Tomorrow Today

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to important international recognition of ERP’s key role in achieving

the MDGs and especially of its key role in poverty reduction, food

security and sustainable natural resources management. However,

despite the progress made towards all eight MDGs, according to

the United Nations, we are not on track to fulfil our commitments.

Other conclusions reached by the partnership are as follows:

ERP is an essential foundation stone for achievement of the MDGs

Better-educated rural people have better employment prospects,

better health, greater food security, less vulnerability to shocks, and

better coping mechanisms in dealing with the pressures of climate

change, food crises, globalization and challenges to cultural traditions.

ERP is a policy and programme priority

National governments, international agencies, bilateral donors and

NGOs need to increase their policy and programme emphasis on ERP.

In particular, UNESCO and theWorld Bank, given their lead roles in EFA

and the Fast Track Initiative,

can ensure ERP becomes an integral part

of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and EFA National Plans.

Funding for ERP needs to be a national and international priority

Major policy and resource allocation shifts will need to take place if

significant progress is to be made in poverty reduction and EFA. ERP

needs an increased share of public resource allocations and should be

at the core of National Rural Development and EFA Plans.

Effective management of ERP requires reliable data

Improved statistics and Education Management

Information Systems (EMIS) are needed. Pro-poor poli-

cies call for the disaggregation of education and literacy

data into rural and urban populations in the UNESCO

international statistics and the EFA Global Monitoring

Report, as well as within national EMIS.

Partnerships are essential to progress

Partnerships among international organizations,

governments, non-governmental organizations, commu-

nity-based organizations, universities, the private sector,

the media and others will continue to be essential to the

success of ERP initiatives.

Intersectoral cooperation is necessary at the national level

Coordination betweenministries of agriculture and educa-

tion is essential if rural people are to be effectively served.

Each has assets and expertise critical to these efforts.

We must work as ‘One UN’

Intersectoral cooperation at the international level is essen-

tial. As the lead agency for the ERP partnership, FAO will

continue to advocate for stronger governmental commit-

ments to a higher level of resources for ERP. UNESCO and

The Education for Rural People partnership is a worldwide call to provide education for all rural children, youth and adults

Image: FAO