Partners Consultative Meeting on Education As AU Theme for 2024 And CESA Inter-Clusters Coordination Meeting.

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September 19, 2023

WHAT: Partners Consultative Meeting on Education As AU Theme for 2024 And CESA Inter-Clusters Coordination Meeting.

WHEN: 19^th September 2023

WHERE: Hybrid

TIME: 11.00 - 17.00 (GMT +3)

WHO: AU institutions, Education Partners, Member States and Organisations who are coordinating the CESA Clusters, and members of CESA Thematic Clusters are to participate in the meeting.

Background

The Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) was adopted to provide the framework that links education to the human resource needs of Agenda 2063 and the SDGs, as well as national development goals. It was developed with the fundamental knowledge that Education and Training plays a pivotal role to achieving the human and economic goals set by national, regional, and continental frameworks and strategies. The frameworks and strategies ensure that the appropriate skilled population with the needed knowledge, armed with the right social and cultural values for engendering peaceful co-existence and creation of wealth are produced. CESA is indeed the continental domestication of the Global Education 2030 programme adopted in Incheon, Korea, as well as SDG4. Furthermore, there are sectoral African post 2015 strategies such as STISA 2024, the revised Youth Decade Plan of Action and the Continental Strategy for TVET, which are concomitant with CESA 16-25.

Similarly, Year 2024 dedicated to Education in Africa will be a single opportunity for the African Union to re-galvanize Member States towards the achievement of CESA and SDG4 targets. Importantly, this will come as a follow-up to the STC-EST4, AU-HLSE Declarations, the Urgent Call for Action by the SDG4 High-level Steering Committee and the UN Secretary General’s Vision Statement on Transforming Education. It will engage the AU Commission to mobilize Governments and Development partners to rethink the models of education and skill development needed for the Africa we want in the 21^st Century.

In this regard, focus will be on development and implementation of effective, long-lasting, system-wide transformational strategies for education in Africa, and recovery from COVID-19, building resilience and transformation, riding on the global momentum. It is also expected to spur implementation of the declarations emanating from the key continental and global education moments including the fourth ordinary session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology (STC-EST4), the declarations from both the UN Transforming Education Summit, the High-level Side Event on Transforming Education in Africa as well as the Youth Manifesto on Transforming Education in Africa which resulted from youth consultations in 2023 and was presented at the HLSE in New York.

THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING ARE:

Finalization of the Concept Note and Roadmap for the AU theme of the year for 2024, in preparation for the extraordinary session of the STC-EST4 (Ministerial Meeting)
Taking stock of CESA Clusters’ Achievements Toward Further Advocacy and Implementation of CESA 16-25, and the Mid-term Review of CESA 16-25 Strategic Objectives.

Expected Outputs:

Finalization of the concept note for Education as the Theme of the Year 2024, for it to be presented to, and endorsed by Extra-Ordinary STC-EST4.
Discussion of possible ways to advocate for the implementation of the Education as the Theme of the Year for 2024; and to create more awareness, ownership, and implementation of the CESA 16-25 strategic objectives at all levels.
Building more visibility and credibility for the AU Theme of the Year 2024; CESA 16-25 and its advocacy, and by giving guidance to Member States.
Modalities for engagements of CESA Thematic Clusters in the Mid-term review of CESA 16-25, and possible collaborations towards the success of Education as the Theme of the Year 2024.

Expected Outcomes:

The Concept and the Roadmap for Education as the AU Theme of the Year 2024 will be presented and deliberated upon for presentation ad endorsement by STC-EST4 Bureau.
Technical Working Group (TWG) engagement in the implementation of Education as AU Theme of the Year 2024.
Clusters engagements and proposed key initiatives for the remaining part of 2023 and for Education Theme of the Year 2024; and in the CESA 16-25 Mid-term Review.
Implementation on the CESA Clusters work plans for the first half and the remaining part of 2023 will be presented, with the identified cluster members working on specific tasks highlighted in the workplan, and the level of achievement derived, based on CESA KPIs.
Adoption and replication of best practices and experiences by Cluster Coordinators, Cluster Members, Education Partners, and in AU Member States.

For further information contact:

Dr. Caseley Olabode Stephens | Policy Officer, Education | Department of Human Resource Science and technology, African Union Commission | Email: StephensC@africa-union.org.