Tomorrow Today

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Learning from each other

Monika Linn, Team Leader and Angela Sochirca, Environmental Affairs Officer, Environment for Europe

and Sustainable Development Team, Environment, Housing and Land Management Division,

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

here is widespread concern that our current model of

development is unsustainable and that our education

systems reflect and support this model to a large extent.

We are faced with a dual challenge of (a) recasting our model

of development while (b) preparing our society for survival in a

rapidly changing world. Education alone cannot solve the world’s

problems, but is an essential prerequisite for empowering society

to make the transition to a sustainable future. Education for

sustainable development (ESD) is crucial for good governance,

informed public decision-making and the promotion of democ-

racy. It plays a fundamental role in overcoming social, economic

and environmental challenges. The United Nations Decade of

Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) illustrates the

importance of education in achieving sustainable development.

As an important regional contribution to the decade, member

States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

(UNECE) adopted the UNECE Strategy for Education for

Sustainable Development in 2005, thereby placing ESD high on the

political agenda. UNECE brings together 56 countries located in

the European Union (EU), non-EU western and eastern Europe,

south-east Europe and Commonwealth of Independent

States, and North America. All these countries commu-

nicate and cooperate under the aegis of the UNECE on

economic and sectoral issues.

The strategy was prepared through a participatory

process involving all relevant actors, with the aim of

encouraging UNECE member States to develop and

integrate ESD into their formal education systems, as

well as into non-formal and informal education. The

strategy also suggests establishing a partnership mech-

anism between different ministries and agencies to

coordinate the implementation.

The work taking place under the strategy involves

pursuing a set of related goals: ensuring that policies

support ESD, promoting sustainable development

through all forms of learning, equipping the education

sector with the competences to engage in ESD, devel-

oping ESD tools and materials, promoting research and

development of ESD and strengthening cooperation on

ESD in the UNECE region.

The strategy is the regional implementation pillar of

the United Nations DESD and is being implemented in

close cooperation with UNESCO.

The implementation of the strategy is a continuous,

long-term process, with three major phases:

I (until 2007) – countries have identified what they

are already doing that fits within the framework of

the strategy, as well as priorities for further action

required to implement the strategy

II (until 2010) – the implementation of the strat-

egy should be well under way. Countries should

review progress made in the implementation of

their national/state strategies and revise them, if

necessary

III (until 2015 and beyond) – countries should have

made considerable progress in implementing ESD.

ESD is still developing as a broad concept encompass-

ing interrelated environmental, economic and social

issues. Although achieving ESD is strongly linked to the

national and local priorities, needs and traditions, inter-

national exchange is crucial. In this regard, a Steering

Committee on ESD was established to decide on the

strategy’s implementation and review its progress in the

UNECE region. It also provides a forum for exchang-

ing experiences, in particular at policy and institutional

levels, and is an efficient mechanism for ESD implemen-

Nursery and primary schoolchildren should get special attention from educators as

they are tomorrow’s decision makers

Image: UNECE