Matjaž Gruden, the Director for Democracy, and Villano Qiriazi, the Head of the Education Department, will participate in the 2024 Global Education Meeting (GEM),  convened by UNESCO, on Thursday, October 31, and Friday, November 1, 2024, in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Matjaž Gruden will be one of the panelists at the session on “Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship”, where he will outline the work done by the Council of Europe in these areas. The panel will address key questions on integrating global citizenship and sustainable development into education, including impact measurement and implementation challenges.

Held biennially, the GEM is one of the largest international education conferences, bringing together Ministers of Education, Ministers of Finance, civil society, the private sector, academia, and youth from around the world. Aligned with the focus of the Brazilian G20 presidency—placing equity and inclusion at the center—the 2024 GEM aims to foster multilateral, cross-sectoral, and multi-stakeholder dialogue, recognising education as a social equalizer and a driving force for sustainable development. This meeting represents a crucial opportunity to advance global education goals and strengthen international cooperation in addressing pressing educational challenges.