Riyadh: Unesco Regional Centre for Quality and Excellence in Education: The UNESCO Regional Centre for Quality and Excellence in Education, situated in Saudi Arabia, took part in a global conference in Mexico celebrating the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day 2026. The event was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Government of Mexico in Chiapas on September 8 and 9, focusing on the theme 'Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity.'
According to Saudi Press Agency, the Centre was represented by Deputy Director-General Dr. Fatimah bint Ibrahim Al-Roais, who participated in high-level international discussions. Dr. Al-Roais spoke at a session dedicated to constructing an inclusive, just, and sustainable world. She discussed the expansion of literacy to include digital, data, and artificial intelligence skills, as well as critical thinking, problem-solving, and environmental and futures literacy.
Dr. Al-Roais emphasized the Centre's initiatives to develop frameworks, standards, and tools that improve lifelong learning quality. She focused on building the capacities of educators, supporting inclusive digital learning, and assessing impact. A significant proposal included the establishment of a 'Global Future Literacies Lab' to create a shared competency framework, especially for fragile and climate-affected regions.
The Centre also engaged in the annual Global Alliance for Literacy meeting, pledging support for the Alliance's Action Plan for 2026-2030. The Centre stressed the importance of leveraging data, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence to broaden learning opportunities while maintaining privacy and human oversight.
In meetings alongside the conference, Dr. Al-Roais engaged with ministers and officials from Mexico, Mali, Gabon, and Madagascar. Discussions focused on enhancing education quality, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, literacy, multilingual education, learning assessment, and capacity-building. The talks also covered empowering women, youth, and vulnerable groups and extending learning opportunities in rural and remote communities.
The Centre reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing collaboration with partner countries and organizations in areas like capacity-building, quality assurance, research, digital and environmental learning, and multilingual education. This initiative aims to contribute to inclusive and equitable quality education and support lifelong learning.