On 9 December 2025, the Global Student Forum took part in the International Symposium on the Future of the Right to Education: Renewing Global Commitments and Charting Future Direction, hosted at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Representing GSF was Antoine Duwa, the newly appointed GSF Paris Liaison Officer, who engaged directly with Member States, civil society, and experts on the evolving landscape of the right to education.
The symposium marked 65 years of the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education and served as the official closing of the 11th Consultation on the Convention, as well as the launch of the 2025 Global Report on the Right to Education. Bringing together high-level speakers, policymakers, youth representatives, and leaders in education, the event focused on how to renew global commitments to this fundamental human right at a time of rapid change.
Antoine emphasised that the right to education must not remain a principle confined to legal texts or international agreements. “It must become a lived reality for all learners, everywhere,” he noted. His participation allowed GSF to bring forward the voices of students who experience barriers to education every day, including discrimination, digital exclusion, displacement, and the rising cost of higher education.
Throughout the day, discussions explored:
- Findings from the new Global Report on the Right to Education, including persistent inequalities and emerging threats.
- Innovations in law, policy, and practice, especially related to digitalisation, artificial intelligence, climate change, inclusion, and the teaching profession.
- The need to strengthen partnerships between governments, civil society, and youth to advance SDG4 and protect the right to education beyond 2030.
For the Global Student Forum, participation in this symposium is part of a broader commitment to ensure that students are not only beneficiaries of education systems, but co-architects of their future. As GSF expands its engagement in Paris through the work of the new liaison office, we will continue to advocate for student rights, equitable education systems, and meaningful youth participation in global governance processes.
The right to education stands at a crossroads. Renewing global commitments requires that the voices of learners, particularly students facing systemic barriers, remain central. GSF will continue to work with UNESCO and partners to ensure that this right becomes a reality for all.
