“I am energised by the generosity and determination we have seen here today to ensure every child and young person has access to a quality education,” said former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who chairs the GPE board.
“After today’s commitments, we are seeing a clear trend to seriously address the global learning crisis,” she added, in the statement released after the talks in Dakar wound up on Friday.
At the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron, co-hosting the event with Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall, announced that France’s contribution over the three-year period was rising to €200m from €17m for 2014-2017.
The biggest donors were Britain, with a pledge of €417m, followed closely by the EU with Norway the third-largest donor with €260m.
“The unprecedented support” means the GPE “can continue to focus on the most excluded and vulnerable children and work to extend assistance to up to 89 countries,” said the group’s chief executive officer Alice Albright.
Also present in Dakar was global singing star Rihanna who vowed on Friday she would “never stop fighting” to get millions of children back in school.
“This is a fight we are never going to stop fighting, until every boy and every girl has access to education,” said Rihanna, who attended as the organisation’s global ambassador.
Source: AFP
