By Alimatu Jalloh
The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, has invited Sierra Leone’s President, Dr Julius Maada Bio, to become a founding member of the informal Group of Champions for Global Education.
The UN Secretary-General has, therefore, addressed a letter of invitation to the President as Co-Chair of the Transforming Education Summit ahead of the global conference on September 19, 2022.
The official correspondence from the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, states, “As indicated in my letter dated April 18, 2022, and in the context of Our Common Agenda, I am convening a Transforming Education Summit on 16, 17, and 19 September 2022 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.”
The Secretary-General further states, “The solution to many of our shared global challenges begins with education. Yet across the world, education is in a deep crisis. This is a crisis of equity, quality, and relevance that demands urgent and sustained action. This Summit is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to place education at the top of the global political agenda and to tackle this crisis decisively”.
Mr. Guterres while outlining the overarching objective of transforming education also notes that it “will not be achieved overnight. It will require sustained political commitment at the very highest levels and a conscious effort to ensure that education remains a major global priority”.
Mr. Guterres encourages a small number of world leaders to take up the baton of championing education transformation now and into the future, and to also support effective follow-up of the outcomes of the Summit.
He acknowledges the fact that “Sierra Leone has taken several important steps to transform education domestically and, through your Minister for Education, has made a critical contribution to the preparatory process of the summit. Considering this and given your role as Co-Chair of the High-Level Steering Committee of Sustainable Development Goal Four, I have the honour of inviting you to be a Founding Member of this informal Group of Champions”.
According to the agenda of the Transforming Education Summit, on September 19, 2022, Summit Leaders Day, members of the informal group will be invited to join an interactive scene-setting panel during the opening segment. It aims to underscore the importance of transforming education and convey its commitment to advancing the agenda over the coming years.