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United Nations Documents

A/RES/50/143
97th Plenary Meeting
Progress Made and Problems Encountered in the Struggle Against Illiteracy: A Mid-Decade Review - Cooperation to Achieve Education for All
21 December 1995

Web Posted on: November 24, 1997

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The General Assembly,

Recalling that in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights the inalienable right of every individual to education is recognized,

Recalling also its resolutions 42/104 of 7 December 1987, by which it proclaimed 1990 as International Literacy Year, and 44/127 of 15 December 1989 and 46/93 of 16 December 1991, in which it called for continuing international efforts to promote literacy,

Recalling further its resolution 45/126 of 14 December 1990, in which it called for strengthening efforts towards the elimination of illiteracy of women of all ages,

Mindful of the fact that the eradication of illiteracy is one of the paramount objectives of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade,

Convinced that literacy, especially functional literacy and adequate education, represents an indispensable element for the development and harnessing of science, technology and human resources for economic and social progress,

Confident that the International Literacy Year and the World Conference on Education for All, held at Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990, resulted in increased awareness and support for literacy efforts and became a turning-point in the struggle for a literate world,

Underlining the importance of maintaining the momentum generated by the Year and the spirit of partnership forged at the Jomtien Conference,

Welcoming the setting up of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All entrusted with the task of monitoring the progress towards education for all and promoting consultation and cooperation at the global level,

Recognizing that, despite the significant advances registered in the growth of literacy rates in many parts of the world, major problems still persist which require greater mobilization of efforts at both national and international levels to achieve the goal of education for all,

Stressing the importance of the effective implementation of the World Declaration on Education for All, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Plan of Action for the Eradication of Illiteracy by the Year 2000, as well as the relevant commitments and recommendations to promote literacy contained, inter alia, in the Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s of the World Summit for Children, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the Delhi Declaration of the Education for All Summit of Nine High-Population Developing Countries,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled 'Progress made and problems encountered in the struggle against illiteracy: a mid-decade review';

2. Notes with appreciation the close collaboration and commendable work being pursued as a follow-up to the International Literacy Year and the World Conference on Education for All by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Development Programme;

3. Commends those Governments which have launched national literacy programmes and attained notable progress in meeting the objectives of the International Literacy Year and those set forth in the World Declaration on Education for All;

4. Invites Member States, specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to further intensify their efforts to effectively implement the World Declaration on Education for All, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Plan of Action for the Eradication of Illiteracy by the Year 2000, as well as the relevant commitments and recommendations to promote literacy contained, inter alia, in the Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s of the World Summit for Children, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the Delhi Declaration of the Education for All Summit of Nine High-Population Developing Countries, with a view to better coordinating their activities and increasing their contribution to development;

5. Appeals anew to Governments and economic and financial organizations and institutions, both national and international, to lend greater financial and material support to the efforts to increase literacy and achieve education for all;

6. Calls upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to continue assuming the role of lead organization in ensuring an effective follow-up to the International Literacy Year and to pursue, in cooperation with other sponsors of the World Conference on Education for All, the implementation of the World Declaration on Education for All;

7. Notes with satisfaction the firm commitment and active involvement of many non-governmental organizations, the mass media and the private sector in support of and in the follow-up to the International Literacy Year;

8. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the DirectorGeneral of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to submit to the General Assembly, at its fifty-second session, in 1997, through the Economic and Social Council, a progress report on the implementation process of the education for all objectives, including the recommendations of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All, taking into account the possible measures, if any, to improve the reporting procedure;

9. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session the question of cooperation to achieve education for all under the item on social development.