The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) welcomes the strong commitment made in the Pescara G7 Development Ministers’ Communiqué to redouble support to education in Africa, including through GPE.
GPE also commends the Italian Presidency of the G7 for having put education, and particularly girls’ education, at the heart of its engagement with Africa.
The G7 Development Ministers’ communiqué commits to supporting the African Union (AU) Year of Education’s efforts to achieve the education targets of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development by investing in the continent’s human capital, including through GPE:
“During the AU Year of Education, we are enhancing our partnership with African countries to accelerate progress on the G7-adopted Girls Education Targets in the African context, by redoubling our efforts and supporting and investing sustainably and innovatively in existing data, tools and initiatives, such as the Global Partnership for Education (including the Girls’ Education Accelerator), Education Cannot Wait, also with respect to the upcoming replenishments of both education funds, and other relevant initiatives such as the OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI).”
Throughout the Italian Presidency of the G7, there has been a strong recognition that education is essential to unlock Africa’s growth and development potential. Now more than ever, this recognition must translate into concrete investment in education.
Over 100 million children, adolescents and youth are out of school in Africa, while only 1 in 5 children achieves minimum proficiency in reading at the end of primary education.
Girls are particularly disadvantaged and sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world not to have achieved gender parity in enrollment at any level in the education system.
Today, 40% of Africans are under the age of 14. With education, these young Africans can fuel a colossal powerhouse. Yet, of the one million Africans entering the labor market every month, less than 25% find a job in the formal economy. With support from G7 countries, GPE is committed to giving every child in Africa the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in tomorrow’s market.
We share the G7’s firm belief that achieving education goals is impossible without substantial investment. With the Summit Declaration, the Education Ministerial Declaration in Trieste and the Development Ministerial Declaration in Pescara, the Italian Presidency of the G7 has brought us closer to transforming education so that every boy and girl, in Africa and beyond, can have the opportunity to learn and thrive.
We thank the Italian G7 Presidency and look forward to building on its legacy, carrying over this strong political commitment into the Canadian Presidency of the G7.
