Ireland can be a leader in one of the most important turning points in modern history
ECO-UNESCO attended the UNESCO Week for Peace and Sustainable Development which took place 6-10 March 2017 in Ottawa, Canada, along with more than 400 experts, practitioners, and policy makers from the public, non-governmental and private sectors from across the world. The Conference focused on the role of Education, particularly for young people and teachers, in achieving a more sustainable future.
The Conference brought together key organisations from around the world to share innovative approaches and practices in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ECO-UNESCO, at the forefront of ESD and youth leadership in Ireland, was delighted to co-host a workshop to share some of the best practice of the organisation’s work on a global platform.
Pictured: Elaine Nevin meeting Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and Julie Saito of UNESCO.
Commenting on the Conference, Elaine Nevin said: “ECO-UNESCO, as a Key Partner of UNESCO’s Global Action Programme, as a leader in Education for Sustainable Development is delighted to attend this important conference. ECO-UNESCO’s youth programmes including ‘Youth for Sustainable Development’; the Young Environmentalist Awards and others increase knowledge and awareness of sustainability in young people providing them with opportunities to take action locally on global issues. Education is one of the key ways we can address global environmental challenges, such as Climate Change, and is a key in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
In February 2017, ECO-UNESCO ran a Flagship ‘Education for Sustainable Development Youth Leadership’ training in conjunction with UNESCO in Dublin for 27 young people from Ireland, other European countries and Central America, as part of the UNESCO Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD. The Conference took stock of GAP progress to date and examined the way forward to ensure progress is being made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Ireland has a lot to contribute on a global level to achieving the SDGs and can be a leader in one of the most important turning points in modern history. Coalition 2030—an alliance of over 100 leading civil society organisations of which ECO-UNESCO is a member—have said that Ireland is in a unique position to play a leadership role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.