Unleashing the Private Sector: Education Cannot Wait, The LEGO Foundation, Swiss Cantonal Banks and Other Strategic Partners Present a Value Proposition to Provide Quality Education for the World’s Most Vulnerable Children

During this year’s United Nations General Assembly, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic partners connected across a series of events to shine a light on the urgent education funding needs for children affected by conflict, disasters and forced displacement.

The events convened leaders from governments, the private sector – including key donors such as The LEGO Foundation and Swiss Cantonal Banks – UN agencies, and civil society to discuss new and innovative ways to mobilize resources against a backdrop of proliferating crises and growing needs. 

Despite global efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 – including the foundational goal for universal education – brutal armed conflicts are on the rise in places like the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine. Globally, conflicts killed three times as many children in 2023 as they did in the previous year, and the number of grave violations against children – killing, maiming, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access – has increased by 35%.

Despite these growing needs, humanitarian funding for education decreased by 3% last year, from US$1.2 billion in 2022 to US$1.17 in 2023, according to recent analysis included in ECW’s “Results Against All Odds: 2023 Annual Results Report.”

“The quest for universal education is the defining social-policy challenge of our time. The lives of hundreds of millions of children are being upended by conflict, forced displacement and climate disasters. The international community must mobilize additional financing to deliver on our goal of education for all,” said The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of ECW’s High-Level Steering Group.

As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, ECW and its strategic partners are embracing a new way of working, breaking down barriers of competition, and working collectively and tirelessly to produce results against all odds. The multilateral fund has raised more than US$1.6 billion since it was established in 2017, reaching 11 million children with the safety, hope and opportunity that only a quality education can provide. The Fund still urgently requires US$600 million to reach its 2023-2026 funding target and support 20 million children over the four-year period.

"Although the challenges in front of us are enormous, I am inspired by the commitment and creativity of Education Cannot Wait and its partners. There is so much more we can do to mobilize private capital in support of ECW’s mission. As an ECW Global Champion, I’ve seen firsthand this week the ideas, innovations and optimism that exist out there. I encourage businesses, foundations and philanthropic partners who want to achieve big impact, and do things differently, to join ECW in its efforts,” said Nicolai Wammen, Minister of Finance, Denmark, and ECW Global Champion.

The private sector, foundations and philanthropic partners have an important role to play in the Education Cannot Wait financing challenge, and during the events, ECW laid out a strategic value proposition to activate increased engagement and support from the private sector.  

“We must think creatively about new ways to mobilize resources. When ECW became operational in 2017– under the visionary leadership of The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown – we estimated that around 75 million children impacted by armed conflict, forced displacement and the climate crisis required our support. Today, that number has tripled, to more than 224 million,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait. “Our amazing private sector partners at The LEGO Foundation and the Swiss Cantonal Banks are a shining light of combining entrepreneurship with empathy towards action. They work with us to find new solutions, rooted in our shared commitment that children in crises have a right to an education. This is visionary entrepreneurship: the profound understanding that there is abundance in this world, and it allows all to succeed in also serving children whose education has been disrupted by armed conflicts, climate disasters and forced displacement. They show that the private sector has the entrepreneurial spirit for results, the know-how to build win-win partnerships, and the understanding of abundance, rather than scarcity-thinking. This is precisely why Education Cannot Wait enjoys such successful partnership with these private sector partners, and why we look out for more inspiring entrepreneurs and private sector partners. We invite visionary business leaders across the globe to join our mission.”

As a breakout global fund and model of UN reform, Education Cannot Wait’s partnerships with the private sector are crowding-in resources and know-how, activating innovative financing mechanisms for impact investment, and providing speedy quality results and tangible outcomes across the globe.

“It’s important for the private sector to find innovative ways to resource the gap in humanitarian funding. We can do this through meaningful partnerships that deliver impact. At The LEGO Foundation, we are proud to be a significant contributor to ECW. Together with ECW, we are reaching children in some of the most fragile and challenging contexts around the world. We hope others will join us in this challenge,” said Sidsel Marie Kristensen, CEO, The LEGO Foundation.

“The Swiss Cantonal Banks share a common belief of the key role of education in social and economic development and follow a long tradition of social engagement,” said Anja Hochberb, Head of Multi-Asset Solutions, Swiss Cantonal Banks. “The new joint and highly scalable solution combines sustainable investment with impactful donations for Education Cannot Wait.”