A Ministerial Roundtable at Doha’s Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5)

March 8, 2023 (Doha, Qatar) – The Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and its strategic partner Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD), held A Ministerial Roundtable discussion tackling a range of education-related issues entitled: 'Out of School Children: Linking across Sectors for Success', With the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Education of 8 the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) as part of the Fifth United Nations Conference in Doha.

The goals of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) - which is one of the largest global institutions in the domain of development and education - coinciding with the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031, adopted by the United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in April, calling on all relevant stakeholders to commit to its implementation by playing an active role in more than 60 countries around the world, in creating a global movement for human, social, and economic development through quality education and welfare programs.

This roundtable allows ministers to discuss their countries’ experiences and announce upcoming partnerships between the countries, EAA, and QFFD, all of which will be aimed at closing the OOSC educational gap.

The ministerial roundtable discussion was participated by H.E. Mr. Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director General, Qatar Fund for Development, Mr. Ali Al Mansouri, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar, and Mr. Fahad Al Suliti, EAA’s Chief Executive Officer H.E. Dr. AK Abdul Momen MP, Minster of Foreign Affairs Bangladesh, Olivia Ragnaghnewende ROUAMBA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Burkina Faso, H.E. Dr. Ansu Sonii, Minister of Education in Liberia, H.E. Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education in Nigeria, H.E. Mr. Cheikh Oumar Anne, Minister of Education in Senegal, H.E. Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister of Education in Pakistan, H.E. Dr. Marwan Awartani, Minister of Education in Palestine.

Olivia Ragnaghnewende ROUAMBA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation the  the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Burkina Faso, said: 'The schools are closed because terrorists occupy this part of the territory, and the consequence is that there are more than one million two hundred thousand students who have had to abandon school, this funding will allow the construction of schools so that these students can return to training, it is that through this financing and the Qatar Fund for Development, through the Education Above All Foundation, it is in line with what Burkina Faso has released and which constitutes an action program for the stabilization and development of Burkina Faso.'

H.E. Dr. Ansu Sonii, Minister of Education in Liberia, said: ' Least developed countries in the 21st century of human history is not a commendation. So there's a failure of man to recognize what I refer to as a global village, a concept to which the world has been reduced to one entity. The solution begins with the removal of illiteracy and ignorance. And that hope is only through education in all of his forms to all people, male, female, girls, boys, and people with disability, regardless of where they live. Education is second to none when it comes to developing nations and removing poverty. ' 

H.E. Mr. Cheikh Oumar Anne, Minister of Education in Senegal, said: ' Today in Senegal, we are in the process of developing a strategy to integrate these schools into the system, with some major constraints where it will be necessary to train teachers, it will be necessary to build infrastructures, to create bridges to be able to pass from one educational system to another, the government of Senegal allocates 22% of its resources for the education system, which manages to build thousands of new classrooms each year, modernize the parallel system with infrastructure, this year we are practically starting the recruitment of teachers specialized in this parallel system to put them back into the national education system. '

Since its inception in 2012, the EAA has provided quality education to millions of children in various parts of the world. It has also pledged with its partners to enroll millions of marginalized people in schools, mostly in developing countries and conflict zones.
It has also implemented its plans through a multi-sectoral approach and unique financing model, focusing on innovation as a tool for social good and effective partnerships. EAA funds over 2,000 educational facilities, and more than 50 projects are currently active in more than 45 countries worldwide. 

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