material

Accompanying the Sustainable development Framework is the Incheon Declaration adopted by around 1600 participants at the World Education Forum held in Incheon, Republic of Korea in May 2015. The Declaration represents the firm commitment of countries and the global education community to a single, renewed education agenda. A Education 2030 Framework for Action was adopted in November 2015 by UNESCO together with Member States, which outlines how to translate global commitments into practice at a country, regional and global level.

• View a set of nationally tailored presentations demonstrating different countries’ particular challenges for the future monitoring of SDG 4.