1.ESD Activities Around the World

1992

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro)
Agenda 21 recognizes the importance of education for sustainable development.

2002

World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg)
At the recommendation of Japan, a statement on the "Decade of ESD" is included in World Summit implementation plan.

Fifty-seventh Session of the United Nations General Assembly
The decade from 2005-2014 is designated the United Nations Decade for ESD (UNDESD), with UNESCO named as the lead agency.

2005

UNESCO drafts implementation plan for UN Decade of ESD, and plan is approved by the UN General Assembly
Overall goal: To integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning.

2009

ESD World Conference (Bonn)
Bonn Declaration adopted

2012

Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio de Janeiro)
Declaration includes promotion of ESD beyond 2014.

2013

Thirty-seventh session of the General Conference of UNESCO
Adoption of the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD. It is approved at the sixty-ninth session of the UN General Assembly.

2014

UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (Aichi-Nagoya, Okayama, Japan)
Hosted by Japan in the final year of the UN Decade of ESD (Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture and Okayama City)
Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development is adopted

2015

Launch of the GAP (2015-2019)

2019

40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference and the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly
As a post “Global Action Programme (GAP)” framework on ESD, the new global framework on ESD called “Education for Sustainable Development: Towards Achieving the SDGs (ESD for 2030)” is adopted at the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference, and endorsed by the UN General Assembly.

2020

Launch of the ESD for 2030 (2020-2030)

2021

UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (Berlin, online)
Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development is adopted.


2.ESD Activities in Japan

Japanese National Commission for UNESCO and involved ministries and agencies in Japan have cooperated on various activities to promote ESD. In 2006, an ESD implementation plan for Japan was drafted by an inter-ministerial meeting on the UNDESD established by the Cabinet Office. Since then, various entities have coordinated to promote ESD on the basis of that plan.

ESD promotional system in Japan

(1)Developments in Japan

2005

Inter-ministerial meeting on the UNDESD is established

2006

Japan ESD implementation plan drafted

2008

Curriculum guidelines ("Courses of Study") revised (official announcement in March for kindergartens, elementary schools, and middle schools)
Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education drafted
International Forum on ESD Dialogue 2008 hosted at United Nations University (location: United Nations University)

2009

Curriculum guidelines ("Courses of Study") revised (official announcement in March for high schools and special needs schools)

2011

Japan ESD implementation plan revised

2013

Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education drafted

2015

Inter-ministerial meeting on ESD established

Round table on ESD established

2016

Japan's implementation plan on the Global Action Programme on ESD drafted


(2)Japanese National Commission for UNESCO

2003

Recommendations made to UNESCO on its international implementation plan for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

2007

Recommendation made to UNESCO to further promote the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
→ In the same year, leads to resolution at the 34th General Conference to further promote ESD

2008

"Proposal Regarding the Effective Utilization of UNESCO Associated Schools for the Promotion and Dissemination of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)"

2014

"Proposal Regarding Invigoration of UNESCO Activities in an Era of Diversity: Building a Sustainable Society"

2015

Special interest group of the education subcommittee complied a report "Towards the further promotion of ESD"


(Office of the Director-General for International Affairs)