[Video provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Stefania Glannini, UNESCO assistant director-general for education, emphasized the enduring impact of literacy, noting that the 2025 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes' theme, "Promoting literacy in the digital era", resonates with the Confucius Education Prize, the award ceremony of which was held during the opening ceremony of the 2025 China International Confucius Cultural Festival.

Glannini noted that nearly 740 million youth and adults still lack basic literacy skills, with two-thirds being women. The awarded projects from Bangladesh, Ireland, and Morocco demonstrate literacy's role in fostering dignity, equality, and change.