Priority: Education for development

(Mar de Plata, December 6, 2010).- Based on their firm conviction that quality education is one of the most effective instruments for development of countries, CAF president & CEO, Enrique García, and the secretary general of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), Álvaro Marchesi, signed a cooperation framework ?? agreement aimed at combining efforts and taking joint actions in the fields of education, science, culture and social development in the member countries of the Ibero-American Community. The document was signed during the XX Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, with all the senior officials and authorities present as witnesses and with the participation of the Ibero-American Secretary General (SEGIB), Enrique Iglesias, as witness of honor.

García stressed the importance of the agreement as part of his institution’s efforts in the fight against poverty and in favor of social equality as part of the synergies which CAF establishes with institutions such as OEI, based on shared interests. "The promotion and development of education, culture and sport are aspects of common interest, with the objective of building human capital, social inclusion and more equitable human relations."

The agreement between the two institutions was signed in the context of the Education Goals 2021 project, presented at the XX Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, whose key theme is education for social inclusion.

Challenges in the education sector

Education Goals 2021 is an ambitious educational program covering the next 11 years in which Latin American countries will work to achieve an historic development in their education and reach the level of the more developed countries. The project was initiated by OEI with SEGIB support in the Ibero-American Education Conference held in San Salvador, where the ministers of the countries of the region agreed to implement the plan which is expected to be finally approved by the countries present in this Summit.

The priority is to confront the challenges left from the 20th century, especially in the field of literacy and basic education of young people and adults, access to education and the quality of teaching, and major challenges such as innovation, scientific and technological development, along with participation in the information and knowledge society.

The OEI is an international governmental organization which promotes cooperation between Ibero-American countries in the fields of education, science, technology and culture in the context of integrated development, democracy and regional integration.