As follow up to the Tashkent Conference, UNESCO in partnership with the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), Sharjah Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Sharjah Child Friendly Office organized a two-days regional ECCE conference in Sharjah, U.A.E. from June 4 to 5 2023. The conference, which brought together 14 nations, six international and regional organisations, and 27 experts in early childhood education, was an opportunity for Arab States to discuss ways to increase and improve investment in ECCE, which is an essential and integral part of their strategies for achieving lifelong learning societies and sustainable development.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has become a major area of focus for the Arab countries and people. As the Arab region continues to develop economically, the need for skilled labour in numerous sectors grows. TVET programmes are essential for providing the necessary technical and vocational skills to the region’s growing labour force. The demand for skilled labour in the Arab world is driven by several factors. These include a rapidly growing population, the need for diversified economic development, the increasing importance of the service sector and the increasing impact of new technologies in defining new working areas and conditions. In order to meet the needs of the region’s labour force, TVET programmes must be tailored to meet the needs of the region’s particular socio-economic context.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held the first global meeting of Ministers of Education in response to the rapid breakthrough of new and powerful generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The meeting that took place on 25 May 2023 brought together over 40 Ministers from around the world to discuss the immediate and far-reaching opportunities, challenges, and risks that AI applications pose to education systems. Ministers shared policy approaches and plans on how best to integrate AI tools into education. UNESCO presented a roadmap on generative AI and education, which includes open multi-stakeholder dialogue.

The UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for the Arab States – Beirut and the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) on 15 June 2023 launched their “Repository of Promising Teaching and Learning Practices”, an essential tool to disseminate and share best practices among teachers, educational institutions, and policymakers in the region. The Repository of Teaching and Learning Practices is an online resource that provides educators with access to a wealth of teaching and learning examples of innovatory approaches. The Repository highlights examples related to the role of teachers in the digital transformation of education, as well as their roles in promoting green education initiatives, and in developing basic skills and other complex competencies for learners to deal with the 21st century challenges.