The International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) is a global network committed to the promotion, protection, and realisation of the right to adult learning and education as a key component of lifelong learning. Comprising regional, national, and sectoral organisations across all continents, ICAE works to advance policies and practices that ensure equitable access to quality adult education for all, with particular focus on the most marginalised communities.

ICAE advocates for the transformative potential of adult learning in addressing social, economic, environmental, and democratic challenges. Its work spans literacy, skills development, civic participation, and education for sustainable development, recognising adult education as essential to achieving human rights, gender equality, and social justice.

As an organising partner of the Education and Academia Stakeholder Group, ICAE brings decades of expertise in policy advocacy, movement building, and capacity development to UN processes. Through coordinated action with other partners, ICAE works to ensure that lifelong learning – including youth and adult education – remains central to the global education agenda and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.