The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and Sustainability in Higher Education

Education is not a major focus in the Type I outcomes, the “Political Declaration” and “Plan of Implementation”, but article 117, which recommends to the UN General Assembly that it announce a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, is significant. There was considerable NGO activity on Higher Education for Sustainable Development at the Summit, as demonstrated in the Ubuntu Declaration, which was issued there by 11 of the world’s foremost education and scienctific organizations. For details see www.un.org/events/wssd/pressconf/020901conf1.htm– Press Conference on “Ubuntu Declaration on Education”.

There were 283 Type II partnerships announced, with approximately 12 which focused on education for sustainability, including the “Global Virtual University for Sustainable Development”, “Educating for Sustainable Living and the Earth Charter”, and the “Global Higher Education for Sustainability Partnership (GHESP) Initiative”.