The right to education as a driver to the right to development

IIMA is participating, from 3^rd to 5^th October to the 2011 Social Forum on Commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development.Before the Social Forum IIMA submitted a written contribution focused on the Right to Education as driver to the Right to Development. The opening day of the meeting, on October 3^rd, IIMA intervened during the interactive dialogue following the Special Procedures’ statements.During the oral intervention, Lorenza Pastore, on behalf of IIMA, called to attention the interdependence of all human rights and the need for States to establish a politically and socially just system that is reliable enough to ensure every person a life of dignity.

Lorenza highlighted that education is a key component for the implementation of social and economic development. Concerning social development, the improvement of education promotes democracy through the participation and empowerment of specific groups, ensuring equitable treatment of women, children, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and the most vulnerable. At the same time, education promotes economic development that fosters poverty reduction, productivity, sustainable development, as well as integration and full participation of individuals in the global economy. 

According to IIMA, evidence shows that lack of education severely limits the enjoyment of social and economic growth and development.Lorenza Pastore followed saying that today, guaranteeing primary education is not enough to promote the economic and social development, but it is time to invest in secondary and higher education because completing secondary education youth have more opportunities to successfully enter the labour market.Another important issue that arose during the intervention was the lack of synchronization between education and labour market, which is crucial to guarantee students a good chance to enter the labour market in a way that ensures a minimum level of wellbeing for youth’s future.Furthermore, IIMA brought the attention to the quality of education as promoter of the Right to Development. According to IIMA, quality education can be guaranteed trough two important factors: appropriate training and working conditions for all persons involved in formal and informal education (educators); and a pertinent relevant curricula that promotes the acquisition of skills necessary for students to participate in all human affairs and to integrate new information and communication technology. Finally, IIMA remembered that the international community should be called to act as required by the Millennium Development Goal 8, to develop a “global partnership for development.”  According to Lorenza collaboration begins with cooperative and effective actions that lead to improved education.At the end of the interactive dialogue panelists expressed their satisfaction and congratulated IIMA for the pertinence of its intervention, ensuring that all stakeholders’ contributions will be taken into consideration in drafting the final report of the 2011 Social Forum.