Title: The role of the Forum Secretariat in education

Abstract: When it became clear in the last decade that the goals of poverty alleviation and sustainable development are unlikely to be met if social issues are ignored, the Forum Secretariat added education to its agenda. Dr Tavola describes how the ‘Basic Education Action Plan’, which the Forum Secretariat is mandated to implement, came to be formulated, and what its key features are. This regional programme will include both formal and non-formal education, and will be complementary to national education programmes, the countries of the region participating in initial discussions so that they have a sense of ownership of and commitment to the programme.