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Education Above All Foundation to hold key talks at Doha’s Fifth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5)

As part of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) will hold four panels and a roundtable discussion tackling a range of education-related issues.

EAA’s first session will be opened by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini, with talks continuing throughout the week on topics such as green skills and youth-led climate action. There will also be discussions on the recognition of educational qualifications for refugees and displaced students, as well as innovative financing partnerships. Education ministers from LDCs including Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia will also attend.

The theme for this year’s event is “From Potential to Prosperity” and it will take place at Qatar’s National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha. EAA’s panels will contribute to supporting key LDC outcomes, as per the as Doha Programme of Action. These include a focus on increased enrolment, gender equality and equal access to all levels of education, as well as utilising digital tools and technologies to improve education outcomes.

Education Above All Sessions will include:

March 6^th: Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC) with its partner UNESCO will conduct an interactive panel discussion entitled Transforming Education in LDCs – Ensuring a focus on Inclusion and Gender Equality, with participation of Ms Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO, H.E. Dr Dipu Moni, Minister of Education, Bangladesh, H.E. Mr Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister, Federal Education and Professional Training, Pakistan, Mr Leonardo Garnier, Special Advisor on the Transforming Education Summit, Ms Areej Masri, UN Human Rights Youth Advisory Board member.
March 7th: Educate A Child (EAC), the QatarFund for Development (QFFD) the Islamic Development Bank, Strømme Foundation and the Ministry of Education of Burkina Faso will hold a panel discussion entitled: Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships – Addressing the Burkina Faso Education Crisis in relation to educational provision in challenging environments.
March 7th: EAA and the Qatar Fund For Development will hold a ministerial roundtable entitled: “Out of School Children: Linking across Sectors for Success”, With the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Education of Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine and Senegal, and at the end of the session, the ministers of the concerned countries will sign memorandums of understanding with the Education Above All Foundation’s strategic partner, Qatar Fund for Development, on the Foundation’s existing projects in the aforementioned countries.
March 8^th: Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) will hold a discussion panel about “Unleashing the Power of Youth – Supporting youth-led climate action in LDCs”, With the participation of the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of South Sudan, and the Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. This event will focus on reflecting ROTA’s positioning as a key player in the areas of climate change education and education for climate action.
March 9^th: EAA’s fourth session will be opened by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini. This panel, “Advancing Access to Higher Education Opportunities for the Most Marginalized,” in partnership with UNESCO, will focus on the UNESCO Qualification Passport (UQP), and how it facilitates inclusivity in higher education for marginalized and refugee youth, particularly those displaced by conflict, climate change or natural disasters.