Held under the theme ‘Driving Resilience, Equity and Skills for an Inclusive Future’, the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (22CCEM) is designed to advance and implement actions and commitments made at 21CCEM in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2022.

The 22CCEM is scheduled for May 16 to 17, 2024. It will take place at Marlborough House, London, United Kingdom. Organised and hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Government of Kenya will serve as the Chair.

Prioritising education on the Commonwealth agenda

 

group. photo of the Commonwealth Education Ministers Meeting in Fiji, 2018

The Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEMs) serves as a critical forum for discussing the Commonwealth's education and learning agenda within the context of sustainable development priorities.

CCEMs are usually held every three years. However, the Education Ministers Action Group, in their May 2023 meeting, recommended holding annual ministerial meetings to prioritise education on the Commonwealth Agenda, especially considering 2023 as the midway point to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The pivotal role of education

The 21st CCEM, hosted in Nairobi, Kenya on April 27th and 28th, 2022, under the theme "Rethinking Education for Innovation, Growth, and Sustainability post-Covid-19" emphasized the pivotal role of education in driving inclusive economic growth, facilitating post-pandemic recovery, and addressing critical challenges such as financial crises, climate change, pandemics, and systemic shocks. The ministerial recommendations from the 21st CCEM closely align with the UN Secretary-General's education recommendations for the Summit of the Future.

Driving Resilience, Equity and Skills for an Inclusive Future

The 22CCEM theme, 'Driving Resilience, Equity, and Skills for an Inclusive Future,' aligns with the overarching theme for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: 'ONE RESILIENT COMMON FUTURE: Transforming our Common Wealth.' In our 56-nation Commonwealth, education plays a fundamental role in fostering the resilience of education systems and individuals across societal dimensions, addressing the complex challenges of our era.

This theme emphasises that education should empower individuals with knowledge, resilience, fairness, and diverse skill sets, enabling them to shape an inclusive and thriving future.

 

three Indian schoolgirls

Speakers and moderators

  • The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
  • Dr Ezekiel Machogu, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kenya
  • Dr Manos Antoninis, Director, UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring
  • Mr Chris Castle, Director, UNESCO’s Division of Peace and Sustainable Development Education Sector
  • Professor Peter Scott, President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning
  • Mr Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary, Association for the Development of Education in Africa
  • Dr Silvia Montoya, Director, UNESCO Institute for Statistics
  • Mr Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate
  • Dr Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education, World Bank
  • Mr David Archer, Head of Programmes, ActionAid
  • Cheryl de la Rey, Chair of Council, Association of Commonwealth Universities

Download the biographies of speakers and moderators

The conference will focus on three thematic streams

The Association of Commonwealth Universities

ACU vice-chancellor summit 2024

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) will host the ACU vice-chancellor summit 2024: charting the future of higher education through funding, employability, excellence, and the digital frontier, as part of the CCEM.

This exclusive in-person event will take place on May 15 2024, at the Central Hall Westminster, Storey's Gate, London SW1H 9NH, from 10:00 until 20:00 UTC. 

The summit includes a series of strategic policy discussions about higher education with university vice-chancellors and government ministers from across the Commonwealth. 

Topics covered in the closed-door roundtables will include higher education funding, research management, and the implications of AI. 

Outcomes from these dialogues will be taken forward by the newly formed ACU-led Commonwealth Higher Education Taskforce and will feed into the CCEM meeting on May 16-17.

Resources

Registration

The conference will include themed plenaries and dedicated meetings for senior officials and ministers.

The 22CCEM Ministerial and Senior Officials’ Meetings are closed events for ministers and special invited observers. Official invitations have been sent to Commonwealth member countries with registration and other logistical details.

For more information please email [email protected]