Nigeria’s resolution to proclaim January 24 as the ‘International Day of Education’ was on Monday adopted by the United Nations General Assembly by consensus.
According to reports, all the 193-Member States of the UN General Assembly were in supportof the Nigerian resolution, therefore there was no disagreement.
With its consent, every January 24 will be celebrated all over the world as the International Day of Education, with the first being on January 24, 2019.
Countries that co-sponsored are Ireland, Singapore and Qatar, in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UN Children’s Fund, UN Women and Collegiate Congress and other co-sponsors
The resolution concedes “the importance of education for achieving sustainable development, including in the context of the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals, Agenda 21, the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation).
“Others are the Education for All goals, the Global Action Program on Education for Sustainable Development and the Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4”.
The Sustainable Development Goal 4 has an aim to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
The resolution recognized “that education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies and contributes to the achievement of all of the other Sustainable Development Goals.
The resolution also acknowledge that education increases the productivity of individuals and strengthens the potential for economic growth, develops the skills needed for decent work, develops the professional skills needed for sustainable development, including in the fields of water and sanitation, green energy and the conservation of natural resources.
Education also helps eradicate poverty and hunger, contributes to improved health, promotes gender equality and can reduce inequality, and promotes peace, the rule of law and respect for human rights”.
Amongst others it acknowledged “the importance of working to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels – early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary and distance education, including technical and vocational training – so that all people may have access to lifelong learning opportunities that help them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to access opportunities to participate fully in society and contribute to sustainable development”.
Nigeria was praised for its initiative to sponsor the resolution by the stakeholders who met at the UN headquarters in New York,
