GENEVA, FEBRUARY 16 – Around the world, 222 million children and adolescents affected by the horrors of war, disaster and displacement are desperate to learn. at a High Level Financing Conference in Geneva, Italy announced today a 2 million Euros pledge for 2023 to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. “Education is a lifeline investment in our future”, said the the Italian Permanent Representative to the International Organizations, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi.
The Conference was organized by ECW and Switzerland in close collaboration with the Governments of Colombia, Germany, Niger, Norway, and South Sudan to mobilize the resources needed to deliver on ECW’s plan for the next four years. Today, in the first of two days, 18 Governments and Foundations have contributed $826 millions. “We are all here together because we agree that education cannot wait for any child, including the 222 million crisis affected children who urgently need quality education”, said Yasmine Sherif, the Director of ECW, while former British PM Gordon Brown, who is the UN Envoy for Education, pleaded the officials attending the Conference to stand up for the 78 million children out of school, particularly the girls of Afghanistan. “Education is a foundation in life. The worst thing is not having hope for the future, and education gives that light. It’s vital for everybody, but most important for those who have lost everything”, warned the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
The Conference underlined how increasing conflict, climate change and the aftermath of COVID-19 are putting untold pressures on economies, education systems and international assistance. To respond to these alarming trends, ECW has launched an ambitious new strategy and is calling on world leaders, businesses, foundations, and high net-worth individuals to provide at least $1.5 billion so it can deliver its 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. (@OnuItalia)
