OSCE Centre organizes meeting on education in environment and sustainable development in Kazakhstan

ALMATY, 29 May 2006 - Improving environmental education and education for sustainable development in Kazakhstan under a national plan will be the focus of a meeting on 30 and 31 May in Almaty, organized by the OSCE Centre.

"The introduction of sustainable development and the principles of environmental protection into the education system is an important step towards bringing up a new generation with a balanced understanding of global and local priorities, protection of the environment and rational consumption," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, Head of the OSCE Centre.

"Co-operation between the key ministries will be an important pre-condition for future success and to ensure co-ordination of their efforts."

In 2004, the Centre carried out a project on environmental education in secondary schools.

The current initiative aims to assist Kazakhstan in implementing its commitments under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development, which includes the elaboration of the national plan and establishing consultative boards to implement the strategy by the end of 2007.

The meeting will help establish a working group consisting of representatives of the Ministries of Education and Environmental Protection, as well as members of Parliament, the academia and civil society. It will promote and support the development of the national plan, discuss the integration of the concept of sustainable development into the education process, and determine whether the current national legislation meets UNECE requirements.