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The UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession will be supported by a joint UNESCO-ILO Secretariat
The United Nations Secretary-General announced last week the establishment of a High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession. The panel will be supported by a joint UNESCO-ILO Secretariat. This decision recognizes the significant expertise of UNESCO, the lead UN agency for education, in supporting teachers.
The Panel will build on the outcomes of the Transforming Education Summit in September 2022 to ensure that every learner has access to a professionally trained, qualified, and well-supported teacher who can thrive within a transformed education system. It may also base its work on the UNESCO-International Task Force on Teachers’ Global Report which will be published at the end of 2023.
“From the rapid development of generative AI to the alarming climate crisis, the role of teachers has never been more crucial and central,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “We must improve their status and working conditions to make sure they are empowered, providing quality education and paving the way to a more equitable and sustainable future for generations to come. The establishment of this diverse High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession is an essential step in our collective efforts towards this goal.”
The Panel will draw together ministries, teachers, students, unions, civil society, the private sector, and academia. It will provide recommendations to improve teachers’ working conditions and career prospects. The panel’s report will serve as a contribution to broader efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, as an input to ongoing preparations for the 2024 Summit of the Future and help advance follow-up on the Transforming Education Summit.
The first meeting of the High-Level Panel will take place on 18 July 2023.
