A kickoff meeting launching the piloting phase of the CoE Toolkit on Education at times of Emergencies and Crisis took place at the Council of Europe Office in Paris on 31 January -1 February 2024.

The toolkit was elaborated to support the implementation of the Resolution of the European Ministers responsible for education that was adopted in 2023.

Alessia Rosolen, Minister for Labor, Training, Research, Universities and Family Affairs of Firuli Venezia Giulia, who will be leading the piloting exercise together with Patizia Pavatti, Director for Education and Daniele Del Bianco, Director of Institute of International Sociology (ISIG), emphasized that this piloting presents an opportunity for the region to respond, in a very clear way, through this structured intervention on the basis of the Council of Europe’s acquis to the challenges that the emergencies and crisis pose to the education system. The Regional Minister particularly highlighted that we need to see education as an active actor of crisis management and not merely as a subject. She also outlined the priority directions for the piloting as permanent crisis of climate change, labour market challenges linked to demographic dimensions and future role of the AI, but also challenges linked to integration, inclusion and fighting all kinds of hatred. Using the toolkit for building more resilient education systems would also help overcoming the cascading effects of the emergencies, develop co-ordinated, timely, efficient and cost-effective response on the basis of the vision developed through the implementation of the toolkit and ensuring that the human rights, including the right to continuous provision of quality education, regardless the type of crisis or emergency is secured.

The event was also joined by Laura Treimane, in her capacity as a Counsellor for Education and Science to OECD and UNESCO, who supported the implementation of this important initiative by the Council of Europe’s Education Department and the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, which can set an excellent example of concrete work and contribution of the Council of Europe and of the Region Europe to the implementation of SDG4 and to the work of UNESCO and the UN Secretary General’s agenda on the topic.

The piloting is expected to last through 2024 and the findings could be presented to the CDEDU at its session in Autumn 2024 already.