Development begins with education

A UNESCO policy paper supported by many high-profile international leaders, shows education is the catalyst for the proposed post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
Education will be central to the success of the international targets that will replace the Millennium Development Goals when they expire in 2015.  That is the key point of a new booklet that will be released during the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly that is now convening in New York.  Produced by UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report, the booklet states that new global development targets after 2015 should be based on a holistic approach to sustainable development.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “Education is a fundamental right and the basis for progress in every country. Parents need information about health and nutrition if they are to give their children the start in life they deserve. Prosperous countries depend on skilled and educated workers.  The challenges of conquering poverty, combatting climate change and achieving truly sustainable development in the coming decades compel us to work together.”