UNESCO

As the international
community is setting
a new Sustainable
Development Goal
that includes universal
secondary education,
new data from 2015
from the UNESCO
Institute for Statistics
(UIS) show that the
global number of
children and young
adolescents not
enrolled in school is
rising, as seen in this
UIS infographic.
24
Serge and Beate Klarsfeld, UNESCO Honorary Ambassadors
In October, the Director-General designated Serge and Beate Klarsfeld UNESCO Honorary
Ambassadors and Special Envoys for Education about the Holocaust and the Prevention of Genocide.
This designation recognizes their commitment to reconcile justice and truth in post-war Europe,
their struggle to re-establish the individual identities of the victims of Nazism, their wake-up call to
societies to recognize their historical
and moral responsibilities in the
aftermath of the Second World War,
and their dedication to the ideals
of the Organization. Mr and Mrs
Klarsfeld argue that the Holocaust is
not just the story of 6 million people
killed because they were Jewish, but
a mass of individual stories, which
they work to preserve and share.
© UNESCO/Pilar Chiang-Joo
UNESCO’s role in promoting
education as a tool to
prevent violent extremism
As the primary UN entity to contribute
to peace and security by promoting
collaboration among States through
education, UNESCO is uniquely placed to
lead activities designed to assist Member
States in promoting and implementing
education as a key tool for addressing the
worldwide challenge of preventing the
recruitment and radicalization of youth
through education in its broadest sense
including schools, the community and
media. At the Organization, this work is
carried out within the overall framework
of Global Citizenship Education (GCED)
– a 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development target and a priority of
UNESCO and the UN Global Education First
Initiative since 2012. GCED emphasizes
key skills and competencies such as
critical thinking, empathy, respect, and
aims at empowering learners to assume
active roles to face and resolve global
challenges, and to become proactive
contributors to a more peaceful, tolerant,
inclusive and secure world.
Throughout 2015, UNESCO undertook
several actions to support country efforts to
prevent violent extremism, promote peace
and human rights education, education
about the Holocaust and other genocides,
and education for sustainable development.
On 29 July, the Organization
addressed world leaders in Rome
(29 July) regarding UNESCO’s leadership
role on education to prevent violent
extremism, during the Counter Violent
Extremism Summit (CVE Summit) Process
Senior Official’s Check-In Meeting.