DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, along with UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, handed over UNESCO’s 2014 International Literacy Prizes to the awardees on Monday, an event held in Dhaka for the first time.

The award giving ceremony was held at the “International Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Literacy and Education: Foundations for Sustainable Development”.

Awardees of the UNESCO Literacy Award 2014

In 2014 UNESCO awarded 7 persons and Institution worldwide for contribution to literacy and education.  They were nominated earlier by UNESCO Jury Board as per submission of nominations for 2014. Bangladesh did not submit any nomination for 2014.

UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize

Anatole T. Niameogo, President, Association for the Promotion of Non-Formal Education of Burkina Faso and Ministry of Education of Ecuador Augusto Espinosa, Minister received the King Sejong Literacy Prizes.

UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy

 Aicha Barki, President, Algerian Association of Alphabetization (IQRRA), Algeria,  Ana Garcia Reina, Director of the Permanent Education Center Poligono Sur Seville, Spain, Isabel Dealbert, Deputy Director of the Permanent Education Center Poligono Sur Seville,Spain, Masennya Dikotla, Chief Executive Officer, Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy and International Literacy Institute, South Africa, Dan A. Wagner, Director, Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy and International Literacy Institute received the Confucius Prize for Literacy.

The conference was organized by the Bangladesh Government in joint collaboration with UNESCO and the UN Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) to mark the International Literacy Day 2014.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education jointly organized the event on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh.

Every year, UNESCO observes the International Literacy Day on September 8 and presents UNESCO Literacy Awards in Paris, but it was held here this time.

The Conference and the hosting of the International Literacy awards at Dhaka in DG UNESCO’s presence, reaffirmed the  Prime Minister’s commitment to Girls’ and Women’s Literacy and Education and Empowerment of Women and her advocacy role as GEFI Champion Head of Government.

Ministers for Primary and Mass Education, Ministry for Education and the Foreign Ministry attended the Inauguration ceremony.

Around 60 delegates including INGOs from 27 countries participated in the one day Conference.

The Minister Level delegates are as follows: Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, Espinosa, Education Minister of Ecuador, Bandula Gunawardhana (MP), Education Minister of Sri Lanka, and H.E. Lyonpo Mingbo Dukpa, Education Minister of Bhutan, Mohammad Azim Karbalyee, Deputy Education Minister of Afghanistan, Routing DICKO Amadou DIEMDIODA, Deputy Minister of National Education Alphabetization of Burkina Faso. Apart from Ministers senior officials, academicians and literary experts from Algeria, South Africa, USA, Egypt, Spain, France,  India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Philippines, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya, ROK, Bhutan, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, Tanzania, Uganda.

Building on the successful case of Bangladesh and UNESCO’s worldwide experience, the event will seek to make the case for comprehensive/holistic approaches to girls’ education and women’s literacy and their centrality to sustainable development.

The expected outcome of the Conference will be a statement reflecting the collective decision to address key challenges of girls’ education and women’s literacy through a multi-pronged, collaborative, synergistic action at global, regional, national and community levels.

A ‘Dhaka Declaration’ will be adopted at the end of the conference to endorse the commitment to female education and empowerment.

Draft Dhaka Declaration

There will be a draft Dhaka Declaration to be adopted at the end of the conference emphasizing girls education to be considered as a pillar of sustainable development and the post-2015 Development Agenda, which is supposed to be carried over to the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Nagoya, Japan 10-12 November, and subsequent UNESCO meetings to uphold the commitment for female education and empowerment.

The Conference will contribute to the global movement for education by sharing its successful policies and practices in promoting girls’ and women’s literacy and education.

Reflecting the firm commitment of the Government since the country’s independence, Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in education and literacy, especially in the areas of girls’ and women’s literacy and education. Gender parity has improved in both primary and secondary education as well as in youth and adult literacy.

BDST: 1254 HRS, SEP 08, 2014