16 June 2005

Ref. No. SADC/8/005/4

Dear Sir / Madam

UNITED NATIONS DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD) 2005 -2014: SADC GUIDELINE DOCUMENTS

SADC recognises the important role played by education in building capacity to reduce poverty, address environmental and health risks and other sustainable development challenges. In line with the United Nations General Assembly's Resolution 57/254 declaring 2005-2014 as the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD), SADC is launching an initiative to provide guidelines that will strengthen the role of education in achieving sustainable development. Through this, SADC recognises that education for sustainable development is essential to achieving goals of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and its Operationalisation Plans, NEPAD Plan of Implementation, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Plan of Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate of the SADC Secretariat has commissioned the SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC REEP) to lead the process of developing southern African guidelines for participation in the UN Decade on ESD.

The ‘ Guidelines for Participation in the UN Decade for Education on Sustainable Development ' will be developed through a broad-based consultative process involving local level consultation processes; national level workshops in each country with key stakeholders; as well as international consultation over a three-month period (July – September 2005). The guidelines document will be a regional level document, but can be applied to strengthen policy and practice at national and local levels. The guidelines will draw on local, national, and regional level experience and examples of practice, and will be developed for all key sectors involved in education, training and development practices to further the aims of sustainable development in southern Africa.

In line with the UN Decade on ESD Implementation Plan, a range of educational groups and sectors active at all levels will need to contribute to the guidelines. These include health education, gender education, environmental education, economic education agricultural education, as well as groups concerned with Education for All and literacy education, as these are all crucial areas for ensuring sustainable development.

We request your support in ensuring that the highest level of attention is given to this important priority. In particular, we request your support for, and participation in the consultation process. For more detail on the process, please consult www.sadc-reep.org or contact Mumsie Gumede (Manager, SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme) on sadc-reec@wessa.co.za or sadc-reec@futurenet.co.za

UNESCO and UNEP have noted in their joint statement in support of the Decade: “the Decade is a unique avenue for stakeholders to make distinct but concerted contributions to sustainable development by investing in future generations”.

Thank you for supporting this initiative.

Yours faithfully

Dr T Mhlongo
For The Executive Secretary

cc: SADC National Contact Point
Ministry Focal Point

Attached: Concept Note
Broad outline for the proposed Documents