The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the Education for All (EFA) goals, which have set the agenda for global development since 2000, will reach their deadline in 2015. The Education for All agenda crafted in Jomtien in 1990 and reiterated in Dakar in 2000 was meant to ensure that governments and their partners address the basic learning needs of children, youth and adults. While there has been considerable progress towards the achievement of universal access to primary education (EFA Goal 2), progress towards realising the other five goals has been more modest. 774 million adults, the majority of them women, still do not master basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy. Current global trends such as population growth, the youth bulge, climate change, the advance of knowledge-based societies and shifting inequalities add urgency to the need for quality learning outcomes, skills development and equitable education for all countries. UNESCO will contribute to the United Nations' global priorities to promote gender equality and address the needs of Africa, also paying particular attention to Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, and to meet the needs of young people and reach the unreached and most vulnerable segments of society, in recognition of the role of education in fostering positive social transformations, social inclusion and intercultural dialogue. UNESCO's three education strategic objectives in its Medium-Term Strategy for 2014-2021 are: (1) Developing education systems to foster quality lifelong learning opportunities for all; (2) Empowering learners to be creative and responsible global citizens; and (3) Shaping the future education agenda.