A new European Declaration on Global Citizenship Education to 2050 has been adopted in Dublin, Ireland on the 20th anniversary of the Maastricht Declaration. The new strategy set out how education will encourage the public to act, individually and collectively, to help build a fairer, more tolerant and more sustainable world for all.

“Because our common commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law through education should never be a short-term project”, highlighted the Deputy Secretary General while addressing the European Congress of Global Education.

“In democratic countries, education serves four key functions: it provides us with a broad, advanced knowledge base; it equips us to compete in the jobs market; it furthers our personal development; and it prepares us to be active citizens playing our part in civic and national life”, he continued.

Bjørn Berge underlined the relevance of the 1954 European Cultural Convention which brought avant-garde co-operation in language learning, history teaching and student mobility. Moreover, he emphasised the relevance of Council of Europe education policies and legal instruments, noting that the organisation is working on a new strategy in the field.

“The aim of the strategy is to strengthen education’s role in democratic renewal and trust in democracy – and at the same time provide for a more developed, human rights-based approach to the digital transformation of education”, Berge declared.