The 26th session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education was held on September 28 and 29, 2023, in Strasbourg, France.
The conference was a major contribution to the implementation of the conclusions of the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government, the Council of Europe 2030 Strategy, the Secretary General’s Strategic Framework, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
How to grant inclusive, quality education even in times of emergency and crisis was one of the main themes discussed, along with reaffirming the critical role of education in promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, recognising the need for decisive action to address global challenges, strengthening the Council of Europe’s education implementation mechanisms, and focusing on the democratic future for all learners.
Also, the launch of the new Council of Europe Education Strategy 2024-2030, a preparatory phase of a European Space for Citizenship Education Framework Convention, a piloting phase of a toolbox for ensuring education rights in emergencies, the launch of the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education in 2025, and the start of work on an instrument on the use of artificial intelligence systems in education systems were among the key proposals.
Following the Conference, the Ministers adopted the resolution “On education in times of emergencies and crisis”, that reaffirmed the engagement of the Council of Europe and of Member States on this issue, as well as introduced the piloting and fine-tuning of the EDURES toolkit taking place in 2024 and 2025.
