Sustainable Development and Education Critical to Post 2015 Goals

Countries partook of Education and Sustainable Development policy discussions earlier this month at OAS headquarters in preparation for Ministerial Meetings in 2015. Preparatory meetings were held amidst varying processes at the global, regional, and institutional levels, such as the UN definition of the Post-2015 development agenda, the formulation of the OAS strategic vision, and the revision of the Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development (PIDS).

A unique example of a regional policy and action roadmap and agreement is the Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development (PIDS), the revision of which was the central focus of the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) on October 22 and 23. During the CIDS, representatives from Sustainable Development Ministries and other member state delegates discussed the current PIDS, reviewing achievements to date, and how the Plan must be revised in order to support countries’ visions and priorities. The revised PIDs will be adopted at the Ministerial level in Honduras in October 2015.

In opening the meeting, Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, referred to it as “one of the most critical meetings we have within the Organization, speaking of long term development and sustainability.” “Business as usual is no longer an option. Our population is increasing; our natural resources are in decline; our planet seems to be buckling under pressure. The debate is no longer about the practicality of sustainable development, rather how it can be achieved,” he added.

Ambassador Neil Parsan, Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS and Chair of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) emphasized that “The OAS through SEDI can play a critical role in the intergovernmental processes that are on track to address sustainable development.” He went further to state that “there exists within SEDI, a wealth of unique and effective instruments and programs that work and which have stood the test of time to do just this”.

In the coming months, the Organization will support member states as they define the new PIDS, and will also continue to be directly involved in the UN-led process of defining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This synchronized exercise provides an opportunity to promote greater coherence between the global and regional sustainable development agendas. “Today we meet with the common aim of putting our own mark on the global effort to fashion a post 2015 sustainable development agenda,” said Ramdin. 

The OAS considers education to be fundamental to a sustainable development agenda that can fully address the needs of individuals, while simultaneously breaking of the cycles of poverty and inequality that are prevalent throughout the region. Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin reinforced this assertion in his remarks at the opening of the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE), the second policy dialogue held this month. In his statement, he emphasized that the promotion of universal access to quality education is at the heart of development policies, adding that one of the primary challenges of the region is "the successful implementation of effective public policies to promote equal opportunity through education.”

Delegations from OAS member states discussed how they can work together to promote education as a tool to advance a more inclusive regional development, define a roadmap for concerted action on education, and support regional cooperation, as they prepare for the Meeting of Education Ministers to be held in Panama during the first quarter of 2015.

“This is an opportunity to redefine, refine, and rethink what we do and how we do it” said Sherry Tross, OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development. “It is also a unique opportunity to be able to align processes and realize a degree of policy convergence that can reap major dividends for us in the future, particularly as we tackle issues of inclusion and sustainability.”