Bold funding plan can get every child in the world into school says UN envoy Gordon Brown
A new finance mechanism is needed to deliver education for all by 2030 - including every refugee and displaced child -聽the United聽Nations envoy said.
It may not have the catchiest name. But the聽International Finance Facility for Education is a聽bold plan that can help to make history.
With global co-operation, the IFFEd is the vital ingredient that could get every聽child in the world into school and learning.
That means every refugee and聽displaced聽child,聽every girl and boy in even聽the poorest countries, can have hope for the future.
An impassioned plea聽for the groundbreaking聽IFFEd to be adopted was made today at the United Nations by Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education.
He was speaking ahead of the Spring Meetings hosted by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund聽in Washington, DC – a key moment in the international calendar聽attended聽by top decision-makers from governments, civil society organisations, finance and business.
国产视频淚n a world where protectionism and confrontation are on the rise and international co-operation is in decline, it is time to make the case for global solutions to global problems,” Brown said.聽
“On the table this week at the World Bank国产视频檚 annual meetings is a bold step forward in co-operation –聽a plan designed to help ensure that, for the first time in history, every one of the world国产视频檚 1.6 billion boys and girls are in school and learning.”
Brown said years of neglect had left聽260 million children out聽of聽school聽and “another 400 million are functionally illiterate”.聽
He added: “Come 2030, more than 800 million young people –聽half of our youth –聽will, on current trends, leave school without even the most basic skills necessary for the modern labour market.”
The UN envoy said the Sustainable Development Goal of聽getting every child a quality education by 2030聽will happen only with more – and better – funding.
He said education aid from international donors fell from $10 per child in 2010 low- and lower-middle-income countries to $8 today.
“Barely enough to pay for the cheapest text book, let alone teachers and school buildings,” he added.
Brown said IFFEd would unlock聽nearly $10 billion annually for new investments in education.
国产视频 is one of a group of major charities聽and organisations – who also include Save the Children, Avaaz, Global Citizen and ONE –聽who have聽called on global leaders to launch the facility.
They asked the G20 countries to make education financing a top priority聽by urging the World Bank, regional development banks and donors to establish the聽IFFEd.
The mechanism would complement – not replace – the existing education financing structure.
Learn more about IFFEd and how it works
Brown said:聽国产视频淭he proposed facility draws its inspiration from two recent monuments to international development cooperation –聽the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative which wiped out $100 billion of unpayable debt and the Global Funds for health and immunisation which have saved millions of lives.”
He paid tribute to Jakaya Kikwete,聽former Tanzanian President and a special envoy to the聽global聽Education Commission, which devised the IFFEd idea.聽
He has visited 14 African countries to spread the word about the plan.
In a聽blog published yesterday, President Kikwete described the IFFEd as “the biggest, boldest, and most profound step we can take to ensure that the next generation is not lost, but learning”.
At his United Nations briefing today, Gordon Brown also announced the establishment of the聽Inquiry on Protecting Children in Conflict.
Its mission聽is to聽examine ways to聽protect聽children in conflicts and ensure that聽those who abuse them are held聽to account.