Literacy Trends in Pakistan - UNESCO Islamabad

17. UNITED NATIONS LITERACY DECADE – A NEW GLOBAL THRUSTUnited Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD, 2003-2012) was launched jointly by UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan, and Director GeneralUNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, in February 2003. The UN General Assembly at its 56 th session proclaimed the United Nations LiteracyDecade for the period towards 2003-2012.Literacy is Crucial“literacy is crucial to the acquisition, by every child, youth and adult, of essential life skills that enable them to address the challenges they canface in life and represents an essential step in basic education, which is an indispensable means for effective participation in the societies andeconomies of the twenty first century…… literacy for all is at heart of basic education for all and creating literate environments and societies isessential for achieving the goals of eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality andensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy”.(Un General Assembly Resolution – 56 th Session)The United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012) aims to extend the use of literacy to those who do not currently have access to it. Over 861million adults are in that position, and over 113 million children are not in school and therefore not gaining access to literacy either. The Decadewill focus on the needs of adults with the goal that people everywhere should be able to use literacy to communicate within their owncommunity, in the wider society and beyond. Literacy efforts have so far failed to reach the poorest and most marginalised groups of people –the Decade will particularly address such populations, under the banner of Literacy for all: voice for all, learning for all.The outcome of the Decade will be locally sustainable literate environments. These environments will give people opportunities to express theirideas and views, engage in effective learning, participate in the written communication which characterises democratic societies, and exchangeknowledge with others. This will include increasingly the use of electronic media and information technologies, both as a means of selfexpressionand for accessing and assessing the vast stores of knowledge available today.Literacy is a plural concept, with diverse literacies shaped by their use in particular contexts. The Decade will work to promote literacies acrossthe full range of purposes, contexts, languages, and modes of acquisition which communities of learners identify for themselves.37