A/67/310 competencies for technical and vocational education and training is important. The UNESCO Revised Recommendation concerning Technical and Vocational Education (2001) stipulates that Member States should, through the exchange of good practices and methods, aim to apply relevant and appropriate internationally recommended standards and norms relating to systems of assessment/evaluation; occupational qualifications and certification; and equipment and technical standards. 60. Similarly, ILO Recommendation No. 195 stipulates, in paragraph 11 (1), that “Measures should be adopted, in consultation with the social partners and using a national qualifications framework, to promote the development, implementation and financing of a transparent mechanism for the assessment, certification and recognition of skills, including prior learning and previous experience, irrespective of the countries where they were acquired and whether acquired formally or informally.” 61. The adoption of national assessment systems for learning achievements on technical and vocational education and training and the establishment of national qualifications frameworks can provide coherence to technical and vocational education and training systems through the creation of equivalent qualifications across formal and informal sectors. In an endeavour to transform such education and training, countries in Latin America have adopted a competency-based approach, for example, the Occupational Competency Standardization and Certification Council in Mexico, the National Industrial Training Service in Brazil, and the National Training Service in Colombia. 58 62. Similarly, in Africa, initiatives are being undertaken to establish national qualification frameworks. 59 The South African National Qualifications Framework provides a mechanism for awarding qualifications based on the achievement of specified learning outcomes prescribed by industry. It allows for accumulation of credits and recognition of prior learning, which promotes the culture of lifelong learning. Ghana has also recently passed an Act of Parliament that establishes the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training with overall responsibility for skills development in the country. Similarly, Mauritius has established a Mauritius Qualifications Authority in the technical and vocational education and training sector. 63. In developing national qualification frameworks, caution should be exercised so that the frameworks are not limited to technical competencies in technical and vocational education and training but also include social skills, values and attitudes, and are inspired by essential objectives of the right to education, mentioned above. 64. Qualification systems for connecting skills development and lifelong learning are also very important. The need for flexible and open learning and qualifications systems for technical and vocational education and training is associated with the recognition that learning takes place in multiple settings that go far beyond formal technical and vocational education and training. There is also need to bridge the divide between formal and non-formal/informal technical and vocational skills development. In line with ILO Recommendation No. 195, this can be done by __________________ 58 59 18 C. Jacinto (ed.), “Recent trends in technical education in Latin America”, UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (2010). For instance, the National Vocational Qualification Frameworks in Nigeria, or the National Skills Qualifications Framework in the Gambia. 12-46486