URI Korea Plans for SDG Implementation at 66th UNDPI/NGO Conference

Dr. Jinwol Lee of URI Korea attended the 66th UNDPI/NGO Conference held in Gyeongju, Korea from May 30-June 1, around the theme of “Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Together.” The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations member states in September 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure human rights and prosperous, fulfilling lives for all, as part of a new sustainable development agenda to be achieved by 2030. The annual UNDPI/NGO Conference aims to mobilize civil society leadership, and this year was particularly pertinent to URI’s work around defining culturally appropriate international and regional messaging, learning and advocacy strategies, and partnerships and governmental accountability frameworks through civil society-driven global citizenship initiatives.

The adopted Action Plan seeks to realize the aspirations of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development through an education-centered strategy designed to mobilize civil society—local and international NGOs, networks and activists, academics, educators, policy makers, business, and youth—to reflect the dreams and ambitions of all global citizens.

We commit to:

An education based on creative and critical thinking that enables all people to actively contribute to political and developmental processes in a complex, interlinked, and diverse global society both within and beyond their borders.

An education that teaches conflict resolution, a deep appreciation for diversity, ethical reasoning, gender equality, human rights and responsibilities, interdependence, multilingual and multicultural competence, social justice, sustainable development, and values.

To utilize the pillars of formal education, informal education and training, and advocacy and public information as means to reduce inequalities of gender, ability, and socioeconomic nature that impede the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal, most particularly Goal #4.

Strengthen diverse civil society-led coalitions around the world that contribute to the development of education for global citizenship

Collaborate to formulate a comprehensive and succinct definition of global citizenship that can be used in curricula around the world.