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target date of 2015. The rapid progress towards EFA and increasing demand for skilled labor
contributed to an expansion of education at all levels (Varghese N. , 2010)
5.1.1.6.2 The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The UN General Assembly adopted the Millennium Declaration in 2000 as a way of expressing
common worldwide priorities in development, which governments and international agencies
would work towards focusing on eight goals with a target date of 2015.
The United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD)
The UN General Assembly launched the Literacy Decade from 2003 to 2012 to mobilize the
resources and political will to meet the learning needs of illiterate people living around the
world.
5.1.1.6.3 The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)
The UN General Assembly called for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
from 2005 to 2014 to mobilize efforts on the widespread global implementation of Education for
Sustainable Development.
5.1.1.7 UNESCO institutes and centers
UNESCO achieves its particular objectives through institutes and centers, which are located in
different parts of the world. At present there are more than hundred institutes and centers in
different fields. These institutes and centers are grouped into two categories: category I 15 and
category II 16 . In the field of education there are six institutes and two centers, which are
classified as category one, while seven centers are of the category II. These bodies have a degree
of functional autonomy and serve as centers of excellence and function as resource hubs,
generator of knowledge and ideas that based on empirical research. These institutions are
responsive to global, regional and national needs the member states. These institutes and centers
provide training, research, technical assistance and other services to UNESCO member states,
partners, and to the network of UNESCO field offices (Davis & Mutch, 2006). These institutes
15 Category I institutes and centers are institutionally part of UNESCO and they form an integral component of the UNESCO‟s
programs, projects and budget as explained in C/5 document. The governing bodies of these centers and institutions are either
elected by General Conference or appointed by the Director- General.
16 Category two institutes and centers function under the auspices of UNESCO through formal arrangements approved by the
General Conference but these entities are not legally part of the UNESCO (Ref: 33 C/19, 4 August 2005).