Education Above All Foundation (EAA), in partnership with Qatar Mission, United Nations (UN), Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD), UN Office for Partnerships, and UNESCO, recently held a high-level virtual event to discuss cross sectoral collaboration between government and foundation partners to meet SDG4 and support the ‘2030 Decade of Action’.
The panel explored strategies to strengthen cross-sectoral dialogue among countries, organisations, foundations, and policymakers to accelerate progress towards the global education goal (SDG4).
A side session to the 75th meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75) in New York, the event brought together representatives from government and non-government sectors interested in philanthropic contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The event discussed ways to enhance collaboration among vital actors and institutions engaged in education, development and humanitarian responses to accelerate country progress on SDG4 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and other related SDG.
According to Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, HE Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, no single strategy can solve a complex challenge such as education. He said that the 75th anniversary of the UN is another opportunity to realise the right to education – especially in conflict settings.
When we work together, we mustn’t forget to place the right to education on the international agenda.
QFFD Director General HE Khalifa Jassim Al Kuwari also stated that we cannot aim to achieve access to quality education without addressing health, water and sanitation, poverty, child labour and other determinants of education.
In the same token, if access to quality education is denied, other goals such as creating decent jobs, economic growth or poverty reduction will certainly not be met.
He said that working together to jointly find solutions that are sustainable and durable and that recognise the interdependence of people, planet and prosperity is the only path to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goals.
In 2017, EAA was appointed by UNESCO to fill the seat at the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, representing foundations and organisations working to achieve the goals. By engaging foundations via this platform, EAA encourages the combined voices of all foundations and affirms the priorities of other stakeholders such as individual countries and civil society, ensuring action is taken and progress is made.
Earlier this week, EAA also held a virtual youth panel discussion on ‘Youth, the Citizens of Change and Action for Peace’ on the side lines of UNGA 75 to encourage dialogue with global leaders, academics, grassroots activists and youth advocates on the role of youth as innovators, advocates and change makers towards the SDG.
Delivered in partnership with Qatar Mission to the UN and Search for Common Ground (SFCG), the roundtable called for the protection of education from attack as part of EAA’s years-long commitment to the #UniteToProtect campaign, empowering youth to stand at the frontlines of policy reforms, and to be global citizens of change and action in their communities and beyond.
The UNGA, which was held from 15 to 30 September, was set amidst a global public health crisis and the SDG Decade of Action. It commemorated the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and addressed some of the most crucial challenges in today’s world to inspire global collaboration and action.
For more information about EAA Foundation, visit educationaboveall.org.
