UNESCO Statement
The Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning
In July 1997 the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V) was held in Hamburg. The conference was organised by UNESCO in conjunction with a number of partners. Almost 1500 participants came together at CONFINTEA V to debate and advance an integrated and holistic vision of adult learning which cuts across all sectors and is based on partnerships of governmental and non-governmental actors and the private sector in the perspective of lifelong learning.
The Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning was adopted at CONFINTEA V. It represents an agreement between countries, principally by governments wishing to recognize and give impetus to the shifts taking place in the world of adult learning. It has emerged as a tool to highlight the importance of women’s learning for strengthening women and their local communities.
The key points outlined in the Hamburg Declaration include:
Recognition of the right to education and the right to learn throughout life is more than ever a necessity; it is the right to read and write, the right to question and analyse, the right to have access to resources, and to develop and practice individual and collective skills and competencies.
Adult education thus becomes more than a right; it is a key to the twenty-first century. It is both a consequence of active citizenship and a condition for full participation in society.
It is a powerful concept for fostering ecologically sustainable development, for promoting democracy, justice, gender equity, and scientific, social and economic development, and for building a world in which violent conflict is replaced by dialogue and a culture of peace based on justice.
Adult learning can shape identity and give meaning to life. Learning throughout life implies a rethinking of content to reflect such factors as age, gender equality, disability, language culture and economic disparities.
UNESCO 1997
