Key Pillar for Poverty Eradication, Employment and Social Inclusion
6 November 2025 | 15:00–16:15
Location: Doha, Qatar | Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)

Overview

Education is not just a social service; it is a strategic investment and a transformative force for sustainable development. Evidence from global research and SDG progress reviews confirms that education is a foundational driver of most other development outcomes, including health, nutrition, gender equality, employment, peace, and climate resilience.
Yet, education remains under-prioritised in social development agendas, despite its power to lift individuals out of poverty, improve livelihoods, and foster inclusive, stable societies. Especially in contexts that face systemic inequality, high unemployment, and social exclusion, education is a lifeline and a lever for personal growth and collective progress. Ignoring this reality threatens the very achievement of Agenda 2030 and the promise of social justice.
This high-level session, hosted by the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation in collaboration with UNICEF, will make the case for placing education at the heart of social development policy and financing.

Objectives

The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation session, in collaboration with UNICEF, would:

1. Reaffirm education as the backbone of social development, essential for eradicating poverty, enabling employment, and fostering inclusive societies.
2. Highlight the need for integrated, cross-sectoral strategies that connect education with health, protection, economic development, and peacebuilding outcomes.
3. Articulate the transformative power of education and the critical link between education and employability, especially in rapidly changing labour markets shaped by technology, climate change, and demographic shifts.

Call to Action

1. Call for support, in particular to the multilateral banks, to invest in education in innovative ways that encourage inclusion while not further increasing the indebtedness of the poorest countries.
2. The cost of inaction is too high; now is the time to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

Learning for Climate Resilience: Integrated Pathways for Poverty Eradication, Jobs & Inclusion
4–6 November 2025
Location: Doha, Qatar | Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)

Overview

Education is one of the most powerful tools to build resilience in the face of climate change and social inequality. By equipping individuals, especially marginalised youth and women, with the knowledge and skills needed to adapt to shifting realities, education directly advances poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, and inclusive growth. As the global community strives to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, integrating education into climate action and employment strategies is critical to ensure no one is left behind.

Objectives

This high-level discussion will:

1. Showcase integrated education models, presenting SLNI’s literacy and vocational training and EAA’s Education for Climate Action initiatives as replicable and scalable approaches.
2. Highlight the education-climate nexus, demonstrating how climate-resilient education reduces poverty, generates jobs, and fosters social inclusion.
3. Elevate youth and women’s leadership by amplifying the experiences and solutions of grassroots leaders and young changemakers.
4. Promote innovation by exploring how AI, digital learning, and EdTech can expand access to quality education in fragile and climate-affected contexts.
5. Foster partnerships by identifying joint financing, policy, and programming pathways to scale integrated models across regions.
6. Align with the Sustainable Development Goals, advancing SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 13 (Climate Action).

Call to Action

1. Strengthen investment in integrated approaches that connect education, climate resilience, and decent work.
2. Build partnerships across sectors to scale solutions that empower vulnerable communities and secure a sustainable future.

From Silos to Synergy: Unlocking Education Financing Through Philanthropy
5 November 2025 | 15:00–16:15
Location: Doha, Qatar | Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)

Overview

Philanthropy has emerged as a vital partner in bridging the global education financing gap. With millions of children still out of school and public budgets under strain, innovative collaboration between foundations, governments, and development institutions is urgently needed. Philanthropic capital, when combined with public and private financing, can de-risk investments, unlock new co-funding opportunities, and accelerate progress toward inclusive, equitable, and future-ready education systems across the Global South.

Objective

This side event will:

1. Position both cross-border and domestic philanthropy in the evolving global education financing landscape by convening senior leaders from philanthropic organisations, donor governments, development finance institutions (DFIs), and multilateral development banks (MDBs) to discuss how foundations can shape inclusive, equitable, and future-ready education systems.
2. Highlight the full range of philanthropic tools that can de-risk investments, co-invest, and accelerate progress toward inclusive and equitable education, drawing on new insights from the forthcoming OECD Centre on Philanthropy Private Philanthropy for Development Report.
3. Catalyse innovative partnerships and investment models by showcasing locally led education finance initiatives with proven impact, amplifying successful models, and mobilising additional philanthropic capital, particularly from domestic donors, through creative funding mechanisms.

Call to Action

1. Recognise philanthropy as a strategic partner in global education finance, leveraging catalytic capital, local expertise, and innovative mechanisms to support inclusive and equitable education systems.
2. Use evidence from the OECD Centre on Philanthropy’s Private Philanthropy for Development Report to inform policy, guide investment, and identify scalable models for education financing.
3. Strengthen Public-Private-Philanthropy Partnerships (PPPPs) to unlock and scale funding, de-risk investments, and connect global funders with locally led solutions for sustainable, system-wide impact.