Addis Ababa, July 16, 2015 -- A strengthened and scaled-up Global Partnership for Education has been recognized as a central implementing mechanism to fulfill the ambitious post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

In the outcome document or “Addis Ababa Action Agenda” of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, heads of state and government and high-level representatives from 193 countries agreed to “scale up investments and international cooperation to allow children to complete free, inclusive and quality early childhood, primary and secondary education, including through scaling up and strengthening initiatives, such as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).”

The outcome document is the underpinning framework defining how the UN member states will achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals over the next 15 years. The education goal states “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all.”                    

The Global Partnership for Education was recently named a co-convener and implementing partner of the post-2015 education agenda in the Incheon Declaration, announced at the World Education Forum in Korea in May 2015. The Addis Action Agenda now recognizes the Global Partnership as a central mechanism to strengthen education systems in low-income countries.

“This is a pivotal moment for the Global Partnership for Education and the global education agenda. Enhancing international development cooperation is about partnerships which always strive to be more than the sum of their parts by leveraging advocacy, technical expertise, accountability and resources,” said Julia Gillard, Board Chair of the Global Partnership for Education. “But a significantly strengthened Global Partnership for Education will also require equally ambitious funding,” she added.

According to UNESCO, there is a US$39 billion annual gap in external funding to ensure that every child attends pre-primary, primary, and secondary school.

Donor aid to basic education in low-income countries has dropped by 7 percent between 2010 and 2013, while overall development aid increased by more than 9 percent over the same period.

“We need to reverse the decline in education financing and ensure that resources are used effectively so children can go to school and learn – wherever they are. The Global Partnership for Education is already the largest funder of education in fragile and conflict-affected countries where it works, but more financing is necessary to reach all children for a free quality education,” Gillard said.

The outcome document also stresses the importance of mobilizing greater domestic financing, providing more and better data on aid effectiveness and demonstrating results.

At the Education for Development Summit in Oslo last week, Norway announced the establishment of a Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunities. The new commission, convened by Norway, Indonesia, Chile, and Malawi, and chaired by Gordon Brown, will make the case for increased investment in education and reversal of the decline in overall funding. The Global Partnership for Education will closely work with the Financing Commission.