A regional meeting on the theme “Key Education Challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean: Teachers, Quality, and Equity”, was held on 12-13 May 2011, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  The Meeting was in preparation for the 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), to be held at United Nations Headquarters in Geneva in July 2011, on the theme:  “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”.  The meeting was hosted by the Government of Argentina, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latina America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The Meeting brought together a diverse and comprehensive range of regional stakeholders, including Government Ministers, senior regional practitioners and experts, to identify trends and challenges in regards to education in Latin America and the Caribbean and their impact on the achievement of the Millennium development Goals (MDGs).  The proposed themes for the Meeting included analyzing specifically early childhood education, inequality, and innovative education financing.  The panellists and experts examined integrated approaches and concreted policy measures that ECOSOC can promote to accelerate progress on the international education goals. 

For more information on the meeting, please contact Mr. Alberto Padova, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UN/DESA (+1 212 963-4759, padova@un.org).

• Programme
• Background Note
• Concept Note (EN / ES)
• Presentations and Documentations
  • Progress Toward Education for All in Latin America and the Caribbean (EN / ES)
  • Central Education Issues in Latin America and the Caribbean (EN / ES)
  • New Agenda for Teaching Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (EN / ES)
  • Quality Education in the Digital Age (EN / ES)
  • General ducation Quality Diagnostic (EN / ES)
  • Challenges for Education with Equity in Latin America and the Caribbea (EN / ES)
  • H.E. Mr. Gonzalo Gutiérrez Reinel, Vice President of ECOSOC
• Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy and Inter-Agency Affairs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
• Mr. Jorge Sequeira, Director, UNESCO Regional Education Office: “Progress towards Education for All (EFA) in LAC” (EN / ES)
• Ms. Anna Lucia D'Emilio, Regional Education Advisor for the Americas and Caribbean, UNICEF: “UNICEF Educational Agenda” (EN / ES)
• S.E. Mr. Dennis Alonzo Mazariego, Minister of Education, Guatemala:  “Key aspects to advance teachers policies at national level”
• H.E. Mr. Tim Gopeesingh, Minister of Education, Trinidad and Tobago: “Key aspects to advance teachers policies at national level” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Cristián Cox, Director of the Center for Policy and Practice in Education and Director of the Graduate Program of the Education Department, Catholic University of Chile: “Regional Strategy on Teachers: what profile of the LAC teacher in the 21st century”
• Mr. Jeffrey Puryear, Vice President for Social Policy, Inter-American Dialogue, and Co-Director, Program for Promotion of Educational Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean (PREAL): “The LAC teaching challenge”
• Mr. Eugenio Severín, Senior Specialist in the Education Division, Inter American Development Bank: “The teaching and learning process as a moving target through to ICTs” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Didier De Saint-Pierre, Civil Engineer in Computer Science, University of Chile, former Director of the Program Links and Technology Education Center, Ministry of Education of Chile: “Towards quality education for the 21st century” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Daniela Trucco, Chief of Social Affairs, Social Development Division, ECLAC: “ICTs for Education in Latin America: risks and opportunities” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Luis Garibaldi, Director of Education, Ministery of Education and Culture, Uruguay: “The use of ICTs in Education; the plan CEIBAL, related public policies and evaluation” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Eduardo Aragundi, Secretary for Education Planning, Ministry of Education, Argentina: “Why assess the quality of education?”
• Mr. Atilio Pizarro, Section Chief for Planning, Management, Monitoring and Evaluation / Coordinator of the Regional Information System (SIRI): “A comprehensive reference framework for quality in education” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Jorge Manzi, Head of Research Department, Measurement Center MIDE, Universidad Católica (UC): “What international assessments show about the quality of education in Latin America and the Caribbean?”
• Mr. Martín Hopenhayn, Director, Social Development Division, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC): “Education achievements and the intergenerational reproduction of inequality in the LAC region” (EN / ES)
• Mr. Jaime Vallaure, Deputy Regional Director, World Food Programme (WFP): “The quality standard of the School Nutrition Programs” (EN / ES)
• H.E. Mr. Gonzalo Gutiérrez Reinel, Vice President of ECOSOC
• Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy and Inter-Agency Affairs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
• List of participants
• Meetings Highlights
• Summary Report