Statement by the Signatories of the Pledge at the Global Refugee Forum to Make Geneva a Global Hub for Education in Emergencies

Call for action to address the threat by the COVID-19 pandemic to the education of those left furthest behind

The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a global health and socio-economic crisis; it is also a massive education crisis with potentially extremely severe ramifications, especially for vulnerable children and youth impacted by armed conflicts, forced displacement, and protracted crises.

To prevent a major educational fallback and subsequent societal, economic and protection consequences, the signatories of the Global Refugee Forum pledge urge the international humanitarian and development community to prioritise education and to do so in coordinated fashion.

Every government, donor agency, humanitarian and development actor, along with academia, must work to ensure that education is not further de-prioritised. This will require that, according to their respective mandates, stakeholders:

• Demonstrate political will and action through increased financing for education
• Act fast, keeping recovery and preparedness in sight
• Put human rights at the centre of the response, with particular attention to conflict-affected children and youth, gender and age
• Act in a collective and coordinated manner and take cross-sectoral approach linking protection, health and well-being in view of the return to school

Click to read the full statement.