In affirming the goal of universal basic education, participants in the Jomtien conference emphasized that reform efforts must focus on actual learning acquisition and out come rather than exclusively upon enrolment To stress this, participants urged countries to set specific qualitative targets. They suggested that learning environment should be improved to the point that an agreed percentage of an appropriate age cohort, e.g. 80% of 14 year olds attains or surpasses a defined level of necessary achievement.

On the other hand, the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000 constituted a watershed for UNESCO. The forum confirmed UNESCO as the coordinator of the Education for All partners and charged it with the task of maintaining their collective momentum. Thus the realization of the following six goals of the Dakar Framework for Action will be the overriding priority for UNESCO:

• Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children;
• Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality;
• Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes;
• Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015,especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults;
• Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality;
• Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills..

The Dakar Forum gave the Jomtien vision more precise operational direction and paid special attention to:
The learning needs of the poor and excluded;

• The reduction of adult illiteracy
• The expansion of early childhood care and education
• Improving the quality of learning
• Overcoming gender disparities and mobilizing the requisite resources

The forum likewise placed the main responsibility for fulfilling the right to education squarely upon the shoulders of member states. UNESCO's role will be to mobilize human and financial resources to support member states in their efforts to fulfill the EFA commitments at national, regional and international levels.