Remarks of the Director General

On the occasion of the second "Round Table on Development-Driven Public-Private Partnerships in Basic Education: Practitioners’ Solutions".

"I am very pleased with the progress being made in UNESCO’s collaboration with the business community in regard to basic education. It is an ongoing process and I would like it to develop further in the period ahead. As an outcome of the first round table on Public-Private Partnerships for Basic Education that took place last November in Brasilia, the High-Level Group on Education for All (EFA) has recognized the necessity of a more significant private sector participation in basic education. The Brasilia Statement not only calls for collaboration with the private sector in order to mobilize resources for the full EFA agenda of six major goals. In addition, it positions business leaders, and notably the World Economic Forum, at the core of the global advocacy efforts that are indispensable for ensuring that the EFA goals remain achievable. This recognition by the more traditional stakeholders in education was a further milestone in the development of a commonly shared vision on partnerships for education.......

"Finally, please allow me to express my special thanks to those steadfast allies from the USA who are providing UNESCO and the EFA community with special support in fostering private sector participation in education: Ambassador Oliver, USAID, the Committee for Economic Development, and the Center on Universal Education of the Council on Foreign Relations, represented by its Director, Mr Gene Sperling."