(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: The city of Al Wakra was among the ten cities to receive the 2021 UNESCO Learning City Award. The prestigious award recognized Al Wakra's outstanding progress in providing lifelong learning opportunities for its almost 90,000 inhabitants.
The award was first announced on October 27, by UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) on its official Twitter account, coinciding with the first day of the fifth International Conference on Learning Cities held in the Republic of Korea.
In a separate function held in Doha this morning, a UNESCO official said: "On behalf of the UNESCO Doha office's Director, Dr Anna Paolini and the whole team in the Doha office, I would like to congratulate the municipality of Al Wakra city, represented by Mansour Al Boenain Mayor of Al Wakra Municipality and the entire population of Al Wakra for this award."
The official also further stated: "I would also like to thank the UNESCO Chair Dr Ziyad Said in the College of North Atlantic Qatar for having supported the overall application process."
On October 27, UIL wrote a statement on Twitter and said: "Congratulations to Al Wakra on winning the 2021 UNESCO Learning City Award for outstanding progress in #lifelonglearning. The city has made lifelong learning a priority as part of its sustainability plan, with a focus on vulnerable groups."
This year's UNESCO Learning City Award also recognized the long-term objective of Al Wakra's learning city plan which is "to develop into a sustainable city with a well-developed sustainability action plan."
It also highlighted the city's pioneering education sector and commitment to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as well as Al Wakra's priority on the environment as it "seeks to raise awareness on environmental issues amongst all members of the community through various initiatives culminating in the celebration of the local Environment Day on 26 February."
Apart from this, the city's work on providing learning opportunities for all groups, particularly, the elderly, women, workers, and those with special needs, was also recognized. The learning city of Al Wakra makes learning available to workers outside of working hours by providing them with computers. Al Wakra also oversees a variety of initiatives that provide education free of charge to people with special needs. Lastly, the city is also focused on guaranteeing life-long opportunities for all, with a special consideration to women and the elderly.
"This award is just a starting point and not an endpoint. Providing lifelong learning is an ongoing process," a UNESCO official said during the event.
The official also affirmed that the "city will continue to strengthen its policies and programmes in order to give everyone a learning opportunity."
The ten cities which were honoured in this year's Learing City Award were selected by UIL, upon the recommendation of an independent jury of international experts.
The cities awarded include Belfast (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Damietta (Egypt), Dublin (Ireland), Huejotzingo, (Mexico), Jubail Industrial City (Saudi Arabia), Osan (Republic of Korea), Shanghai (People's Republic of China), and Wyndham (Australia).
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