If we do not change the way we teach today, we will be in trouble tomorrow. The knowledge-based approach to learning of centuries ago will fail our children who will never be able to compete with machines in the workforce of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Children should be taught “soft skills” like independent thinking, values, and teamwork -- and the International Finance Facility for Education gives countries the opportunity to revolutionize the teaching and learning process to prepare the next generation to thrive in our global society. It is an effort that all who care about the future should get behind. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Chair, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Former Minister of Finance, Nigeria As the Chair of GAVI, I know how the power of innovative finance and front-loading investments in health has allowed the international community to vaccinate over 640 million children and save more than 9 million lives. As a former finance minister of an African country, I know how important the International Finance Facility for Education will be to generate similar advances in learning for the next generation of young people. It is time that education harnesses financial innovation to António Guterres Secretary-General, United Nations In our fast-changing world, we cannot accept 250 million children failing to learn even the most basic skills. In the coming decade, some one billion young people will enter the workforce. They all need education so they can help build a world of peace, prosperity, dignity and opportunity for all. That is why the proposed new International Finance Facility for Education can be so important. Henrietta Fore Executive Director, UNICEF Education is the key to unlocking many of the Sustainable Development Goals and requires investments from the early years through to primary, secondary and skills training for the jobs of the future. The International Finance Facility for Education offers a new way to generate resources to help those countries dedicated to achieving inclusive and equitable education for all. The international community now has a full set of financial and delivery tools at our disposal to help ensure even the most marginalized child has the opportunity to realize her potential Aliko Dangote CEO, The Dangote Group As an industrialist, inclusive and quality education opens the door to development and growth. Through the funding mechanism of the International Finance Facility for Education, I am optimistic that new opportunity for countries to invest in human capital and scale up quality of workforce for the 21st century will blossom. Audrey Azoulay Director General, UNESCO The scope of today’s education challenges are enormous. 264 million children and youth are out of school; 387 million children in school are not learning the basics and 753 million adults have no literacy skills. Countries are facing significant education financing gaps to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4. We must find new ways to expand countries’ capacities and resources to provide equitable quality education and lifelong learning. The International Financing Facility for Education (IFFEd) is therefore a highly welcome innovation as it can stimulate increased funding for education. UNESCO looks forward to working with IFFEd in synergy with other education financing mechanisms and in close alignment with the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee – to ensure that no one is left behind. Luis Alberto Moreno President, Inter-American Development Bank We look forward to working with the International Finance Facility for Education to offer Latin American and Caribbean countries more options to access blended finance. This innovative mechanism will provide our borrowers greater incentives to invest in raising the quality of education, a key to higher growth and long-term prosperity. Takehiko Nakao President, Asian Development Bank Greater investment in education is essential to ensure continued growth and prosperity in the Asia and Pacific Region. We look forward to working together with the International Finance Facility for Education to leverage donor funds and create new ways for countries to increase their investments in our region's next generation. Amina Mohammed Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Education is a basic right that truly transforms lives, everywhere. Investing in inclusive, equitable and quality education empowers people, lifts them out of poverty and builds the foundation for prosperous and peaceful societies. It is an urgent imperative that we invest in the full cycle of education, SDG 4, from childhood development to youth skills and adult learning. We must reach all people, with a special focus on girls and those caught up in crisis situations and left behind. Success depends on funding that is predictable, sustainable and at scale. We look to the International Finance Facility for Education to help bridge the enormous financing gap and make quality and relevant education a reality for all. Jakaya Kikwete Former President, Tanzania If the Sustainable Development Goal on education is to be achieved, African leaders’ commitment must be matched by commensurate support from the international community. Children in countries on the pathway to progress, which are committed to invest and reform in their education systems, should not become trapped at pursuing their ambitions because of lack of finance. The International Finance Facility for Education is an important tool to help countries advance to the next level of growth by investing in the skills and opportunity of young people. H.E. Joko Widodo President, Indonesia I view the International Finance Facility for Education proposal as an encouraging initiative that will provide much needed additional funding for education in countries committed to reform and enhance investment in that field...Believing that it is incumbent upon the international community to seize this moment, to avoid an education crisis and create a generation of children who will transform education across the world, I am firmly convinced that greater investment in a reformed education sector is critical to Indonesia and to the world. Kristalina Georgieva CEO, The World Bank We are in a global learning crisis, and poorer countries especially will need more investment to improve the quality of their education systems. But we cannot depend on public finance alone—we must find new ways to fund this cornerstone of human capital. The International Finance Facility for Education is taking a lead role on innovating in education finance, and we commend their efforts to develop a full set of financial tools to invest in the skills, talents and knowledge of the next generation. Helle Thorning-Schmidt Chief Executive, Save the Children Former Prime Minister, Denmark Every child has the right to learn, and world leaders have agreed that by 2030, every last child will get a quality education. But we’re not on track to achieve that goal – 6 out of 10 children globally are still not learning. To turn things around, we need a big funding boost and the International Finance Facility for Education is a great way to do that. It will give more children the better future they deserve, and help them lift their families and countries out of poverty. H.E. Béji Caid Essebsi President, Tunisia Tunisia is delighted to be part of this initiative and supports the International Finance Facility for Education. I strongly believe that greater investment in a reformed education sector is critical to Tunisia and to the world. Tunisia is a committed partner in achieving the Learning Generation, whose time has come. Graça Machel Founder, Graça Machel Trust In Sub-Saharan Africa, only two out of 35 countries have gender parity in education. While 75 percent of girls that live in Sub-Saharan Africa start school, only 8 percent finish secondary school. The levels of dropout are huge. This is an intergenerational crisis that must end. That is why the innovation of the International Finance Facility for Education is so important. It will allow eligible countries to invest up front to address some of the most urgent needs -- especially for young women and girls. It is imperative for the international community to come behind this initiative. Strive Masiyiwa Executive Chairman and Founder, Econet How will we pay to get all children in school and learning? The key will be innovating the way we finance education. It’s time for leaders in Africa and beyond to take a serious look at how IFFEd could revolutionize education. We need to embrace innovation—in terms of how we educate children and how we pay for it— to make sure that Africa’s youth generation lives up to its enormous promise. Julia Gillard Chair, Global Partnership for Education Former Prime Minister, Australia To achieve the bold vision of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and education for all, there must be a major leap up in financing of education from all sources, including concessional lending. The International Finance Facility for Education, working seamlessly with the multilateral development banks, the Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait, can undertake a significant role in creating new financing for countries which are moving up the ladder of development but still need an additional stream of funding to fully reach their ambitions. H.E. Peter Mutharika President, Malawi Malawi is pleased with the progress of the Education Commission and offers its full support for the International Finance Facility for Education. This is an encouraging development that will provide much needed additional finance for education to countries willing to reform and increase investments in education. The International Finance Facility for Education multiplies donor dollars to achieve a much greater impact, and could generate enough funds – an additional $10 billion USD – to enable quality education for children around the world. We have the possibility to transform the way education is financed and accelerate meaningful reform with the creation of the Facility. Among the many critical issues we face today, few are as urgent as giving our children the future they deserve, a better future than the one we live in. President Felipe Calderon Former President, Mexico Lawrence Summers Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University; 71st Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton; Director of the National Economic Council for President Obama


Building an education system for the 21st century requires countries to have the tools and resources to harness the full potential of digital technology and learning. The International Finance Facility for Education will unlock new financing for eligible countries seeking the opportunity to expand access to the best learning materials to even the most remote and marginalized learners. It is an innovation in education finance that allows for innovations in teaching and learning. Mohamed Sidibay Youth Panelist, Education Commission Education Advocate, Global Partnership for Education People often say young people are the future leaders of tomorrow. But that future will not be bright if the present does not equip us with the tools to succeed. We must all come together and adequately fund quality and inclusive education. The International Finance Facility for Education will give us a full package of support for countries, alongside strong allies like the Global Partnership for Education, the Education Cannot Wait fund, and UN agencies, to significantly expand education funding so that more children than ever before - whether they are refugees, child soldiers, or girls in low- or middle-income countries - will have a shot at a bright and hopeful future that education provides. Kristin Clemet Managing Director, Civita; Former Minister of Education and Research and Former Minister of Labour and Government Administration, Norway International aid can only go so far and if we are to bridge the significant gaps we face in delivering our promise of the universal right to education, we must think more creatively about how the global community can support countries with the largest numbers of out-of-school children who are not learning. The International Finance Facility for Education will do just that – multiply donor financing and make this new funding available to countries willing and able to invest in their own systems. More funding plus reforms to make the funding go further to deliver results is a win-win situation for aid donors, countries, and children around the world. The gap between global development funding needs and the resources that are currently available are staggering. The Rockefeller Foundation believes that innovative finance solutions are necessary to address pressing global challenges. Education has continually been under-resourced and the International Finance Facility for Education has a tremendous opportunity to not only bridge a failure in the current financial architecture, but unlock hope and opportunity for millions of young people across the globe. Dr. Rajiv Shah President, Rockefeller Foundation
International aid can only go so far and if we are to bridge the significant gaps we face in delivering our promise of the universal right to education, we must think more creatively about how the global community can support countries with the largest numbers of out-of-school children who are not learning. The International Finance Facility for Education will do just that – multiply donor financing and make this new funding available to countries willing and able to invest in their own systems. More funding plus reforms to make the funding go further to deliver results is a win-win situation for aid donors, countries, and children around the world. The gap between global development funding needs and the resources that are currently available are staggering. The Rockefeller Foundation believes that innovative finance solutions are necessary to address pressing global challenges. Education has continually been under-resourced and the International Finance Facility for Education has a tremendous opportunity to not only bridge a failure in the current financial architecture, but unlock hope and opportunity for millions of young people across the globe. Dr. Rajiv Shah President, Rockefeller Foundation Filippo Grandi High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Conflict today is denying children and youth the right to a quality education, risking a lost generation including in middle-income countries. We need innovative solutions to help countries in conflict and those hosting refugees to strengthen and rebuild their education systems. The International Finance Facility for Education offers a unique opportunity to help support lower-middle-income countries develop the talents of the next generation. It will renew hope for millions and must be supported. Yasmine Sherif Director, Education Cannot Wait Children caught up in ​emergencies, crisis and conflict, will some day return home or need to rebuild their communities. In many countries across the world, there simply is not the finance necessary to bridge the gaps and invest what is needed in people today, to promote peace, growth and development tomorrow. Education Cannot Wait welcomes the International Finance Facility for Education and looks forward to a productive collaboration – harnessing our collective value-added contributions for the future of humanity. Shakira Mebarak International Artist Founder, Fundación Pies Descalzos We are not going to ignore those 263 million kids who can't access an education. Right now if the investment in education holds, by 2030, 800 million - that's half of the young people of the world will drop out of school or lack the necessary skills for employment. That's more than half of the next generation and we can't afford that. We need to greatly increase investment in education as it is key to breaking the cycle of poverty in which millions and millions are trapped. Today we have the solution in the form of the International Finance Facility...it could mean $10 billion for education. That could change the game for millions of kids around the world. There are too many kids at risk of missing their only window of opportunity. We can't press pause and ask them to wait to grow up until we have it all figured out. Diksha Dinde "Green Signal School Project” Co-founder Global Youth Activist Millions of children around the world are excluded from access to education because of conflict, child labour, child marriages, preconceived notions about gender and periods (still a taboo in many countries) and disabilities; all these social evils are robbing the potential of children and diminishing our society. I believe the International Finance Facility for Education will give wings to the dreams of the children who are excluded from the education system. It will lead to social change and freedom from the barriers to education, including gender disparities. It will also give hope to future of the children by mitigating the psycho-social effects of conflict, disaster and displacement. Without financial aid, however, it can't be possible to reach out to every children left behind. Theo Sowa CEO, African Women’s Development Fund Good quality, holistic, inclusive education is a key driver of opportunity, empowerment and social justice. If we are truly to achieve the visions of social justice and equality embodied in so many international conventions and which are at the heart of the ambitions of millions of families around the world, then we must invest and invest NOW in education for children and adolescents throughout the world. The International Finance Facility for Education has the power to mobilize the largest amount of funding for education in history, and direct it to the countries with the largest number of child and adolescent girls in need of the promise of a futures focused, 21st century education. Young people, especially girls and young women, have shown that they can lead amazing social change – let’s make sure we give all of them the tools to accelerate that change. Andrew Steer President and CEO, World Resources Institute Everybody knows that better education for all drives poverty reduction and economic growth. But many are not aware that it is also essential in promoting sustainability and addressing climate change. Our failure to make better progress on education has hurt the global environment significantly. IFFEd offers a brilliant ray of hope for people, prosperity and the planet. Our financial leaders must support it generously. Tomorrow’s generations will thank them