Ban Ki-moon said that in a world possessed of enormous wealth and in which education and knowledge are the required passports to a better life, such data is astounding.
For that reason he called upon all to redouble the commitment to universal literacy and contribute resources to achieve real progress.
He underlined the fact that literacy is a tool for improving subsistence, taking part in community decision-making, obtaining information on health-care and much more.
And it is not only a question of learning to read and write: “it is about respect, opportunity and development”, Ban explained, since education allows individuals to exercise their rights as citizens and as human beings.
*(Translation provided by James Williamson)*
