Mexico hosts 2026 UNESCO International Literacy Day celebration

To mark International Literacy Day 2026 and its 60th anniversary, UNESCO, in collaboration with the Government of Mexico, convened the Global Conference on “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity” in the State of Chiapas, Mexico, on 8 and 9 September 2026.

Held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas and San Juan Chamula in the State of Chiapas, characterized by its rich cultural and linguistic heritage, the two-day event aimed to reflect on six decades of progress in literacy and discuss how literacy can be reimagined and promoted to respond to the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

At least 7,000 people attended the Opening Ceremony held in San Juan Chamula, including Ms Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO Deputy Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations, and H.E. Mr Eduardo Ramirez Aguilar, Governor of Chiapas, alongside eight other ministers and vice ministers of education from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Cambodia, Cuba, Gabon, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Madagascar, Mali, and Mexico, as well as representatives of other governments and development partners, such as international organizations, civil society, education institutions, researchers, educators, learners, and practitioners. 

The Opening Session started witha cultural performance by Indigenous peoples. In parallel, high-level participants took part in cultural activities, including an Indigenous ceremony, a meeting with educators and learners of theChiapas Puedeliteracy programme, and a visit to the Temple of Saint John the Baptist, highlighting the importance of embedding cultures, languages, and community knowledge in lifelong literacy learning. 

In her opening remarks, Ms Lidia Arthur Brito highlighted “literacy is much more than a skill: it is the key that opens the door to the exercise of all other rights. At a time when our societies are undergoing profound transformations, our collective responsibility is to ensure that everyone can learn, develop and contribute to shaping their future. UNESCO will continue working with its Member States and partners to make this ambition a reality.”

Gobierno del Estado de Chiapas

H.E. Mr Eduardo Ramirez Aguilar, Governor of Chiapas, underscored “literacy is love. Reading means receiving the words of those who came before us, while writing means leaving our own words for those who will come after us. Today, we call on families, students, young people and teachers to reach every corner of the community and help others learn to read and write. Those who learn to read acquire tools for life, and those who learn to write leave a record of their time.”

H.E. Mr Enrique Javier Ochoa Martínez, Mexico’s Vice-Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, also emphasized the importance of putting those with the greatest needs first, “Literacy is one of the most profound acts of justice, equity and love we can undertake. It is the clearest expression of the principle we uphold in this transformation: for the good of all, the poorest first.” 

Award ceremony of the International Literacy Prizes

UNESCO/Carlos Alberto Olvera Zurita

The Award Ceremony of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes was part of the global celebration of International Literacy Day 2026. The ceremony brought together the six laureates, the Chair of the International Jury, and representatives of the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China. 

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize was awarded to

• The ‘Escuelas LEO’ Programme by the ‘BibloRed’ (Colombia)
• The ‘Language Friendly School’ programme by the Rutu Foundation for Intercultural Multilingual Education (Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• ‘Project PAL’ (Primary Accelerated Literacy) by the WAER Waters Charity Foundation (Nigeria)

The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy was awarded to 

• ‘Accelerated Education for Out-of-school Displaced Youth in Lebanon’ programme by the Alsama Project (Lebanon)
• ‘Chiapas Puede’ State Literacy Programme by the Government of the State of Chiapas (Mexico)
• ‘Language for Life: Multilingual Literacy for Disaster Communication and Community Resilience in Hat Yai Learning City’ programme by Hat Yai City Municipality (Thailand)

ILD2026 Global celebration: Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity

With about 300 participants and hundreds of online participants, the second part of the global celebration continued in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, where participants engaged with discussions to look back, look deeper and look forward to harnessing the transformative power of literacy towards more inclusive, just, peaceful, and sustainable societies. The second part also featured the sessions dedicated to the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes and Latin America and the Caribbean region, as well as the annual meeting of the Global Alliance for Literacy within the Framework of Lifelong Learning (GAL).

• Six decades of progress in literacy reflected upon and celebrated. These six decades were characterized by the expansion of literacy provision and learning opportunities, international learning and collaboration, the development of lifelong learning ecosystems, as well as evolving understandings of literacy. 

• Persistent and emerging literacy challenges identified, including millions of children, young people and adults who lack basic literacy skills, as well as the need to go beyond basic literacy to equip people to navigate rapidly evolving and digitalized societies. The emerging issues in LAC and the ways to move forward have been discussed. 

• Effective solutions to address these challenges shared, including building lifelong learning ecosystems, supporting educators, and enhancing the relevance of provision, including the use of languages, as well as the six laureates of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2026. 

• Reflection on the literacy skills required today and tomorrow worldwide initiated, with this reflection set to continue towards 2028. 

• The draft Action Plan for the UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) (2026-2030) discussed, with a view to its finalization by the end of 2026. 

• The critical importance of literacy in today’s context reaffirmed, with everyone called upon to become an ambassador of literacy.

In the Closing Session, it was announced that the ILD2027 global celebration will be hosted by Ghana. Following final remarks by the Director of the National Institute for Adult Education, Mexico, Mr Qun Chen, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, in his video message, reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to advancing literacy and invited participants to become ambassadors of literacy as we accelerate the SDG4 progress towards 2030 and shape the post-2030 agenda.   

On 8 September, International Literacy Day 2026 was also celebrated across the globe, with festivities organized in numerous countries including Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Mali, Pakistan, and <a href="https://absafricatv.com/south-africa-name-preliminary-squad-for-first-australia-test-icc-world-test-championship/" title="<a href="https://absafricatv.com/india-brazil-south-africa-oppose-attacks-on-multilateralism-back-west-asia-dialogue/" title="India, Brazil, South Africa oppose attacks on multilateralism, back West Asia dialogue”>South Africa name preliminary squad for first Australia Test | ICC World Test Championship”>South Africa.

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This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

SDG 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all