The 6th International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) will be held
in Brazil in May 2009. It is a UNESCO led inter-governmental conference for policy
dialogue and policy assessment on adult learning and education. The conference is
supported by a series of regional conferences on the theme to be organised by
UNESCO and in close cooperation with UNESCO Headquarters and relevant
UNESCO offices in the region, and in partnership with various adult education
stakeholders (UN agencies, NGOs/CSOs, Trade Unions, Corporate and Private
providers), These preparatory processes leading up to the conference is coordinated
by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.
UNESCO has been organising International Conferences on Adult Education since
1947. The last CONFINTEA, was hosted by Germany in July 1997. 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. At this conference two major documents were
adopted namely a) the Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning and the b) Agenda for
the Future. Their documents recognized adult learning and education as key
components for addressing current social and development challenges across the
globe.