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The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia jointly organized an Inclusive Lifelong Learning Conference in Bali, Republic of Indonesia, from 3 to 6 July 2023. The conference brought together over 300 participants from 50 countries—predominantly from South-East Asia—to engage in policy discussion on inclusive lifelong learning, to identify strategic directions, and to foster cooperation on adult education and lifelong learning issues.

Over the course of four days, high-level representatives from South-East Asian countries, partnering nations, and technical and financial partners came together to discuss lifelong learning policies and initiatives, and to focus on upskilling and reskilling, with an emphasis on inclusion. Participants also explored effective ways to translate the commitments outlined in the ’ (MFA) into policy measures and strategies.

Ms Prativa Shrestha, Senior Programme Coordinator for Education, UNESCO Field Office in Kathmandu, commented on the conference’s promising objective, noting, ‘Learning is a process that lasts beyond a person's formal education and should not be confined by time or method. Various learning opportunities that take place outside of the formal educational system promote inclusive lifelong learning.’

During the conference, Ms Shrestha provided an insightful overview of Nepal's policies and plans on inclusive lifelong learning promoting functional literacy and expanding opportunities for continuing education and lifelong learning for all citizens. She noted how UNESCO is supporting government policies through the Capacity Development for Education (CapED) Programme. She emphasized the need for governments to implement effective strategies to strengthen sectoral plans and systems, and the capacity of key local stakeholders on non-formal education and lifelong learning. She also stressed the importance of inclusive digital transformation to prepare learners for today's rapidly evolving landscape.

The UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), a trusted  partner in advancing the UIL’s work in Asia—most recently with the (CONFINTEA VII) and the Global Network of Learning Cities—hosted a ‘’, on 30 May 2023. Stakeholders and partners in the field of lifelong learning, and adult learning and education in East Asia, South-East Asia, and South Asia, identified good practices and innovations and agreed on a regional follow-up mechanism to track the progress of MFA implementation. 

Ms Rika Yorozu, Head of Executive Office, UNESCO Bangkok, who facilitated a plenary session on adult learning and education at the local level, noted that 'Learning throughout life is a basic need and joy for people.' During the session, examples were shared with the audience how local efforts are coordinated among multiple stakeholders to provide inclusive lifelong learning opportunities. Speakers from Australia, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, and Thailand zeroed in on the successes and challenges in promoting lifelong learning in cities and communities.

The flexible learning pathways implemented in , one of the seven UNESCO Learning Cities in Thailand, served as a useful case study. Ms Phanintra Teeranon, Vice Dean of the University of Phayao and Head of the Phayao Learning City Project, echoed Ms Yorozu’s perspective by shedding light on local ‘wisdom learning spaces’ established throughout the city which target young children to the elderly. She underscored the significance of promoting learning spaces that honor local wisdom, culture, and heritage.

Phayao faces the challenge of 76 per cent of its population being constituted by informal labourers; in addition, only half that number possess a high-school degree. This situation translates to an average of only 8.5 years of schooling among the adult population. To address this education shortfall, the city implemented a flexible learning pathways policy to provide residents, including teens with mental health issues, with access to local learning spaces. This enables such teens to earn learning credits and certificates by enrolling in free courses provided by the University of Phayao. With the four strategies enshrined in the guidelines by the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, Phayao University—in collaboration with the municipality, local government, other funding agencies, and the greater community—was able to effectively carry out city management; enhance local wisdom learning spaces via the university credit bank; ensure that no one is left behind; and evaluate the learning outcomes by measuring the income, as well as the physical and mental health of targeted groups after their participation in the programme.

The Phayao Learning City exemplifies Thailand’s national philosophy for development, widely known as the ‘sufficiency economy’, and the city has applied the national Bio Circular Growth (BCG) principle at city level to enhance lifelong learning. Ms Teeranon concluded with an inspiring message: ‘[In] Phayao Learning City, we believe in people. We believe that people can make a difference, so we invest in people.’ With support provided by UNESCO Bangkok and relevant partners, Phayao hopes to transfer its successful model and corresponding knowledge to other Thai cities.

In a session focusing on inclusive strategies for migrants and minorities, Mr Papol Dhutikraikriang, Associate Project Officer, UNESCO Bangkok, presented UNESCO’s regional work in non-formal education and lifelong learning promotion for out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY). The Project was presented as a showcase of UNESCO Bangkok’s successful framework and model to support OOSCY and migrants, as well as Thai students, in continuing their education through financial literacy and a conditional cash transfer mechanism which helps learners to support their families. With generous support from the , Learning Coin Phase II is expected to be launched in August of this year, targeting 500 students from the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) enrolled under Department of Learning Encouragement (DOLE; Thailand Ministry of Education) in five  provinces in Thailand.

Ms Thantida Wongprasong, Director of Office of Partnership, Innovation and Scholarships, EEF Thailand, commented, ‘In order to eradicate inequality, we must work on education beyond the school fence.' With this goal in mind, EEF expressed interest in co-organizing with UNESCO Bangkok the 3rd ‘All for Education (AFE) Regional Conference’, in 2024, around a thematic focus on learning cities.

In addition to the regional conference, the Higher Education, Program Management Unit for Area-Based Development (PMU-A), and the DOLE extended an invitation to UNESCO Bangkok to co-host a national workshop on learning cities, which is currently scheduled for 22–23 August 2023 to bring together the stakeholders and relevant actors towards promoting learning cities in Thailand on a national scale.

During a plenary session, Dr Poon Thiengburanathum, Deputy Director of the PMU-A, expressed, ‘Learning is the basis of humanity. We just need the right ecology for our changing world.’ He showcased the PMU-A's Learning City Program, which is based on UNESCO’s learning framework and focuses on job creation and social mechanisms within each local authority in the learning city areas.

PMU-A has united the government, city municipalities, and private sectors in Thailand to establish an agenda that aims to reduce inequality in the country, particularly in the areas of learning and education. With the support and guidance of UNESCO’s advocacy initiatives on Learning City, PMU-A is poised to leverage city developments into an international standard.

The international dialogue during the conference corresponded with the UNESCO mandates to promote the right to education throughout life, and to develop strategies and actions that assist Member States in making inclusive lifelong learning a reality—all in line with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. As Dr Mee Young Choi, Officer-in-Charge and Head of Education Unit, UNESCO Jakarta, noted in her closing remarks, ‘We are all committed to working towards a future where inclusive lifelong learning becomes accessible to all individuals.’

Dr Denni Puspa Purbasari, Executive Director of the Project Management Office, Kartu Prakerja, Indonesia, announced the adoption of , on the closing day of the conference. This is an outcome document summarizing the conference dialogue and outlining key areas of actions towards building inclusive lifelong learning systems.

With the hope to contribute to sustainable development, shared economic prosperity, and a peaceful future for the world, the Bali Manifesto calls on governments, UNESCO, international organizations, and education institutions to advance inclusion and continue capacity-building activities; strengthen knowledge-sharing of promising policies and programmes in lifelong learning; and monitor the implementation of the Marrakech Framework for Action to ensure lifelong learning for all.

Dr Choi invites lifelong learners to ‘show the world that you believe in the transformative power of learning’ by contributing to the #ImALifelongLearner campaign, which was launched by UIL on 3 July 2023. Everyone is encouraged to upload their image and personal statement on the .