NEP Participates in APMED 6 to Advance the Full SDG4 Agenda
The NGO Education Partnership (NEP) proudly attended the 6th Asia Pacific Meeting on Education 2030 (APMED 6), which took place on 10 September 2024. The event brought together key stakeholders from across the region, including the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) and representatives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
The first day of APMED 6 featured a dynamic session titled “Setting the Scene”, where Helen Dabu, Secretary General of ASPBAE, delivered a compelling statement on civil society’s analysis and recommendations for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). The statement emphasized the need for:
– Transformative actions through intersectional, intergenerational, and intersectoral approaches.
– CSO Stocktake, identifying gaps in equity, inclusion, education financing, and the need to address gender, climate change education, and digitalization.
– A review of the ASPBAE Civil Society Spotlight Reports on SDG 4, proposing actionable recommendations to overcome the challenges in meeting SDG 4 targets.
A significant focus was placed on scaling up initiatives and ensuring adequate financing to address gender, equity, and inclusion—particularly for marginalized groups such as women, girls from poor communities, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and refugees. The intersecting challenges of climate change and digitalization were also key themes, underscoring the role of education in combating the climate crisis and empowering women and girls to become contributors, not just consumers, of digital platforms.
NEP stands alongside ASPBAE and fellow civil society organizations in the belief that education is a powerful force for sustainable development and social equity. Together, we strive to create a future where no one is left behind.
