Thank you, Jack DeGioia, for that introduction. It is an honor to be a part of the first meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO in over 20 years—and to talk about how we can work together to promote the ideals of human rights, tolerance and learning. These were the goals that President Bush had in mind when he announced several years ago that the United States planned to rejoin UNESCO.

Education is UNESCO's chief focus—it touches nearly everything that UNESCO does—and so I thank you Jack for stepping up to the plate to coordinate the Education Committee of this Commission. You and the committee have our admiration and gratitude for helping in this important way.

• It's good to see my friend Marguerite Sullivan here. Thanks for all your energy and enthusiasm in your new role as Executive Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

• Let me also thank Ambassador Louise Oliver and everyone holding down the fort at the US Mission to UNESCO in Paris. It's a small team with a lot on their plates. I want to thank all of them, and let me give a special thanks to Gail Randall, who is the Department of Education's representative at the mission.

• I want to thank you for inviting the Department of Education's own Russ Whitehurst and Chris Doherty to participate in this conference. Dr. Whitehurst also proudly serves on the board of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

• And I wish to recognize Rita Foy Moss of our Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and Scott May of our Math and Science Initiative for participating.

Finally, let me thank our First Lady, Mrs. Bush. For many years, she has been a passionate champion for children and families. Now, as Honorary Ambassador of the UN Literacy Decade, Mrs. Bush is stepping up her activism to a global level. She is helping rally world leaders and decision-makers to put literacy—especially for mothers and their children—at the top of their agendas. We want more people in the world to have the opportunity to learn and improve their lives and achieve their greatest potential as full participants in free societies.

Yesterday marked the 61st anniversary of D-Day. It was the beginning of the end for a regime that held an entire continent hostage to an ideology of hatred. Last week, America honored the brave men and women who fought and died so that we might be free today. Their sacrifice paved the way for freedoms that not only endure but also continue to inspire others to seek the same peace and security for themselves.

In the wake of World War II, the transition from tyranny to democracy depended on more than arms alone. It depended on ideas. And shared values—values like respect and tolerance and education. The war had shown that ignorance is one of democracy's greatest foes.

That's why one of UNESCO's first acts in 1948 was to recommend universal, free primary education for its member-states. In other words, education for all.

Because we believed so strongly in UNESCO's mission, the United States was among the first to ratify UNESCO's constitution. But we left the fold in 1984 when the organization strayed from its mandate. We hoped it would spur the organization to look inward and show accountability.

Thanks to the reform-minded leadership of its current Director-General Matsuura, UNESCO is now equipped to make a real difference. And it is.

UNESCO is now helping to get millions of new textbooks into the hands of school children. UNESCO is now helping countries emerging from conflict rebuild their education systems, develop quality curricula and train teachers. And it is now working to bring literacy and life skills to our most challenged world neighbors so they can build a sustainable future that is hopeful, peaceful and prosperous.

Here at home, we understand a thing or two about the challenges UNESCO faces. While the Supreme Court opened the schoolhouse doors to all in 1954, too many children were still denied a quality education. Millions of disadvantaged students fell behind and left 12th grade with only an eighth-grade education. Schools began to turn out graduates unable to read their own diplomas. Once known for the best education system in the world, America became "A Nation at Risk."

We knew we had to change—to bring back high standards, accountability, and a renewed focus on social inclusion. And change we have—led by the No Child Left Behind Act.

It set ambitious goals, such as having a highly qualified teacher lead every classroom, and ensuring that every student is reading and doing math at grade level by 2014. It calls for annual measurement of student performance so we can get students the help they need before it's too late. And the law calls for schools and districts to break down test scores by student groups so we ensure all of our students are making progress.

Under No Child Left Behind, and under the U.S. Constitution, states and school districts have the lead role in making this happen. President Bush has made sure they have the financial resources to get the job done. But we've coupled those resources with reforms.

Our Reading First grants, for instance, offer instruction based on science, using what we know works for kids. Nearly 100,000 teachers and more than one and a half million children are benefiting. Our Quality Teacher grants are helping educators strengthen their skills in the subjects they teach. And parents now have more information and choices than ever before to make the best decisions for their children—as they should.

And it's working. You can see the change in the numbers. The vast majority of states—73 percent, according to a 2005 Center on Education Policy study—report improved student achievement and a narrowing achievement gap.

Or just look in the nearest classroom. You might find students spending extra time with Reading First coaches or math tutors. You might see teachers and parents working together to teach students using methods that are scientifically proven to work. And you might see a few new faces—children who, under the law, were able to transfer to a school that better suits their needs.

NCLB is working to provide a world-class education for America's children. And through UNESCO, we are helping other countries do the same for their children.

You believe in setting ambitious goals as well. You're helping UNESCO carry out the Education for All effort, which has a goal of doubling literacy, eliminating gender disparities and providing full access to primary schools by the year 2015.

With these reforms underway, the U.S. and UNESCO are ready to move forward—together. We're ready to improve literacy throughout the world—to promote high standards and quality—to ensure social inclusion and access—and to stress the importance of sound measurement and data.

But we also face some serious challenges. Think about it:

• More than 800 million people cannot read and write—nearly 1 in 6 people over the age of 15 worldwide.

• More than 100 million children are not in school.

• Globally an estimated 15-35 million primary school teachers will need to be trained to meet the goals of Education for All by 2015.

But I also have seen many reasons for optimism.

One is Afghanistan, where Mrs. Bush and I visited schools that now teach literacy, mathematics and history, quite a change from under the rule of the Taliban. We also toured the Women's Teacher Training Institute in Kabul, and spoke to several of its students and teachers. They are quickly adapting to a world of freedom they thought they might never see.

As education takes hold at all levels of society around the world, so does the desire for empowerment and liberty. There are some who are threatened by the notion of empowerment through education. They seek to attack institutions that promote learning and liberty. And sometimes, tragically, they succeed. We must withstand their threats, stand strong, and show them that education is a stronger force than terrorism, one that will improve the lives of all people.

This was evident to the entire world when, after 20 years of war, Afghans went to the polls for the first time last October. Women—once prisoners in their own homes—represented more than 40 percent of the registered voters.

And who can forget the blue, ink-stained fingers raised high to the sky this January in Iraq? Iraqi women voted in enormous numbers. And now more than 80 women have taken their seats as elected representatives in the new assembly there. They are role models for the new generation of Iraqi girls—two million of whom are back in school. Through the efforts of the Coalition partners, more than 2,400 schools have been renovated and 30,000 teachers trained.

Last month, women in Kuwait won the vote for the first time, making them the fourth Gulf state after Bahrain, Oman and Qatar in which women as well as men can vote.

I've just returned from Jordan, where I joined fellow education ministers from the G8 and the broader Middle East and North Africa in discussions about how we can work together to promote literacy, greater access, social inclusion and educational quality throughout the region.

While there, I also had the privilege of visiting an all-girls "discovery school," filled with eager young students seated at computers donated by American businesses. Jordan has embraced education reform and private-public partnerships, and we are eager to share our own knowledge. As Mrs. Bush put it, it truly is "a springtime of hope across the Middle East."

We are witnessing a new era of possibilities and potential. And education is the driving force. In the 21st century, a nation's prosperity rests on the quality of its schools. Russia's Education Minister explained at the summit in Jordan that he now calls his department, the Ministry of the Future. It's no wonder why. Research has shown a strong correlation between a nation's literacy rate and its gross domestic product. We also know that education instills hope. And a hopeful heart is the best antidote to hatred and extremism.

Clearly, there is an enormous amount of work to do. And it's going to take all of us—all of the stakeholders from every nation—working together in a spirit of cooperation and respect to accomplish the task.

So I thank the Commissioners for your commitment and for your help as we work to ensure a sustainable future for all, through the transforming power of education. We are looking not to the past, but to the bright future—ready to help promote locally developed solutions that respect a country's culture and sovereignty. And ready to set a good example here at home by ensuring that no child is left behind. Thank you.

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