UNESCO brought together around 100 ESD-Network members from across the Arab region on 7 September 2026 for a regional webinar to review progress in Education for Sustainable Development, exchange national experiences and help shape preparations for the 2027 UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development.
Organized jointly by UNESCO offices in Beirut, Cairo, Doha and Rabat in coordination with the Section of Education for Sustainable Development at UNESCO Headquarters, the online meeting convened representatives of Member States, ministries and education authorities, UNESCO offices, academia, civil society, youth and other partners of the Education for Sustainable Development Network (ESD-Net). The webinar provided updates on implementation of the ESD for 2030 framework, which seeks to integrate sustainable development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals into education policies, learning environments, educator capacity-building, youth empowerment and community action. Participants reviewed findings from the ESD for 2030 mid-term evaluation and discussed practical measures to strengthen national initiatives, stakeholder coordination, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation.
National progress and regional exchange
Jordan, Bahrain and Morocco presented national experiences and good practices. Jordan highlighted its ESD for 2030 Country Initiative and efforts spanning curricula, sustainable learning environments, teacher development, youth engagement and local partnerships. Bahrain shared its whole-institution approach to green education, including the Green Education Guide and sustainability work with schools. Morocco presented initiatives implemented with national partners, including Eco-Schools, climate education, youth journalism, teacher capacity-building and efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of rural schools.
Discussions underscored the value of country initiatives as living national frameworks that connect existing activities, mobilize stakeholders and support wider impact. Participants called for stronger coordination, regular regional exchanges, peer learning and better documentation of results and good practices. They also highlighted emerging priorities such as artificial intelligence, digital citizenship, peace education, education in conflict and crisis contexts, youth leadership and high-quality Arabic digital learning content.
