UNESCO's Conventions on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education
About Us
- Our Mission
- Organization
- Survey, Research and References
- The Tokyo Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education and NIC Network of the Asia-Pacific Region (APNNIC)
- UNESCO's Conventions on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education
- Links to Related Organizations
- Our Mission
- Organization
- Survey, Research and References
- The Tokyo Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education and NIC Network of the Asia-Pacific Region (APNNIC)
- UNESCO's Conventions on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education
- Links to Related Organizations
- Timeline of the Conventions on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education
- Regional Conventions
- Global Convention
Regional Conventions
With the increasing global mobility in higher education since the 1970s, UNESCO has adopted and effectuated the six regional conventions taking the regional nature of higher education into consideration. The six conventions, concerning the importance of recognizing learning experience equally and fairly in another State, aim to promote recognition of higher education qualification (including qualifications for admission, diplomas, degrees and certificates). The revision process of these conventions has taken place since the late 1990s. 122 States have ratified one or more of these regional conventions as of September 30, 2022, with more than half of the States ratifying multiple conventions.
Links to Related Websites
- ユネスコにおける高等教育の資格の承認に関する規約について (MEXT website)
- Conventions and recommendations in higher education (UNESCO website)
Global Convention
In response to further acceleration of globalization, the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education was adopted at the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference on November 25, 2019. The Global Convention provides an inclusive global framework for the recognition of qualifications in higher education, and it aims to facilitate global mobility in higher education as well as to promote and strengthen international cooperation. While the regional conventions and the Global Convention are mutually complementary and have many similarities, new provisions such as recognition of 'prior learning' and 'partial recognition' are included in the Global Convention. It requires 20 State Parties for the Global Convention to enter into force, and there are 17 State Parties (Norway, Nicaragua, Estonia, France, Romania, Tunisia, Croatia, Holy See, Lithuania, Armenia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Palestine, Sweden, Slovakia, and Japan; in chronological order) as of September 30, 2022.
Note: Convention titles in Japanese are listed only for those translated and published by the MEXT. (As of September 30, 2022) | |||||
Region | Convention Title | City of Adoption | Date of Adoption | Date of Entry into Force (Stipulating Article) | Number of State Parties |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Global | Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education 高等教育の資格の承認に関する世界規約(訳文:PDF) |
Paris | 25 November 2019 | Not yet (Article XVIII) |
17 |
Links to Related Websites and Leaflets
- Recognition of higher education qualifications (UNESCO website)
- Global Convention (APNNIC website)
- What is the Global Convention on Higher Education? (7 November 2019, UNESCO website)
- Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education (UNESCO website)
- Global Convention leaflet (Downloadable from UNESCO website)
- A practical guide to recognition: implementing the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education (Downloadable from UNESCO website)
- Member States unite to advance academic recognition, mobility and inter-university cooperation (12 November 2021, UNESCO website)