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..Press
Release................................
UNESCAP News Services
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Date 1
September 2005
Press Release No: L/36/2005 (SG/SM/10065; OBV/504)
‘literacy is at the heart of sustainable
development’,
Secretary-General says in literacy day message
Following is the message by UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan for International Literacy Day, observed 8 September:
In this year that marks the start of the United
Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014),
the theme of International Literacy Day is the role of literacy
in sustainable development.
Literacy is a key lever of change and a practical
tool of empowerment on each of the three main pillars of sustainable
development: economic development, social development and environmental
protection.
Experience and research show that literacy can
be a major tool for eradicating poverty, enlarging employment
opportunities, advancing gender equality, improving family health,
protecting the environment and promoting democratic participation.
A literate home environment is a boon to child development,
having a positive impact on how long girls and boys stay enrolled
in school and how effectively they learn. In recent years, many
literacy programmes have become increasingly oriented towards
local needs, especially through a focus on community development
and environmental protection. Such approaches seek to provide
an enriched version of literacy that goes beyond the basic mechanics
of reading and writing to embrace life skills and relevant content.
As the foundation of learning throughout life,
literacy is at the heart of sustainable development. Yet today
there are an estimated 800 million illiterate adults, two thirds
of whom are women. More than 100 million children are not in
school. It is clear that support for literacy continues to fall
well short of need. On this International Literacy Day, let
us recall that literacy for all is an integral part of education
for all, and that both are critical for achieving truly sustainable
development for all.
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