© UNESCO
From 21 to 24 September, Asia-South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) held its Sixth General Assembly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The event was attended by around 100 representatives of civil society organisations from over 20 countries, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. The Meeting was hosted by the NGO coalition on education in Cambodia, NGO Education Partnership (NEP), and opened by His Excellency Nath Bunroeun, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of Cambodia.
Following an inaugural speech by H.E. Im Sethy, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Ms Carolyn Medel-Añonuevo, Deputy Director of UIL, held a Keynote Speech. Entitled “Sharpening Our Tools as We Transform the Future”, the presentation outlined the global challenges in education in general, particularly adult education. Ms Medel-Añonuevo then described strategies with which adult learning and education can be reinforced. A later plenary discussion focused on taking stock of progress towards implementing the Belém Framework for Action.
The Meeting was unique in that of the regions of the world, the Asian Pacific region is well connected on topics of education, with 15 national coalitions of education as ASPBAE members, giving the organisation the leverage to advocate for lifelong learning at a high level. Other main topics of the meeting include concerns by member organisations with regards to the post-2015 agenda, the strategic development of ASPBAE, and gathering ideas for ASPBAE's upcoming 50th anniversary.
