Ei-iE

Education International
Education International

Education should be in “The Global Deal” at the G20 Summit in London, 2 April 2009

published 27 February 2009 updated 27 February 2009

The British government of Gordon Brown, host for the second G20 Summit in London on 2 April, is proposing “The Global Deal” as a basis for recovery from the worldwide financial and economic crisis.

EI is calling for “The Global Deal” to include

  • Investment in education
  • Achievement of the MDGs, particularly Education for All

The British government’s preparatory paper for the summit is available on the G20 Summit website (http://www.londonsummit.gov.uk/resources/en/PDF/road-to-london-summit). While the paper includes useful comments on the importance of investing in education as part of national stimulus packages, and on the achievement of the MDGs, these two critical items are not included in “The Global Deal”.

EI has written to member organizations in the G20 countries recommending that they raise this matter with their governments, and will work with the ETUCE to approach the EU.

The G20 (Group of 20) is a group of 20 economies, comprising 19 countries, plus the European Union. Collectively, the G20 economies comprise 90% of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world’s population. (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, European Union).

While the G20 brings together major industrialized and emerging economies, its decisions are likely to affect all countries. Members in other countries are invited to take this matter up with their governments, and ask them to exert their influence on G20 countries so that investment in education and achievement of the MDGs will be included in “The Global Deal”.