In co-operation with the Ministry of Education of Colombia, UNESCO is organising an International Forum on Inclusion and Equity in Education from 11–13 September 2019 in Cali, Colombia.
With the theme of ‘Every learner matters’, the Forum will take place on the 25th anniversary of the World Conference on Special Needs Education, organised by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain in Salamanca, Spain. The Salamanca Statement set the fundamental principle of inclusion in education: ‘All children should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have. Inclusive schools must recognize and respond to the diverse needs of their students’.
The Forum will provide a platform for debate and a place to share innovative policies, programmes and practices in inclusive education and review the progress made in policy and practice since the Salamanca Conference. At the end of the Conference, the Cali Statement will be adopted, to ensure continued dialogue and co-operation and renew the commitment to inclusive education among stakeholders.
Sessions planned for the Forum include discussions about why inclusion matters and an exploration of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. There will also be workshops and panel discussions around the Forum’s four sub-themes:
- Developing and adopting legislation and policy frameworks that lay the foundations for inclusion and equity in education
- Fostering co-operation and engaging multi-sectoral partnerships to ensure inclusion and equity in education
- Providing high quality educational/institutional support to respond to and value learners’ diversity
- Cultivating approaches for friendly inclusive learning environments for all learners.
Participants in the Forum will include representatives from ministries of education and other ministries, education practitioners and educators, researchers and experts, development partners, representatives of youth organisations, NGOs and civil society organisations from around the world. If you are interested in participating, complete the online form by 30 June 2019.
For further details, visit UNESCO’s Forum webpage.
