The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

 

Excellencies,

Distinguished Officials and Government Representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me on behalf of the ACP Group welcome you all to the Technical Meeting in preparation for the 1^st Meeting of ACP Ministers of Education. This is the first occasion where Education Experts and Government Officials in charge of Educational matters from all ACP States will collectively engage in mapping out strategies that will address the relevant outcomes of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). You will also take stock of the progress at national and regional levels of the efforts to attain the relevant Millennium Development Goals in pursuance of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.

Your presence here today is an open affirmation of the recognition your countries attach to the critical role of education within the context of national and regional sustainable development. The ACP Group, through its Vision for Sustainable Development endorsed by the 3^rd Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government held in Fiji during 2003, highlights the aspiration of States to fully literate societies through improved investments in education, within the context of life-long learning and basic education for all. Further, the ACP States underscored their aspiration to have a well-trained, innovative population, capable of overseeing and managing the sustainable utilization of their natural resources.

The objectives of these aspirations by ACP States can only be attained, if there is a major financial investment and political will in support of education and capacity building. It is therefore vital that our policy-makers ensure that adequate financial provisions for the education sector are included in national budgets. However, our task is to convince our political leadership of the necessity and vital importance of supporting education and capacity building programmes in all our development activities. It is in this vein that your technical interventions are essential.

It is important to note that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed on by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in September 2000, dedicated the 2^nd Goal to achieve universal primary education. The corresponding target to this Goal is to ensure that by 2015 children everywhere, boys and girls alike will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. I should mention that the attainment of the respective targets of the first seven Millennium Development Goals will strongly depend on a critical mass of an educated population in our countries.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is therefore befitting that in the technical discussions, you will deliberate on the relevant educational subject matters that are pertinent to the attainment of these targets in our respective countries. Your preparatory technical meeting is not only intended to reflect on the challenges faced by ACP States in ensuring the key role of education in sustainable development, but also to identify priority areas of action through intra-ACP cooperation. In this regard, the outcomes of your discussions will be incorporated in the draft Brussels Declaration for Education for sustainable Development and Framework for Action. These documents, enriched by your inputs and contributions, will then be presented for formal adoption by the 1^st Meeting of ACP Ministers of Education, scheduled for Friday 5 May 2006. We must therefore endeavor to ensure that both the draft Declaration and Framework for Action clearly reflect the needed political and financial commitments necessary for the promotion of strategies and actions for the promotion of education in ACP States.

Further, as representatives of ACP States, we need to emphasize the importance of allocating sufficient funds for the education sector, not only through the upcoming 10^th EDF National and Regional Indicative Programmes, but also from own local resources. We as a Group, should also emphasize the importance of identifying priorities for intra-ACP cooperation in this sector.

I am therefore convinced that with your wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in the respective areas of focus, you will be able to engage in a fruitful debate and productively contribute to the proceedings of the respective technical discussions, categorized under the following thematic areas:

-Basic Education;

-Tertiary Education; and

-ACP Cooperation in Education.

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

In all your deliberations, I would urge you to embrace the notion that ACP States will indeed only emerge as strong actors in the global economy, when they embrace a unified and coordinated approach to development. Mapping out concrete responses to the outcomes of the WSSD, as well as making progress to attaining the target for the 2^nd Millennium Development Goal, will require this approach.

In conclusion, let me wish you fruitful deliberations and a comfortable stay in Brussels. The Secretariat is at your disposal during these three days to clarify and assist where it can on any matters concerning your participation in this meeting.

I thank you.