DR. JOSHI TO ATTEND EFA MEETING IN NIGERIA

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Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development left this morning for Abuja, Nigeria, to attend the second meeting of a high level group on Education For All (EFA). The meeting of this "Group" will serve as a lever for political commitment and technical and financial resource mobilisation. Informed by a monitoring report, it will also be an opportunity to hold the global community to account for commitments made in Dakar. The Meeting is expected to be attended by Education Ministers of 18 countries from all over the World, besides representatives from UN and International bodies as well as Non-Governmental Organisations.

The meeting aims to assess progress towards the achievement of the Dakar goals, and the development of the EFA Global Monitoring Report. It will also evaluate the extent to which national policies, plans and programmes are on track and are being characterised by well-coordinated and inclusive partnerships, and the international commitments made in Dakar are being met. Mobilising global political support and resources for realising EFA goals including the elimination of gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, are also on the agenda of the meeting.