The Minister of Education of Turkmenistan took part in the presentation ceremony of the GEM 2026 Report in Paris

On March 25, 2026, a high-level event marking the official launch of the 2026 edition of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, as well as the “Countdown to 2030: Access and Equity” series, was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, French Republic.

The event brought together representatives of UNESCO, the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNICEF, the European Commission, other international and regional institutions in the field of education, as well as ministers and senior officials responsible for education systems in a number of countries.

The opening ceremony featured remarks by Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO. A video message by Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, was also delivered. The official presentation of the GEM 2026 Report and the “Countdown to 2030: Access and Equity” series was made by Mr. Manos Antoninis, Director of the GEM Report.

Throughout the day, participants discussed issues related to access and equity in education, reducing the number of children out of school, ensuring fair financing of education systems, and identifying priority actions required to achieve the international education goals by 2030.

As part of the event, the Minister of Education of Turkmenistan, J. Gurbangulyyew, took part in the roundtable discussion entitled “From Commitments to Impact: Country Perspectives on Early Childhood Education.” Representatives of Uzbekistan, The Gambia, Serbia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan also participated in the session. The discussion focused on the development of early childhood education, expansion of access to it, and effective national approaches aimed at achieving tangible results in this area.

The programme also included sessions devoted to the perspectives of multilateral and regional organizations on the education agenda up to 2030, the measurement of inequalities in education, equitable financing mechanisms, and future directions for post-secondary education.

At the conclusion of the event, the concept note of the GEM 2027 Report was presented, followed by discussions on further directions of joint efforts to advance an inclusive and effective education agenda.

The high-level event held in Paris once again confirmed that ensuring access, equity, and quality in education remains among the most important priorities of the present day. It also underscored the importance of strengthening constructive cooperation between states and international organizations and consolidating efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the field of education.

Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan