

The Global Alliance for Literacy
Enhancing collaborative action
Collaboration is key to success. The Global Alliance for Literacy within the Framework of Lifelong Learning (GAL) engages key stakeholders to advocate for youth and adult literacy. GAL addresses the countries that need it the most, namely 20 countries with an adult literacy rate below 50 per cent and the E9 countries, where the largest number of illiterate adults live.
GAL’s objectives
- Improve stakeholders’ collaboration for literacy development at global, regional and national levels.
- Strengthen political will, commitments and policy awareness.
- Promote policy learning and sharing.
- Promote knowledge creation and sharing for Member States’ evidence-based policy design and implementation.
- Encourage South-South cooperation.
How does GAL work?
GAL’s advocacy and knowledge-sharing efforts are guided by a targeted approach focused on 20 countries with an adult literacy rate below 50 per cent and the E9 countries, where the largest number of illiterate adults live.
GAL Countries
Adult literacy rate below 50% | ||||
Afghanistan Benin Burkina Faso Comoros |
Côte d'Ivoire Central African Republic Chad Ethiopia |
Gambia Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti |
Iraq Liberia Mali Mauritania |
Niger Senegal Sierra Leone South Sudan |
E9 countries[1] | ||||
Africa | Arab States | Asia and the Pacific | Latin America and the Caribbean | |
Nigeria |
Egypt |
Bangladesh China India Indonesia Pakistan |
Brazil Mexico |
[1] UNESCO Institute of Statistics. 2017. E-9 forum meeting. [online] Available at: http://uis.unesco.org/en/news/e-9-forum-meeting [Accessed 6 December 2018].