1999. Some of the poorest countries in the world have introduced ambitious policies to ensure the right to education. They have abolished school fees, built classrooms, hired teachers and taken special measures to reach the most vulnerable groups. But progress is very uneven. The foremost challenge we face is to make education more inclusive, by developing policies that tackle deep and persistent inequalities in education. Girls still have a higher chance of being out of school than boys. Living in a rural area, an urban slum, belonging to a minority group, speaking a minority language or being disabled all significantly raise the stakes of being excluded. But learning itself must welcome diversity through relevant curricula and respect for cultural and linguistic pluralism. Schools and other learning environments must become places where all children and learners participate, are treated equally and enjoy the same learning opportunities. More flexible, open education systems that are rooted in a concern for equity promote social cohesion and more just and peaceful societies. The right to education is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission of ensuring “full and equal opportunities for education for all.” It is crucial to monitor this right. UNESCO contributes to this exercise through its annual EFA Global Monitoring Report and through consultations with Member States on the implementation of the Convention against Discrimination in Education. But clearly we must do more to advocate for the universal right to education. We must work to intensify normative action at the national level to ensure that ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups have access to and complete a good quality primary education.