New York City, September 25, 2018 ---- The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) warmly welcomes a new contribution of 100 million euros from the Netherlands in support of GPE’s ongoing financing campaign. The Dutch funds add to the US$2.3 billion that donors committed earlier this year to GPE and signal the return of the Netherlands as a contributing donor partner.
The announcement was made today at a high-level event at the United Nations, which called for immediate action to leave no girl behind and ensure education for the most marginalized. The event was headlined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May, who spoke out for urgent action to remove barriers to girls’ schooling.
“The Netherlands is firmly back in the field of education, said Sigrid Kaag, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. “Through the Global Partnership for Education we are happy to commit 100 million euros for the coming few years to invest in education.”
The Netherlands, a founding member of GPE, announced at the Financing Conference in February that the country would return to the partnership as a contributing partner, highlighting GPE as an excellent instrument of engagement and support for the education of girls and boys around the world.
“The Netherlands has been a highly valued GPE partner since its founding and we are thrilled to welcome the Dutch Government back as a contributing partner”, said Julia Gillard, Board Chair, Global Partnership for Education. “We look very much forward to working together with Minister Kaag and her government over the coming months to ensure that every child, including the most marginalized, gets a quality education.”
“Building on the momentum for global education that was so clearly signaled at the Dakar Financing Conference, we are excited that more donors see the pivotal importance of education for the development of every child and every country,” said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer, Global Partnership for Education. “The Dutch contribution will help us to improve the lives of tens of thousands of children. We are grateful for this further demonstration of donor confidence in GPE.”
At the GPE Financing Conference in Dakar in February, 20 donor country governments pledged US$2.3 billion for the GPE Fund for 2018 to 2020. More than 50 developing countries pledged US$110 billion in increased domestic spending on education.