06.07.2010 - Article
Adult education: Results of the Conference in Belém

A presentation on the results of the Belém Conference on Adult Education was given at the Kursaal in Bern on 5 July from 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. "Lifelong education", which includes adult education, was the focus of discussions in Belém, Brazil, last December. This is a central challenge for developing countries that are still struggling to provide basic education to all citizens, male and female.

The Framework for Action adopted at the Conference on Adult Education, held from 1 to 4 December 2009 in Belém, aims to promote the implementation of the recommendations of the Conference. These include, in particular, the improvement of the training and the employment conditions of adult educators, the diversification of education programmes and adult education, and the certification of knowledge and skills acquired in the non-formal system. Also considered was the education of migrants - in the specific context of internal migration in Africa - and the specific needs of these groups.

The Belém Conference was organised by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong learning (UIL), which is the strategic partner of the SDC in the education sector. It brought together ministers of education, representatives of civil society and experts. More than 40 delegations from African countries were also present. The SDC is part of the Swiss delegation led by the Federal Office for Professional Education.

The presentation of the results of the Belém Conference in Bern was organised by the Swiss Federation for Continuing Education (FSEA), in collaboration with SDC and the Swiss Network for Education and International Cooperation (RECI). Policymakers in education and training, politicians, heads of training institutions and organisations in the field of development cooperation attended this event, which was also open to the public.