Maat participates in ECOSOC Partnership Forum: "We must work together to achieve free education for all"

Monsif: "The impact of COVID-19 on education poses a major challenge to the 17 SDGs"

 

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, in its capacity as the regional coordinator for North Africa in the NGO Major Group, had participated in organizing one of the forum sessions, entitled "Education for All as a Key Step for Recovery", in partnership with the NGO Major Group including the major indigenous peoples group, and the major education and academic group, as well as the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in Ghana.

The session focused on highlighting the various perspectives of experts on the current challenges facing education in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to discussing the successful models of stakeholders and their role in supporting free, high-quality education for all in order to achieve sustainable development.

Hajar Monsif, deputy director of Maat’s unit for African Affairs and the regional partner for North Africa in the NGO Major Group, has discussed education from a human rights perspective, and clarified that the governments’ measures to close schools have far-reaching effects, topped by promoting inequality. She also noted that the impact of COVID-19 on education poses a challenge not only to the SDG 4 but to all the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), such as SDGs 5, 8 & 16.

Monsif recommended the need to pay special attention to the SDG 4 by developing education improvement programs and increasing financial support for education in countries, especially for vulnerable groups. She also urged state governments to develop well-studied plans to protect education from any future shocks that would adversely impact it based on the recovery cases of Covid-19.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Partnership Forum is held annually to discuss the role of partnerships in advancing the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Forum focuses on key issues of common interest and the ways to mobilize multiple stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Forum was held on February 2, 2022, on the theme of this year's ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) “Building back better from COVID-19 while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda".