-- Developing countries and donors join to make historic commitments to fund basic education at Brussels summit

BRUSSELS, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Partnership for Education Replenishment Conference has today received new pledges of more than US$28.5 billion in additional funding for education for millions of children in more than 60 developing countries.

This unprecedented outcome, which seals billions of additional dollars from both donor and recipient countries, was driven by extraordinary commitments by 27 developing countries to increase their own education budgets by US$26 billion, which represents an increase of 25 percent between 2015 and 2018. These funds will boost the education resources available to tens of millions of children in developing countries.

Donors including the European Union, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom also pledged over US$2.1 billion for the GPE Fund, an increase of US$600 million or 40 percent on the last replenishment pledging conference in Copenhagen in 2011. Pledges were also received from multilateral organizations, NGO partners, the private sector, and – for the first time – two foundations contributed to the GPE Fund. In addition, the Islamic Development Bank will contribute US$400 million in loan buy-down arrangements.

The conference marks the start of the Partnership's four-year replenishment period (2015-2018), which aims to raise a total of US$3.5 billion in donor commitments. Today's result takes the Global Partnership more than half way towards that ultimate goal.

Hosted by the European Commission, the conference brought together some 800 delegates including more than 40 ministers, education experts, and representatives from multilateral organizations, civil society, business and youth leaders from 91 countries.

Julia Gillard, Board Chair of the Global Partnership for Education and former Prime Minister of Australia, said: "We have today secured a record commitment of new funding for education in developing countries around the world. This exceptional result is a vote of confidence in the power of education to lift the lives of millions of children, and is a tribute to far-sighted leadership in our partner countries -- donors and developing country partners alike.  No other organization has a partnership structure that has leveraged such substantial funds from developing countries. The Global Partnership for Education provides the long term, systemic support that governments need to build stable, effective education systems."

Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development said: "I am delighted to see all of the pledges being made here today, in particular those by our developing country partners, which will help to make a difference to the lives, and the futures, of millions of children across the world. It's vital that we continue to work together and step up our efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and their replacements after 2015. The EU will continue to stand by the Global Partnership for Education on this ongoing journey, to give all children a chance to go to school and receive a quality education, no matter where they live. We encourage all donor partners to match the commitments made by partner countries here today".

Among the Global Partnership's key strategic goals in the coming replenishment period are to improve access and equity, address quality and learning outcomes, and improve data and education management systems.

For details of all pledges please see the GPE Replenishment Outcome Document.

Further key outcomes of the replenishment conference were seven Calls to Action based on discussions by delegates in more than 20 side sessions.

• Because We Promised: Inclusive Quality Education for All Children with Disabilities
• Empowering Teachers  
• Domestic Resource Mobilization
• Education Cannot Wait: Protecting Children and Youth's Right to a Quality Education in Humanitarian Emergencies and Conflict Situations
• Moving Beyond Access: Accelerating Progress for Girls' Education
• Strengthening Accountability in Education
• Investing Urgently in Early Childhood Care and Education

The Global Partnership for Education is made up of nearly 60 developing country governments, as well as donor governments, civil society/non-governmental organizations, teacher organizations, international organizations, and the private sector and foundations, whose joint mission it is to galvanize and coordinate a global effort to provide a good quality education to children, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable. The Global Partnership for Education has allocated US$3.7 billion over the past decade to support education reforms in some of the world's poorest countries.

SOURCE Global Partnership for Education