Call for Action to Achieve SDG4

Paris: Education leaders have called for action to accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), warning that the world remains off track to meet the 2030 target of ensuring quality education for all. According to South African Government News Agency, the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee expressed concern that despite progress, the world remains off track to achieve SDG 4 by 2030. Persistent inequalities, recurrent shocks, and a substantial education financing shortfall threaten the right to quality education for all. This call to action coincides with President Cyril Ramaphosa's urging for increased global investment in education. Speaking at the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) Leaders Group Meeting at UNESCO Headquarters in France, President Ramaphosa emphasized that education is foundational for achieving all other Sustainable Development Goals and is crucial for building resilient and sustainable societies. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultu ral Organisation (UNESCO) identifies the HLSC as the apex body for global education cooperation, acting as a global multi-stakeholder consultation and coordination mechanism for education in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The committee highlighted the importance of accelerating education system transformation and reaffirmed its focus on education system resilience. Support for the teaching profession, foundational and lifelong learning, and inclusive digital transformation were underscored, with equity and inclusion serving as guiding principles and sustainable financing as the foundation of resilient education systems. The committee urged Member States and partners to actively support and participate in global and regional initiatives aimed at advancing these priorities. To maintain momentum, the committee has requested UNESCO to lead preparations for the 2027 Global Education Meeting (GEM), in consultation with the HLSC Sherpa Group. This meeting is intended to serve as a milestone to assess prog ress towards SDG 4, using evidence, data, and monitoring results, while maintaining political momentum ahead of the 2027 High-Level Political Forum and SDG Summit. Additionally, the committee endorsed the Sustainable Financing Pathways as the operational framework for advancing sustainable financing for education. It called on Member States and partners to align behind country-led and integrated financing pathways based on national priorities and macro-fiscal realities. The committee also emphasized the need for greater coordination among financing instruments and development partners to reduce fragmentation, improve impact, and strengthen long-term fiscal sustainability.