Paris, February 23, 2026. — Cuba participated in the second meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) tasked with developing a subsidiary text on the relationship between the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education and the regional recognition conventions.
During the session, members of the Group examined the initial draft of the guidance note, highlighting its structure and usefulness as a basis for advancing discussions. The exchanges focused on key aspects such as the interpretation of the principle of "most favorable" recognition, the need to ensure coherence between global and regional instruments, and the importance of reinforcing the current context of academic mobility and qualification recognition.
Likewise, the desirability of involving regional offices in the drafting of the document was underlined, as well as strengthening practical elements for its implementation, including the fight against fraud, the recognition of prior learning, partial studies, and micro-credentials.
The representative of the Cuban Delegation, Third Secretary Laura Alvarez Delgado, reiterated the country's firm commitment to UNESCO's education sector, particularly in the field of higher education, and to strengthening the international normative framework for the recognition of qualifications. In this regard, she emphasized the importance of moving towards more inclusive, transparent, and equitable systems that facilitate academic and professional mobility.
Cuba has been a State Party to the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education since 2022 and to the Regional Convention for Latin America and the Caribbean since 2021, being one of the first countries in the region to ratify the latter instrument. The country continues to deploy efforts to strengthen the implementation and reach of these normative frameworks. Precisely, the work of this Working Group on the complementarity between the global and regional instruments is part of this common objective of consolidating a more coherent and effective international recognition system.