Since 2000, the governments of the world, together with agencies of the United Nations, have launched four initiatives, all of which focus on education in one way or another. These are the Education for All, the Millenium Development Goals, the United Nations Literacy Decade and United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Education for All (EFA) The World Education Forum (26-28 April 2000, Dakar) adopted the Dakar Framework for Action "Education for All: Meeting our Collective Commitments", which sets six goals with a target date of 2015. The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) The UN General Assembly adopted the Millennium Declaration in 2000 as a way of expressing common worldwide priorities in development which governements and international agencies would work towards focusing on eight goals with a target date of 2015. The United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) The UN General Assembly launched the Literacy Decade from 2003 to 2012 to mobilize the resources and political will to meet the learning needs of illiterate people living around the world. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) The UN General Assembly called for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development from 2005 to 2014 to mobilize efforts on the widespread global implementation of Education for Sustainable Development.

  

Projects NFE to Attain Sustainable Livelihoods for Marginalized Youth Exposed to Drug Misuse This programme aims at building national capacities in the fields of NFE and life skills to reduce vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS and support drug demand reduction strategies. More Development of Non-formal Education through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) UNESCO developed a pilot training programme on the use of ICTs for personnel involved in literacy and non-formal education. More Microfinance and Literacy for Chiapas Women This programme aims to provide learning opportunities to women of Chiapas in Mexico by complementing microfinance with literacy and Spanish classes. More Documents 2006 EFA Global Monitoring Report - Literacy for Life Literacy is a right and the foundation for all further learning. Yet literacy remains a right denied to some 771 million adults. The 2006 Global Monitoring Report, "Literacy for life", measures the world's progress towards achieving the six Education For All goals, and especially the neglected one of universal literacy. More The Plurality of Literacy and its Implications for Policies and Programmes This position paper intends both to clarify the plural notion of literacy and to suggest concrete actions through which policymakers and programme providers might more effectively address the needs of learners. More United Nations Literacy Decade: Progress Report 2004-2005 This document provides an overview on progress made from 2004 to mid-2005 period on the implementation of the UNLD International Plan of Action and how it contributes to the advancement of EFA goals. More Report by the Director-General on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: International Implementation scheme and UNESCO's Contribution to the Implementation of the Decade This document presents the International Implementation Scheme for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). More Literacy, a UNESCO Perspective This booklet presents a perspective on literacy - one that will inform and shape UNESCO’s ongoing commitment as the organisation charged with coordinating the United Nation Literacy Decade. More