UNESCO and UNICEF sign Memorandum of Understanding

The Regional Director of the UNESCO Office for Africa in Dakar, Senegal, and the Regional Director of the UNICEF Office for West and Central Africa, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, have agreed to mobilize technical and financial resources of their respective Offices and agencies to support countries in West and Central Africa Region in the Education for All (EFA) Dakar Follow-up. The agreement was signed on 4 November 2000, in Dakar, Senegal. Mr Armoogum Parsuramen, Regional Director of the UNESCO Office for Africa, signed on behalf of UNESCO; Dr Rima Salah, Regional Director, UNICEF Office for West and Central Africa, signed on behalf of UNICEF.

It is acknowledged that the Dakar Framework for Action adopted at the World Education Forum in April 2000 reaffirms commitments made over the past decade by African States. These include: the Jomtien Declaration and Framework of Action on EFA adopted at the World Conference on Education for All; the United Nations Special Initiative for Africa; the Durban Statement of Commitment adopted by the Seventh Conference of African Ministers of Education (MINEDAF VII); the Programme of Action for the Decade of Education in Africa adopted by the Conference of African Minister of Education (COMEDAF I); and the Framework for Action in Sub-Saharan Africa adopted at the Sub-Saharan Conference on EFA in Johannesburg, in December 1999. 

The implementation and achievement of EFA goals and strategies clearly depend on countries themselves and the commitment of Governments to ensure that EFA goals and targets are reached and sustained. This calls for broad-based partnerships bringing together Government and civil society along with other partners at national, regional and international levels to achieve and maintain good quality basic education for all as soon as possible and by 2015, at the latest. 

UNESCO has developed country guidelines on the preparation of national EFA Plans of Action. These are intended to facilitate the preparation of national EFA plans which are expected to build on existing national education polices and plans and, as appropriate, integrate into sector-wide approaches such as those supported by the United Nations Common Country Assessment (CCA), the United National Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), Poverty Reduction Strategies, etc. 

Within this Memorandum of Understanding, the respective UNESCO and UNICEF Regional Offices will undertake to assist each of the countries in West and Central Africa in the preparation of national EFA plans bearing in mind that these should be ready by 2002. This will involve:

1. Facilitating in each country the formation of a national EFA forum to serve as a vehicle of partnership and as a coordinating mechanism focusing on planning, implementing and monitoring progress toward the set EFA goals.

2. Supporting in each country the generation of national EFA Plans of Action which build and improve upon what exists in terms of policies and strategies in order to boost basic education during the next fifteen years.

3. Strengthening in each country donor co-ordination to avoid duplication and fragmentation and ensure that EFA goals and targets are reached and sustained. 

4. Encouraging in each country effective participation of NGOs to reinforce activities.

5. Promoting in interested countries participation in the EFA flagship programmes such as the United Nations Girl's Education Initiative launched by the Secretary General in April 2000, Focused Resources for Effective School Health (FRESH), Early childhood education, HIV/AIDS prevention and education, Education in situations of emergency and crisis, etc. as well as other relevant initiatives.

6. Exploring new opportunities and areas for cooperation.

• UNESCO/UNICEF Memorandum of Understanding is also available for download at the MINEDAF Document Service
  

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