Overview

Adult literacy is a major challenge in the African region. Despite the progress made in primary school enrolment and adult literacy rate, the number of illiterate adults (aged 15 and over) in Africa has been on the increase since the Dakar EFA Forum in 2000.  Yet ensuring basic education for all citizens is an essential task for any government. The Belém Framework for Action reiterates the agreement that adult literacy “is an inherent part of the right to education” and “an essential means of building people’s capabilities to cope with the evolving challenges and complexities of life, culture, economy and society”.

UIL supports African countries through regional and cross-regional dialogue, collaboration and exchange on innovations and lessons learned in policy, research and practice. These activities are embedded in UNESCO’s flagship programmes for education: the United Nations Literacy Decade, the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment and the International Conference on Adult Education.