The United Nations' Regional Programme for the Universalization and Renewal of Primary Education and the Eradication of Adult Illiteracy in the Arab States by the Year 2000 (ARABUPEAL) began in 1987. Among the educational problems confronting Arab States are that their educational objectives do not specifically relate to development objectives, the links are weak between the curriculum and the needs of students and society, the methods of instruction are traditional and stereotyped, and there is little coordination between education and other sectors of development. Groups targeted by the program are: school-age children; primary school dropouts; unemployed school leavers; adolescent and adult illiterates; and workers in the unorganized sectors, particularly migrants. The program will be carried out by means of a regional plan and plans for individual states. Administration and planning issues include the fact that the project presents a new vision of education, all available resources must be mobilized to achieve a networking effect, and the cooperation of universities must be enlisted. Issues about curricula, teaching methods, and teaching materials include: how to bridge the gap between school culture and local cultures, how to incorporate concepts of modern science, and how to integrate the curriculum. A national network will be set up in each member state to develop its national educational plan. Each network will be composed of educational and developmental institutions selected on the basis of their innovative capabilities. (CML)