A holistic approach to sustainable education is needed

The need for a holistic, integrative and interdisciplinary approach to sustainable education was stressed at a High-Level Meeting of Ministers of Education, which took place on Thursday in the context of the 9th Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Europe, of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Ministers of Education, academics, technocrats, representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and youth organizations, had on Thursday an in-depth discussion on the implementation of the framework of the UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) from 2021 to 2030 that was approved on Wednesday in Nicosia.

In his opening address, the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth of Cyprus, Prodromos Prodromou, spoke of the special importance of the Meeting in order to give the opportunity to Education Ministers to reflect on the new framework until 2030 while at the same time, to develop networking and exchange of best practices and experiences.

The Minister also noted that youth plays a special role in the implementation of the framework. He added that the youth must be involved in the discussions and actions, as young people are facing the effects of environmental challenges and will face them in the future.

In his closing comments, Prodromou who chaired the meeting expressed the opinion that "we have very strong tools for cooperation and these should be strengthened". The new momentum developing in the UNECE region, he said, is a fantastic opportunity, a green opportunity to move forward that should not be missed. He also expressed confidence that the cooperation of the countries in the region will be further enhanced.