Statement by the Board Chair of the Global Partnership for Education
Siem Reap, December 2, 2016. During its meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia from November 29 to December 2, 2016, the GPE Board of Directors made substantial progress on technical and policy elements for the successful implementation of GPE 2020, the partnership’s strategic plan for 2016 to 2020.
In this context, the Board also discussed the importance of the recommendation from the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity to significantly scale up GPE. It welcomed the growing momentum for a step change in education financing noting that GPE’s next replenishment in 2017 will be an opportunity for global leaders to demonstrate their commitment to millions of children around the world.
To deliver on GPE 2020, the Board endorsed:
- The overall architecture for an ambitious new financing and funding framework to mobilize additional resources necessary to implement GPE 2020.
- Targeted financing for strengthening learning assessment systems, as part of the Knowledge and Good Practice Exchange Strategy approved by the Board in June 2016.
- Important adjustments to GPE’s governance arrangements to ensure a nimble, flexible and strategic Board and committee structure as called for in GPE 2020.
- Critical investments in the Secretariat to strengthen and improve GPE’s overall capacity and impact.
The Board also approved US$90.6 million in new grants to strengthen the education systems in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and ensure that more children get access to a quality education and can learn.
The GPE Board of Directors is committed to the success of Education Cannot Wait and is working closely with UNICEF and the Office of the Special Envoy for Global Education to implement Education Cannot Wait.
GPE is united to strengthen education systems and deliver GPE 2020 and to achieve the Global Goal for a quality education for all.