Led by UNESCO, the World Education Forum (WEF) is set to take place from May 19 to 22 in Songdo, Incheon's new business district. It is expected to bring together some 1,500 participants from some 195 UNESCO member states, the U.N., the World Bank and other international organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world.

The global education community is expected to discuss the progress of the Education For All (EFA) goals and agree upon a Framework for Action that will represent their shared vision for education over the next 15 years. Ahead of the forum, Kim Young-gon, secretary-general of the WEF 2015 host committee secretariat, told us about his plans and goals for this year's event.

An Interview with Kim Young-gon, secretary-general of the WEF 2015 Host Committee Secretariat in the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea

What is the World Education Forum (WEF) 2015 aiming for?

The WEF primarily aims to adopt the new post-2015 education agenda of the next 15 years. The agenda consists of the following: assessing the progress of the Dakar Framework for Action adopted in Dakar, Senegal in 2000; reviewing the EFA movement’s progress in the last 15 years; and adopting the post-2015 education agenda with a realistic action plan. The Forum will be held from 19 to 22 May 2015 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea. Organized by UNESCO, this forum is also co-convened by UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, UNHCR, and the World Bank, and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea (Ministry of Education). It is expected to gather approximately 1,500 participants from 195 UNESCO Member States, UN and other international agencies, and civil society organizations.

Please tell us about the history of the World Education Forum.

In April 2000, the global education community came together at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal and reaffirmed the vision of the World Declaration on EFA, adopted ten years earlier in Jomtien, Thailand. The Dakar Framework for Action ‘EFA: Meeting our Collective Commitment’ included six comprehensive EFA goals.

A few months later, eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established at the UN. Featured among the MDGs were: a goal on universal access to primary education (MDG 2) and a goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment (MDG 3) which targeted gender parity in education.

Over the past 15 years, these internationally agreed goals have catalyzed global action, prompting unprecedented progress in the expansion of educational opportunities.

What will be mainly discussed during the WEF 2015?

The WEF 2015 will take stock of the achievements and shortfalls in the implementation of the Dakar Framework for Action and mainly discuss the education-related MDGs during the forum.

Although progress has been made in the last 15 years, the Global Monitoring Report 2015 shows that around half of the world countries failed to ensure EFA and that only a third of the countries have achieved all of the education goal measurable targets.

In line with the overarching goal for education: ‘Equitable, Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All’, the WEF 2015 will adopt the Incheon Declaration and Incheon Framework for Action, which will show the direction and strategic plan of global education for the next 15 years. In order to ensure more progress in the future, the WEF will deal with the following five key themes. It is important that the agreed goals and targets are then followed through and adopted by UN Member States at a Summit in September 2015.

What kind of side events do you provide at the WEF 2015?

There are numerous side events being organized for the forum, made up of the following:
• Exhibitions on EFA and on the Republic of Korea’s education system; presented by UNESCO and the host government.
• An outdoor booth display open to the public; set up during the WEF 2015 for participants to present initiatives and publications related to the post-2015 education agenda.
• The NGO Forum convened by UNESCO’s CCNGO/EFA, a global network of around 300 NGOs on EFA.
• Pre-conference side events open to the public; organized by Korean education institutions offering a wide array of issues and policies closely relevant to the forum agenda such as global citizenship education, education quality, character education, and education for gender equality.

Profile of Kim Young-gon
Kim Young-gon is currently the secretary-general of the World Education Forum Host Committee Secretariat of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea. Prior to this, Kim served as Director-General of the Office of Planning and Coordination at Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education. He also served as Director of the University System Advancement Division of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and as Director of Planning Division in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Korea.