BREAKING NEWS: UN SDGs Ambassador & Birland Minister Joseph Legend Mfon Urges Global Action
Today, 24 January 2024 His Excellency, Prof. Joseph Legend Mfon, Birland State Minister of Environment and UN SDGs Ambassador in Nigeria joined other Excellencies for the International Day of Education as a keynote speaker. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education in peace and development. Tagging this year's theme "Learning for Lasting Peace"
According to the Ambassador, he affirms that today, 250 million children and adolescents are out of school and 763 million adults are illiterate according to UNESCO. A trend that has become evidently a challenge to global peace.
He opines that "learning for peace is a transformative process for essential knowledge, values, attitudes, skills, and behaviors. These attributes empower every individual to be a catalyst for peace in the world."
Buttressing this year's theme, the Minister and Ambassador categorically postulates that "the foundation of more peaceful, just, and sustainable societies is laid through Education—a force that permeates every facet of our daily lives.
Articulating the adverse trend facing global peace, His Excellency goes on to pinpoint that, "in the face of escalating climate change, environmental degradation, oil spills, effluent discharge, democratic erosion, persistent inequalities, growing discrimination, hate speech, violence, conflict and wars on a global scale, education emerges as a powerful tool to both address and prevent these challenges in the future.
"Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind.
He employs that the world needs enduring Peace and Global Stability. By becoming "the agents of Hope and Change for a Sustainable Future."
Amb. Prof. Joseph Legend Mfon
UNSDGN Country Director/ Minister of Environment, State of Birland
