Azernews.Az

High-level decision makers and experts from 30 countries and the international community will meet in Baku May 14-16 to address the literacy and adult education challenges specific to Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
UNESCO, which is organizing the conference, said improved literacy is one of the keys to developing knowledge societies and boosting economic competitiveness.
According to the organization, although the literacy rate in Europe is high - more than 96% - serious disparities persist. The 2008 Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report, for example, states that nine million adults in Central and Eastern Europe can neither read nor write.
According to the International Adult Literacy Survey conducted in 20 developed states, the unemployment rate in countries such as Germany and Slovenia is twice as high among people with poor literacy skills than among those with average or high skills.
UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura, First Lady of Azerbaijan and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands will speak at the opening of the conference, followed by several of the sub-region's First Ladies.
The conference, "Addressing Literacy Challenges in Europe with a sub-regional focus: Building Partnerships and Promoting Innovative Approaches", is the fifth of a series of six regional and sub-regional conferences in support of global literacy.