Consolidation of Romania’s active role in UNESCO structures by participating in the first extraordinary meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference of States Parties to the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education
Romania participated, on March 7 of this year, in the first extraordinary meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference of the States Parties to the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. Our country was the fifth state to ratify this Convention, which entered into force at the beginning of 2023.
At the opening of the session, Romania’s ambassador to UNESCO, Simona-Mirela Miculescu, supported an intervention, as president of the UNESCO General Conference, in which she referred to the importance of this instrument for the implementation of the objectives of sustainable development in higher education and encouraged the states members of UNESCO to ratify the Convention.
The main objective of the meeting was the adoption of the program of activities for the period 2024-2025, structured in 4 main directions and which the States Parties are to implement: the elaboration of the draft operational directives to be adopted at the second ordinary session of the Conference; developing a set of recommendations regarding the relationship between the Global Convention and the Regional Conventions for the Recognition of Qualifications; research and capacity building activities; activities to promote the ratification of the Convention and communication.
During the meeting, the representative of Romania – the National Center for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas, the national structure for implementing the Convention within the Ministry of Education – had an intervention in which he expressed our country’s support for the adoption of this ambitious work program, the result of a series of consistent intergovernmental consultations and negotiations during 2023 that take into account current challenges in the field, including the status of recognition of the qualifications of refugees or people fleeing conflicts.
In line with the national internationalization strategy introduced by the new Higher Education Law no. 199/2023, Romania will continue to be an active partner within the international structures of the Convention, promoting Romanian higher education and transparent and effective international recognition procedures.
Publication date: 08.03.2024