The Education For All (EFA) process launched in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990 to enhance access to basic education was followed a decade later by the World Forum on Education (WFE) in Dakar, Senegal. The Dakar Forum defined six goals for basic education and assigned UNESCO a leadership role in work towards attaining them. Since then, the greater momentum of the EFA process is reflected in a considerable increase in primary education enrolments.

In many countries, this progress towards universal primary education is in turn sharply increasing the demand for secondary education as well as for opportunities to prepare for the world of work.

The challenge for secondary education now is to prepare unprecedented numbers of young people and adults for further learning and for sustainable livelihoods. Indeed four of the goals formulated at Dakar relate to secondary education. Since in most cases secondary education coincides with the critical period of adolescence, when important career and life choices are made, a life skills-based approach is vital. Life skills are expected to consist of the psycho-social skills needed for personal development and responsible citizenship, such as safeguarding oneself from HIV/AIDS, as well as the practical skills for engaging in productive livelihoods.

Thus secondary-level education, with its focus on bringing young people, especially girls, into the mainstream of social and economic activity, will need to utilize information and communication technology (ICT) extensively, in order to play an integral part in sustainable development.

UNESCO promotes quality education systems at the post-primary levels by assisting policy-makers, curriculum developers, trainers and teachers to reform national education systems. Its objective is to create more learning opportunities for young people and adults and to make national programmes more relevant to science and technology-led societies and labour market needs while being consistent with sustainable development. The Organization advocates education strategies that are gender-inclusive; increasing girls' access to secondary, technical and vocational education and training and encouraging them to pursue interests in the fields of science and technology are considered crucial.

For learners who are outside the formal school system and other special groups like disadvantaged youth, UNESCO advocates flexible secondary-level learning opportunities that impart the knowledge and skills, both social and practical, to enable these learners to engage in productive livelihoods as responsible citizens in their particular cultural, economic and technological contexts.

In order to translate innovative ideas into concrete action, UNESCO promotes policy dialogue and supports capacity building by organizing seminars and workshops for policy- and decision-makers; strengthening networking and partnership among key stakeholders; and conducting research into the emerging trends and challenges for education at the national, regional and international levels.