A/67/310 skills development and training in technical, technological and vocational schools, taking into account national and local development needs, and in cooperation with relevant economic actors”. 14 16. New directions on the changing landscape of technical and vocational education and training were provided recently at the Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, “Transforming TVET: Building Skills for Work and Life”, organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of China in Shanghai from 14 to 16 May 2012. The outcome document 15 of that Congress provides new guidance to States on transforming technical and vocational education and training for green economies and societies in the light of climate change, and rising global unemployment and inequalities. It also recognizes the importance of adapting technical and vocational education and training programmes to rapidly changing labour market demands, economies and societies; of integrating technical and vocational education and training with information and communication technologies; and of developing mechanisms to promote the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of these programmes. 17. A global strategic initiative on technical and vocational education and training has emanated from UNESCO, which adopted a five-year strategy for the sector in 2009. 16 Consequently, the work of UNESCO in this field has focused on the provision of upstream policy advice and related capacity development, and the clarification of the concept of skills development and improvement of monitoring. Moreover, in the same year, UNESCO partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Commission, the European Training Foundation and the Asian Development Bank to establish the Inter-Agency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training with the aim of coordinating activities in the technical and vocational education and training field, particularly in developing countries. 18. The importance of technical and vocational education and training is also recognized at the regional level; for example, it is considered a key issue in the African region. 17 The Strategy to Revitalize Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Africa, presented at the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union in May 2007, underlines the need to modernize and harmonize TVET in Africa in order “to transform it into a mainstream activity for African youth development, youth employment and human capacity-building in Africa”. 18 The African Union Summit on the theme “Accelerating youth empowerment for sustainable development” in 2011 also called for the accelerated use of technical __________________ 14 15 16 17 18 12-46486 E/2011/L.28, para. 9 (g). UNESCO, Shanghai Consensus: Recommendations of the Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (2012). See www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/ MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/pdf/outcomesdocumentFinalwithlogo.pdf. UNESCO, Decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its 181st session in 2009. See also K. King, “A Technical and Vocational Education and Training Strategy for UNESCO” (2009). “Promoting critical knowledge, skills and qualifications for sustainable development in Africa” was the main thrust of the Triennale of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (Ouagadougou, February 2012). Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union (Addis Ababa, 2007). 7