From Responding to Challenges to Anticipating the Future: Towards a Sovereign Arab System for Adult Education, Lifelong Learning and Digital Transformation

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) join all countries around the world, as well as educational institutions and civil society organizations, in commemorating International Literacy Day on 8 September 2026. This international observance, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1967, serves as a reminder that reading and writing are fundamental human rights.

International Literacy Day also provides an opportunity to highlight the persistent challenges facing the world. Hundreds of millions of adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, with women accounting for approximately two-thirds of this population, reflecting a continuing gap in equitable access to learning opportunities. The overall literacy deficit in the Arab States is estimated at 25%, according to recent international reports published in early 2026. In addition, millions of children and adolescents remain out of school at a time of unprecedented technological advancement, underscoring the need to broaden the concept of adult education to encompass digital and media literacy skills.

Accordingly, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and ALECSO renew their firm commitment to advancing joint Arab educational action and intensifying efforts to develop policies and strategies that support comprehensive and integrated national approaches aimed at:

• Promoting adult education and lifelong learning;
• Upholding the right to education and recognizing literacy and digital skills as fundamental components of human dignity;
• Supporting marginalized groups, particularly the poorest women, girls, and children;
• Raising awareness and encouraging governments and societies to strengthen their support for adult education programmes;
• Giving special attention to countries with specific needs and those affected by crises; and
• Ensuring that adult education and lifelong learning programmes serve as drivers of resilience, mechanisms for social recovery, and means of human capital development.

In this context, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and ALECSO recall that this year's International Literacy Day is being observed at a pivotal moment for the Arab region. More than ever, there is a need to move beyond traditional approaches that have confined adult education primarily to crisis response, basic literacy, and remedial learning, towards the establishment of a sovereign lifelong learning system that anticipates future challenges, safeguards Arab knowledge security, and equips Arab citizens with the competencies required for the 21st century.

Accordingly, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and ALECSO emphasize the importance of building a modern Arab education system capable of adapting to contemporary transformations and intelligent technological developments, guided by a strategic vision that combines civilizational authenticity with technological innovation.

Within this context, the Forward-Looking Plan for the Development and Enhancement of Education in the Arab World (2026-2035) serves as the principal guiding framework and overarching reference for reshaping the future of learning, citizenship, and innovation across the Arab States. The key pillars of this strategic and operational framework are as follows:

1. Recognizing the Forward-Looking Plan for the Development and Enhancement of Education in the Arab World (2026-2035) as a guiding reference document for comprehensive educational development policies and programmes;
2. Incorporating the values of Arab citizenship, social responsibility, and sustainability across all curricula and educational activities;
3. Developing modern curricula focused on twenty-first-century skills, critical thinking, and innovation, while linking education to the requirements of the future labour market;
4. Integrating modern educational technologies and digital solutions into learning environments to ensure equity, quality, and effective responsiveness to rapid technological advances; and
5. Strengthening partnerships among Member States and enhancing regional coordination to facilitate the exchange of expertise and good practices in education system reform.

Building on this shared Arab framework for educational development, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and ALECSO reaffirm their strong and unwavering commitment to placing Arab countries with special needs, particularly those experiencing exceptional circumstances, protracted crises, or armed conflicts, at the forefront of the Arab education agenda. For it is impossible to build an integrated and sustainable Arab future while the education systems of sister Arab countries face the risk of collapse and severe disruption.

The two institutions affirm that the right to quality and safe education is a fundamental right that cannot be suspended or compromised under any circumstances. This calls for concerted Arab efforts to establish “regional educational resilience”, with focus on:

• Ensuring a rapid response and the provision of emergency education;
• Restoring damaged education systems and rehabilitating affected educational institutions;
• Providing comprehensive psychosocial support and integrating psychosocial recovery programmes into educational environments to address the consequences of crises; and
• Ensuring equal opportunities while giving the highest priority to vulnerable populations and communities living in high-risk areas, so that no Arab learner is left behind.

In conclusion, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and ALECSO renew their call for serious and concerted Arab action to reduce the illiteracy rate to below 5% by 2034, within the framework of the Second Arab Decade for Literacy and Lifelong Learning (2025-2034). They further affirm that the concerted efforts of Arab governmental institutions and civil society organizations constitute the fundamental guarantee for making lifelong learning a protected right and an effective means of empowering Arab citizens, enabling them to play an active role in society and to meet the challenges of the future with confidence, competence, and resilience.