The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of International Literacy Day on Tuesday, convening global education ministers and civil society delegates in Paris to mobilize worldwide investments in universal literacy and equitable economic prosperity.
The historical milestone paid tribute to the foundational World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy held in Tehran in 1965, which first established functional literacy as an indispensable human right and catalyst for democratic empowerment. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay released updated global metrics revealing that while worldwide adult literacy rates have expanded from sixty-eight percent to eighty-seven percent over the past six decades, more than seven hundred and sixty million adults still lack basic reading and numeracy capabilities.
The anniversary summit placed special emphasis on closing the digital literacy divide and ensuring equitable mother-tongue education for marginalized linguistic communities and girls in conflict zones. Panelists examined how generative artificial intelligence and interactive digital mobile applications can be deployed to accelerate multilingual adult learning in rural regions.
UNESCO awarded its annual International Literacy Prizes to grassroots non-profit organizations from Ghana, Colombia, and India for pioneering community reading circles and vocational literacy curricula. Participating nations concluded proceedings by pledging renewed budgetary allocations to realize Sustainable Development Goal 4 before 2030.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/photos/lifestyle-gallery/know-all-about-the-history-of-world-literacy-day-10868098/