Heads of State, Government Ministers From Over 35 Countries Will Convene for International Summit on Balanced and Inclusive Education in Djibouti

DJIBOUTI CITY,Djibouti,Jan. 24,2020 --Over 35 governments of African,Asian,Middle Eastern,Pacific,Latin American and Caribbean countries will officially be represented at the III ForumBIE 2030 – International Summit on Balanced and Inclusive Education – in Djibouti on 27-29 January 2020.

Signing of agreement between President of ERF Manssour Bin Mussallam and the Minister of National Education and Vocational Training of the Republic of Djibouti HE Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud

To view the Multimedia News Release,please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8682651-summit-balanced-inclusive-education-djibouti/

Delegations led by Heads of State and Government Ministers will participate alongside high-level representatives from inter-governmental organizations,civil society,and academia at this major international summit.

During the three-day event,these delegations will:

Affirm and sign into being the Universal Declaration of Balanced and Inclusive Education (UDBIE); and

Affirm and sign into being platforms and mechanisms of technical and financial cooperation to support the implementation of commitments made in the UDBIE.

This assembly of nations of the Global South taking leadership in reforming education,preparing societies and communities to confront the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development,embodies the aspirations shared by many in the international community. Convened with the understanding of the urgency for new equitable models of social and economic development to be constructed through education,the III ForumBIE 2030 – International Summit on Balanced and Inclusive Education – embraces new ideas and ensures new paths can be found.

The Universal Declaration follows in the spirit of previous international agreements on education. It combines those ideas,links them with novel concepts,and situates them within a holistic,flexible and operational structure resting on four key pillars of Balanced and Inclusive Education (BIE): Intraculturalism,Transdisciplinarity,Dialecticism and Contextuality.

The Education Relief Foundation (ERF)is a Geneva-based not-for-profit and non-governmental organisation which serves to develop,promote and embed a balanced and inclusive education through policy development,capacity building and civil society engagement,amongst other activities.

The first ForumBIE 2030 was held at the United Nations in Geneva,Switzerland in December 2017. In November 2018,II ForumBIE 2030 in Mexico City saw both the launch of the Global Guide of Ethics,Principles,Policies,and Practices in Balanced and Inclusive Education,and the initial signing of the International Call for Balanced and Inclusive Education – the document which called for the preparation of the Universal Declaration of Balanced and Inclusive Education.

To date,the International Call for Balanced and Inclusive Education has garnered 41 signatures,representing 671 governmental,academic and civil society entities from 110 countries.

ERF and UDBIE flags displayed at the Mont Blanc bridge in Genera to commemorate the holding of the International Summit on Balanced and Inclusive Education in Djibouti

For more information,contact:

Etienne Lacombe-Kishibe,Head of Media and Communications

E: e.kishibe@educationrelief.org | P: +0041-22-920-0859 | M: +0041-79-864-2692