ECW / FINANCING CONFERENCE

STORY: ECW / FINANCING CONFERENCE
TRT: 5:12
SOURCE: ECW
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 16 FEBRUARY 2023 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:
1. Various shots, exterior, International Conference Centre
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, United Nations:
“Around the world, there are 222 million children and adolescents affected by the horrors of conflict, climate change, displacement, and other crises, and they're desperate to learn. And this conference is the start of our journey to raise at least $1.5 billion to deliver ECW's four-year strategic plan, a crucial and critical juncture in fulfilling our collective promise of ‘Education for All’ and providing every child everywhere, including those in emergencies, and also protracted situations and crises with the safety, with the hope and also the opportunity that only quality education can provide.”
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor, Head, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland:
“So here and now, I call on you, governments, foundations, the private sectors, philanthropists, and civil society, to join forces and pledge our support to Education Cannot Wait.”
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Gordon Brown, Special Envoy for Global Education, United Nations:
“And right around the world from the floods of Pakistan, to the droughts that we're seeing in the Horn of Africa, from the suffering of people from Myanmar and Bangladesh as refugees to the refugees and displaced people in many countries, Chad, Somalia, South Sudan, right DRC right across Africa. This is what Education Cannot Wait was created for, to give every single child where we can help them the chance for the education that they desperately need to build for the future.”
5. Various shots, speakers, participants, High-level Financing Conference
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait:
“Conflict is more protracted today; two, we see more and more climate-induced disasters affecting education, interruption of education, and three, the funding is not matching the growing needs.”
7. Med shot, participants
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Gordon Brown, Special Envoy for Global Education, United Nations:
“We are talking about the most isolated, the most desolate, the most neglected children of the world. We're talking about girls who will find themselves trafficked or forced into child labor or into child marriage unless we can help them. And so, I want to begin this event simply by thanking all the countries. There are now 18 donors; 826 million has been pledged.”
9. Wide shot, speakers
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany:
“School means so much more than just education. They are also a save place, the place with a warm meal, a bit of normality in the midst of crisis, a place that empowers children to build a better future.”
11. Med shot, participants
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Awut Deng Acuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, South Sudan:
“Education Cannot Wait which is reaching those who are in hard-to-reach areas, those in conflict crisis, those hit by natural disasters, those who are banned not to go to school. I think education is a right for every child. We are here today because we are given that opportunity.”
13. Med shot, participants
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait:
“We look forward to implement our strategic plan to reach 20 million children and youth in crises through the humanitarian-development nexus for peace, security, sustainable development goals, and human rights. Education is the foundation.”
15. Wide shot, speakers, participants
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait:
“Without education we cannot achieve sustainable development goals from ending extreme poverty or gender equality, nor can we achieve human rights.”
17. Med shot, operators
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait:
“Education is their hope. It's the tool of empowering them, to reclaim their rights, and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. And those left behind in crisis, extremely resilient, but their hope is to have an education to change their life and their destiny for themselves, for their families, to society, the country, and thereby also humanity at large.”
19. Various shots, participants, photographer
20. Various shots, participants, High-Level Financing Conference Exhibition Space

STORYLINE:
World leaders announced over US$826 million to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and the global challenge to support the education of 222 million girls and boys living in crises.

These ground-breaking announcements were made at the ECW High-Level Financing Conference on 16-17 February in Geneva, Switzerland – a vital step in delivering on the global promise of providing education for all by 2030 as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.

In all, 17 donors announced pledges to Education Cannot Wait, including five contributions from new donors – a historic milestone for education in emergencies and protracted crises and ECW.

Just over one month into the multilateral Fund’s new 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, these landmark commitments already amount to more than half of the US$1.5 billion required to deliver on the Fund’s four-year Strategic Plan and reach 20 million children and adolescents.

With the war in Ukraine, global economic uncertainty and record-high forced displacement, and humanitarian crises derailing development gains across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, the new pledges signal an important global commitment to place funding for education in emergencies and protracted crises at the top of the international agenda.

Worldwide, 222 million children impacted by conflict, climate change, forced displacement, and other protracted crises urgently need quality education.

Together with its partners, ECW is leading the way to reach these girls and boys with the safety, hope and opportunity that only a holistic education can provide.