This blog is authored by Quentin Wodon, Director of UNESCO's International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA).
UNESCO IICBA is a category 1 UNESCO institute based in Addis Ababa. Focusing on strengthening the teaching profession and improving educational outcomes in Africa, the Institute works with a wide range of partners towards “Empowering teachers for all learners to thrive”, its new motto adopted in 2023. In March 2026, IICBA’s Governing Board approved the Institute’s strategic plan update for 2026-2028. The strategic plan builds on progress achieved in recent years. This post provides a brief review of this progress and outlines some of the Institute’s priorities going forward.
As noted in its latest annual progress report, the Institute had a strong performance in recent years. In 2023, IICBA adopted a new strategy with three main lines of action: research and knowledge, policy dialogue and advocacy, and capacity enhancement. The first two lines of action were relatively new as the Institute had previously focused mostly on capacity enhancement. The logic of the new strategic plan or its theory of change was simple: research and knowledge should guide policy dialogue and advocacy, which in turn should inform priorities for capacity enhancement activities.
Guided by its new strategic plan, IICBA has mobilized since 2023 by itself or with partners close to $30 million in new funding from donors. This has led to a 4-fold increase in the annual budget versus the five-year average before the adoption of its new strategic plan in 2023. In comparison to baseline data for 2022, the annual number of individuals trained by the Institute has increased about 15-fold, the number of users of IICBA’s website 25-fold, and the number of research publications over 25-fold.
Partnerships have also been strengthened. IICBA helped draft the African Union’s new Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2026-2035 (African Union Commission, 2025a) and a separate strategy on mental health and psycho-social support for teachers (African Union Commission, 2025b). The Institute is now also implementing several projects jointly with the African Union. Another great partner for IICBA is the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), the organization federating Ministries of Education, Teacher Service Commissions, and Teacher Councils on the continent. IICBA and AFTRA are also implementing several projects together.
With a strong pipeline of projects for the next few years, the Institute hopes to increase its impact further going forward. This may require some shifts. Many countries in the global south and especially in Africa are facing today what I would call a “triple D” crisis: high levels of debt, lower levels of support from donors, and rising constraints to development. This crisis calls for being creative in developing new approaches to investing in education, including for teacher professional development.
The strategic plan update recently approved by the Institute’s Governing Board follows the same structure as the previous strategy adopted in 2023, thus keeping the same three main lines of action since they remain relevant today. Yet within each line of action, there are a few shifts.
For research and knowledge, potential areas of emphasis for the next three years could include both traditional and new topics. Traditional topics would include: (i) Teacher policies, i.e. documenting policies across countries; (ii) Teacher professional development, both in-service and pre-service; (iii) Attractiveness of the profession, including salaries and benefits, but also mental health and well-being. New topics at least for IICBA could include: include (iv) Teacher management information systems; (v) Teaching for programs for children out of school (accelerated learning programmes); (vi) Digitalization and AI, including both their opportunities and associated risks; (v) Higher education, including challenges faced by universities and teacher training g institutions; (vi); School leadership, including best practice onboarding programs; and (vii) Economic analysis of teacher issues in the context of limited fiscal space for education. This list of topics is only indicative as other themes could be considered based on demand from countries. In addition, IICBA will aim to expand its Africa Education Knowledge Platform launched in 2025 to make research more widely accessible.
Priorities for 2026-2028 for policy dialogue will need to be based on demand from countries, but the areas mentioned above for research and knowledge will likely lead to opportunities for policy dialogue. Various avenues and events will continue to be used for dialogue. But on implementation, three aspects are emphasized in the new strategic plan update. First, a key constraint to the adoption of promising interventions and policies by Ministries of Education is uncertainty about cost and how to scale-up pilots. This is especially important today as countries have limited fiscal space to invest in education and are also suffering from lower support from donors and other constraints to development. IICBA will need to pay closer attention to how much interventions or policies may cost and whether they represent a good investment given budget constraints. Based on country or partner suggestions, IICBA may also conduct investment cases to advocate for specific interventions or policies. Second, dissemination is key for use of research for policy. IICBA will need to further strengthen its communications, for example building on recent gains in website users. Third, IICBA has mostly focused its work on public schools, teacher training institutions, and higher education institutions. This remains the priority but ensuring that some of the work of the Institute also reaches private schools and institutions is also warranted given their large footprint in Africa.
Capacity enhancement on teacher professional development and education policies has long been IICBA’s core area of expertise, and it will continue to be the Institute’s “bread and butter.” In terms of priorities going forward, a few areas are worth considering. First, to tackle the issues of teacher professional development and teacher shortages, IICBA will need to expand further its emerging work with teacher training institutions while also ensuring that Ministries of Education and other teaching regulatory authorities implement standards and policies for teacher careers and professional development. IICBA will also aim to develop diagnostic tools appropriate for low and middle-income contexts to facilitate the assessment of existing policies and suggest reforms at the country level, for both pre-service and in-service professional development as well as teacher policies.
Second, IICBA expanded its work on teacher well-being in recent years, including issues related to mental health and psycho-social support for teachers. One small innovation was the implementation of low-cost online surveys with Ministries of Education and other teaching regulatory authorities. This will remain a priority as there is high demand for this type of support, and improving teacher well-being is key to improve the attractiveness of the profession.
Third, given opportunities as well as risks related to digitalization and the use of AI, IICBA will need to expand its expertise in those areas, including through the provision of asynchronous self-paced online courses that could be combined with opportunities brought by AI.
Fourth, IICBA also has a responsibility to give voice to teachers, ensure that they are recognized for their work, and promote their inclusion in policy dialogues. This would require working more closely with teacher unions as well as Ministries. One way to recognize teachers is through teacher awards, which IICBA will continue to support at the continental and country levels. IICBA will also continue to conduct interviews with great teachers and other education practitioners so that their experience can be shared.
Finally, one key recent development has been the support that IICBA provides to country system transformation grants funded by the Global Partnership for Education. This work will expand in the next three years with support planned among others for Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Mali, with lessons learned informing the broader work of the Institute.
Following the adoption of a new strategic plan a few years ago, IICBA has grown as an Institute thanks to stronger resource mobilization and great support from partners. Apart from an increase in projects and capacity enhancement activities, IICBA has been more active in research and knowledge, and in policy dialogue and advocacy, both of which have helped in achieving impact. At the same time, IICBA remains a small Institute with a limited budget. By itself, it cannot achieve as much as it can together with others. The Institute’s impact depends on its partnerships, both internal (within the UNESCO family) and external (such as with the African Union, AFTRA, and donors, with special thanks to the Government of Japan which has been especially generous towards IICBA in recent years).
IICBA and its staff have been fortunate over the last few years. But one should not forget that the global and African contexts have deteriorated for the education sector, including for resource mobilization. This is also true in other sectors such as health. Many individuals who were working on development projects have lost their job, especially in the global south, and many families who relied on these projects have lost the support they had. This includes teachers who are often poorly paid. This is not a time to be satisfied with the Institute’s performance. This is a time to work even harder to help improve education systems on Africa. IICBA has a great team and a strong pipeline of projects. The team is grateful to all those who have supported the Institute in previous years. But we must do better, and we look forward to engaging in new partnerships. Together, we can strengthen teaching and learning in Africa for the continent to reach its full potential. The need is greater than ever.
This blog is authored by Quentin Wodon, Director of UNESCO's International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA).
Sharing experiences from good practices in teacher professional development and broader teacher policies is a priority shared by many organizations in Africa. In early 2025, five such organizations combined forces to organize a new, open access monthly webinar series – the Africa Teachers Webinar Series (registration is free here). Recordings of the webinars and the PowerPoint presentations used by speakers are made available after the webinars at https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/webinars-events.
The five organizations co-sponsoring the webinar series are, alphabetically, (1) the Africa Federation of Teacher Regulatory Authorities, (2) the African Union represented by its Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation Department, (3) the European Union through its Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa, (4) the Global Partnership for Education through its Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX), a joint endeavor with the International Development Research Centre, Canada, and finally (5) UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), whose staff lead the webinar series and work closely with each of the other organizations, including by managing the Africa 19 Hub for KIX with a focus on anglophone African countries.
The webinar series is organized in blocks of three sessions on specific themes, with experts, researchers, and practitioners sharing promising practices, useful resources and frameworks, and practical strategies. In 2025, the first block of three webinars focused on issues related to the continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers in Africa. The second block of three webinar focused on issues related to the new Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026-2035 adopted by the African Union. The third block again with three webinars focused on education for health and well-being.
Nine webinars were organized in 2025 with a total of about 2,800 participants for the year (including about 300 participants in person for two webinars that were hybrid). After each webinar, a short evaluation survey is sent to participants. As an illustration of results, responses after the first webinar on teacher continuous professional development (CPD) are tabulated in the Figures below. Most participants found that webinar useful to understand the evidence on the situation, best practices, and challenges faced in designing and implementing effective CPD programs. Participants also suggest that the webinar met their expectations. These results are encouraging, and similar findings have been observed for the other webinars organized in 2025.
There are also some areas for improvement. Translation is provided in English, French, and Portuguese for all webinars. Yet most participants come from anglophone countries, and very few are from Portuguese-speaking countries. The countries with high participation rates include Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Zambia, with Côte d’Ivoire being the only francophone countries appearing as a a top 5 country for the number of participants in some of the webinars. Clearly, additional efforts are needed to better reach francophone and Portuguese stakeholders. On the other hand, there is gender balance among participants, with almost exactly half being men, and half women. There is also a good mix between education officers, teachers, and others. Many participants join all three webinars in any given sub-series, even if some prefer to attend only one or two of the webinars in a sub-series.
Participants also gave us feedback through open-ended questions in the satisfaction surveys. They appreciate practical, localized case studies that help connect theory to classroom realities. This is why each webinar includes a short keynote, a main presentation, and three case studies. Although Zoom sends reminders to those who have registered, participants appreciate more reminders prior to webinars. They also appreciate interactions through Q&As. Some participants suggested adding more young people or even students as speakers. As to topics of interest, many suggestions were made, including peace education, higher education, inclusive education in large classrooms, digital technologies in areas without connectivity, AI-related teaching and learning, ICT integration in teaching and learning, teacher training in marginalized contexts, safe learning environments, ECE curriculum, violence in school, integration of health and well-being into lesson delivery, and school leadership (this list is not exhaustive).
Webinars are typically organized on a Thursday at 3 pm East African Time (GMT+3). In 2026, the first set of three webinars will focus on issues related to the potential of digital skills and AI to improve educational outcomes in Africa. The first webinar on Digitalization and AI in Higher Education: From Strategy to Practice will take place at 3 pm EAT on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The second webinar on Leveraging e-Learning for Teacher Professional Development: Lifelong Learning Opportunities will take place at 3 pm EAT on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The third webinar on Defining and Measuring Digital and AI Competencies: Frameworks for Educators and Institutions will take place at 3 pm EAT on Thursday April 23, 2026. If you have ideas of presenters for the second and third webinars, please let us know at info.iicb@unesco.org as we have not yet finalized the agenda for those two webinars.
The next series of three webinars will focus on education in emergencies, and how to strengthen teacher recruitment, professional development, and retention in such contexts. Key topics will include ensuring that children and youth who are refugees or displaced receive the education they deserve, while also recognizing the qualifications of teachers who may themselves be refugees and ensuring that teacher professional development is adapted to emergency contexts. Again, if you have ideas for presenters, do not hesitate to send us an email at info.iicba@unesco.org. And if you are interested in our webinar series, please register for future webinars at https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/webinars-events. Together, let’s draw inspiration from the insights shared at the webinars and apply our knowledge to strengthen teaching and learning in Africa and beyond!
Image credit: UNESCO/Emily Pinna
The Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Teachers will be held from 31 March to 2 April 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, convening policymakers, teacher representatives, development partners and experts from across the region.
Convened by the UNESCO Bangkok in partnership with Education International Asia-Pacific and in collaboration with UNESCO’s Section for Teacher Development and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (TTF), the Forum represents an important regional follow-up to the 2025 World Summit on Teachers and its outcome document, the Santiago Consensus.
The Forum takes place at a critical moment for the region. Many education systems continue to face teacher shortages, retention challenges and evolving expectations linked to digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), inclusion, and resilience. Strengthening the status, working conditions and professional development of teachers remains central to achieving SDG 4.
Under the theme “Elevate, Support and Invest in the Teaching Profession,” participants will engage in high-level dialogue and technical exchanges on issues including:
The Forum is expected to contribute to regional reflection on accelerating progress towards teacher-related SDG 4 targets and to inform broader global discussions, including ongoing normative processes concerning the status of teachers.
As the SDG 4 timeline advances, the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Teachers aims to reinforce regional cooperation and support concrete, context-responsive actions to strengthen the teaching profession across Asia and the Pacific.
Evento en Español, Inglés y Francés
Event in English, Spanish and French
Événement en français, anglais et espagnol
SUMMA and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), through the KIX LAC Hub, and with the support of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), are pleased to invite you to the launch of the new Knowledge Mobilization Cycle on the use of evidence in Teacher Policies and Practices.
On Wednesday, January 28, a webinar will be held where we will explore key themes associated with the cycle’s objectives, UNESCO’s 2025–2030 Regional Teacher Strategy, and the prioritization of the regional agenda through the exchange of national experiences. The meeting will bring together the views of representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as organizations such as UNESCO, SUMMA, the OECS, and the Caribbean Union of Teachers, among others.
Registration and more information here: https://summaedu.org/en/agenda-en/launch-knowledge-mobilization-cycle-on-the-use-of-evidence-in-teacher-policies-and-practices/
---
SUMMA y la Organización de Estados del Caribe Oriental (OECS), a través del Centro KIX LAC, y con el apoyo de la Alianza Mundial para la Educación (GPE) y el Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo (IDRC), tienen el agrado de invitarlos al lanzamiento del nuevo Ciclo de Movilización de Conocimiento sobre uso de evidencia en Políticas y Prácticas Docentes.
El miércoles 28 enero se realizará un seminario donde exploraremos temas claves asociados a los objetivos del ciclo, la Estrategia Regional Docente 2025–2030 de la UNESCO y la priorización de la agenda regional mediante el intercambio de experiencias nacionales. El encuentro integrará las visiones de representantes de países de América Latina y el Caribe; y de organismos como la UNESCO, SUMMA, la OECS y el Sindicato de Docentes del Caribe, entre otros.
Registo y mayor información en: https://summaedu.org/agenda/lanzamiento-ciclo-de-movilizacion-de-conocimiento-sobre-uso-de-evidencia-en-politicas-y-practicas-docentes/
2025 marked a year full of engaging opportunities, fruitful discussions, and productive advancements towards achieving SDG 4 target 4.c through the work of the Teacher Task Force (TTF), especially amid ever-changing geopolitical shifts. Activities in 2025 continued to be structured around knowledge production and dissemination, advocacy, and national and regional policy learning, marking the final year of our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.
Month to month, the TTF raised awareness and expanded knowledge across key issues concerning teachers: from building AI competencies to promoting collaboration to advocating for greater financing of the teaching profession.
Moving with the same momentum into 2026 and beginning of a new Strategic Plan cycle, the TTF enters another year full of meaningful dialogue, reflection and stocktaking around innovative policies, and global action aimed at improving teachers’ working conditions, education and well-being. As the year comes to an end, it is important to reflect on the accomplishments from 2025 that will set the pace for the upcoming year.
The TTF participated in dozens of global events prioritizing sustainable teacher development initiatives, ultimately leading to one of the largest initiatives of the year, the World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile. Building on the 2024 Global Report on Teachers (GRT) and the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum (PDF), the Summit culminated in the adoption of the Santiago Consensus, which was developed collaboratively under the auspices of UNESCO and the TTF, the SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee, youth networks, teachers and organizations. At its core, the Santiago Consensus underscores the indispensable role of teachers in education systems worldwide and recognizes the key role that the TTF plays and should play in fostering teacher policy development and implementation.
Youth engagement formed part of the TTF’s wider advocacy and partnership work in 2025. Collaboration with the SDG4 Youth & Student Network supported dialogue around the Santiago Consensus and broader global exchanges on addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession into one that is respected and empowered.
World Teachers’ Day served as another successful opportunity to advocate for teachers. This year’s theme, “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession,” illustrated the significance of collaboration among teachers, an invaluable facet that will characterize the profession moving forward. The 2025 World Teachers’ Day fact sheet sheds more light on ever-evolving trends in the teaching profession and examines how to cultivate collective thinking.
The vast knowledge produced by the network continued to spearhead advocacy campaigns and played an influential role in informing political decisions aimed at improving teacher conditions, beginning with further dissemination of the 2024 Global Report on Teachers. The TTF successfully launched the Portuguese version of the report in Brasília and the Spanish version through three national launches in Madrid, Seville and Valencia, as well as a regional launch in Chile for Latin America, strengthening advocacy efforts at both regional and national level. In parallel, work advanced on the forthcoming 2026 edition through Editorial Board meetings.
New evidence also emerged this year, such as Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education, a paper offering strategic guidance for governments and education stakeholders on funding the profession. Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence and its quick guide are that support understanding of major advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and how these can be adapted to teachers’ needs. Both papers set the course for the future of the education agenda, highlighting strategies to finance the teaching profession and analyzing the role of AI in classrooms.
Developed in line with World Teachers’ Day 2025, the World Teachers’ Day fact sheet, published by the TTF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), highlights new trends and data related to the teaching profession and how these insights can support continuous professional development.
The TTF further contributed to knowledge generation through its participation in the APPRENDRE international seminar in Dakar in October 2025, where the Secretariat shared key highlights from a forthcoming paper on Teacher Management Information Systems (TMIS) in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the role of reliable teacher data in supporting effective planning and evidence-based policymaking.
Inclusive education was a major theme in the work of the TTF this year, playing a part in multiple events, such as the Global Disability Summit and International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The advocacy campaign Teachers without limits: Voices we must hear, leaders we must follow, led by the TTF’s Thematic Group on Inclusion and Equity in Teacher Policies and Practices, exemplified member-led collaboration by amplifying the leadership and lived experiences of teachers with disabilities through blogs, interviews and social media.
In parallel, the TTF continued its engagement in youth-led advocacy around the Santiago Consensus, ensuring sustained attention to its core messages on inclusive and equitable education.
The Teacher Policy Development Guide (TPDG) continued to support evidence-informed teacher policies, helping ensure that every learner is taught by qualified, trained and well-supported teachers. Regional webinars included a policy learning webinar in the Asia-Pacific region, co-organized with INRULED, focused on rural teacher policies and lessons from implementation, as well as a regional webinar for Arab States – facilitated by RCQE – on the costing and financing of teacher policies, with insights feeding into the development of new TPDG modules.
With all the transformative work from 2025 paving the way, the year ahead will continue to foster inclusive, equitable, and quality opportunities for teachers through policy dialogues, reports, advocacy campaigns, and global events. Major milestones will include the release of the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan and the next edition of the Global Report on Teachers, as well as ongoing dissemination and contextualization of the Santiago Consensus.
The TTF offers a warm thank you to its members and partners for their collaboration and unwavering support towards realizing SDG 4. As we embark on a new year, it is critical to recognize the contributions of the network and commitment to bettering the teaching profession.
To learn more about the many accomplishments of the TTF and its members this past year, explore our blogs and subscribe to our newsletter.
The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 will participate in the International Conference on the Teaching Profession, held in the Sultanate of Oman under the theme “Sustainable Teaching in the Era of AI”. The conference convenes ministers, international organizations, and education experts to discuss the future of the teaching profession in the context of rapid technological change.
A key moment of the programme will be the launch of the Arabic version of the 2024 UNESCO–Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers - co-published with the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE) - during the high-level session on international education reports. Carlos Vargas, Head of the TTF Secretariat, will present the report’s main findings, with a focus on addressing teacher shortages, transforming the profession, and advancing the Santiago Consensus outcomes from the World Teachers’ Summit.
The programme also includes keynote sessions on education and AI, contributions from OECD and the World Bank, and the launch of the Arabic Global Education Monitoring Report, highlighting the role of international evidence and cooperation in strengthening education systems.
Watch the live stream: https://www.youtube.com/@EduGovOman/videos
A dedicated session on teachers will take place on 9 December 2025 as part of the International Symposium on the Future of the Right to Education at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Entitled "Teachers, educators and the right to education: expanding boundaries", the session will explore how teachers’ rights and working conditions are fundamental to realising the right to education.
The session will feature contributions from Teacher Task Force members, including representatives of the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Education of Oman, and Education International, offering insights from labour, government and union perspectives.
Drawing on evidence from the Global Report on Teachers (UNESCO & TTF, 2024) and the Santiago Consensus, the session will address the global teacher shortage - 44 million teachers needed by 2030 - and the structural issues driving attrition, such as poor working conditions, limited autonomy and insufficient professional development. It will examine how teachers’ professional rights, from fair pay to agency and lifelong learning, form an integral part of the broader right to education, particularly in light of UNESCO’s ongoing revision of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation and the 1997 Recommendation on Higher Education Teaching Personnel.
The programme will begin with scene-setting inputs based on global evidence, followed by a panel discussion bringing together TTF member representatives and other experts from governments, unions and academia. An interactive dialogue will invite participants to reflect on priorities and actions for strengthening teacher rights, before the session closes with key messages to inform the symposium’s wider recommendations.
The discussion will contribute to shaping future directions for reinforcing teacher-related dimensions of the right to education within global normative frameworks.
Click here for more information about the event.