The World Education Forum 2015, held in South Korea’s western port city of Incheon, closed Thursday with a message of equal education opportunities for learners of all ages.

Some 1,500 participants from 167 countries, including ministers and vice ministers of education of 111 nations, held plenary sessions and debates from Tuesday to Thursday and reached an agreement on the Incheon Declaration centered on “promoting comprehensive quality equal education for all and lifelong learning.”

Korea’s Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea and UNESCO director general Irina Bokova delivered the closing speech at the concluding ceremony held Thursday afternoon.

Participants agreed that despite their collective efforts, countries have not yet achieved the “Education for All” movement, established and developed at previous forums.

The Incheon Declaration succeeds the movement and vows to guarantee nine years of primary and secondary education to everyone while emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning. Another focal point is to secure equal educational opportunities and accessibility for all.

It said sustainable development cannot be achieved without substantial financing, particularly in countries that are lagging behind in education quality. The declaration said participating countries agreed to increase investment in education, and urged all members to devote at least 4-6 percent of the GDP or 15-20 percent of their public expenditure on education.

“Korea actively supports spreading the education agenda chosen at the forum, thus contributing to the ultimate goal of everyone receiving a quality education,” Hwang said.

The declaration will provide an education blueprint for U.N. member states up until 2030, organizers said. It also states the role of education for sustainable development within the framework of the U.N. development agenda, which will be confirmed in September.

The framework of action for the declaration will be selected at the U.N. General Assembly in November.

By Yoon Mik-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)