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According to the Global Report on Teachers produced by UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force), it is estimated that Latin America and the Caribbean require an additional 3.2 million teachers. At a global level, the teacher shortage has become a critical challenge for education systems, with over 40 million new teachers needed to ensure quality and equitable education worldwide.

In light of this, on Friday 4 April 2025, from 12:00 to 14:30, the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and the United Nations Coordination Office for Latin America and the Caribbean will host a side event of the 2025 Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, entitled “Teachers: Key Players in Sustainable Development”. This discussion space is co-organised with the Teacher Task Force, the Ministry of Education of Chile and the SM Foundation. The meeting at ECLAC will focus on the crucial role of teachers in transforming education and achieving sustainable development.

During the event, international experts and key stakeholders from the education sector will discuss the main findings of the global report, addressing critical issues such as teacher recruitment and retention, working conditions, continuous professional development, educational leadership, and participation in education policy-making. The event will also serve as a key opportunity to learn about successful experiences implemented in various countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The meeting will be attended by representatives of international organisations and Ministries of Education, academics, education leaders, teachers’ unions, and policy specialists. Among them will be Ms Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago; Mr Nicolás Cataldo, Chile’s Minister of Education; and Ms Marcia Serra Ferreira, Director of Basic Education Teacher Training, Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Training in Brazil.

“Teachers are the backbone of the education system and, without them, it is impossible to guarantee the right to learn for millions of children and young people. The teacher shortage in Latin America and the Caribbean is an urgent challenge that requires concrete and coordinated responses. With this meeting, we aim to mobilise authorities and the education community to strengthen the teaching profession and ensure its key role in building a sustainable future,” emphasised the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, Esther Kuisch Laroche.

At the event, UNESCO will also present its new Regional Teacher Strategy 2025–2030, which seeks to foster international cooperation among countries in the region in order to strengthen public education policies and significantly increase the supply of qualified teachers.