What:

Commemoration of the Day of the African Child & the Launch of AU-UNICEF Education Financing Report (Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation)
Theme: “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now”

When:

Friday, 14^th June 2024, at the African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, starting from 8:30 am till 6:30pm.

Where:

Small Conference Hall 1, AU HQ, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Why:

The Day of African Child being commemorated on the 16th of June each year provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made for children and to highlight the challenges that persist towards ensuring access to quality education for all in Africa. With the African Union selecting Education as its theme for 2024, it is essential to highlight the importance of education in shaping the future of African children. By commemorating the Day of African Child in relation to education, attention can be drawn to the need for quality and inclusive education systems that will empower African children to thrive and contribute to Africa's sustainable development.

Who:

The Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) department of the AU Commission in cooperation with the  United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Objectives:

The objective of the commemoration of the Day of African Child in relation to the Right of Children, and Education as the African Union Theme of 2024, will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to quality, inclusive, and equitable education for all African children.  

Specific objectives of this event are to:

1. Raise awareness among policymakers, communities, and stakeholders about education as fundamental human right for African children and a public good to breaking the cycle of poverty, reducing inequalities, and securing a prosperous future for Africa.

2. Galvanize political will and encourage governments to allocate adequate resources to education and adopt innovation fiscal policies that will allow the mobilization of additional resources for education.

3. Promote collaboration among African Union Member states, civil society organizations, and development partners, around education spending through exchange of best practices, innovative approaches, and technical assistance. Greater collaboration will also promote budget transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity in the allocation of resources.

4. Launch the education finance report, which will facilitate understanding of the trends in financing education in Africa and the challenges to sustainable and predictable financing of education in Africa.

5. Address recovery strategies and pathways for education spending in Africa post-COVID-19. This will assist AU Member States and stakeholders in formulating evidence-based recovery plans that prioritize education, build resilient education systems, and address the learning loss and inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Increased awareness among policymakers, educators, parents, and the public about the detrimental effects of the pandemic on education spending in Africa.

2. Established opportunity to showcase successful examples of education recovery initiatives, innovations, and best practices from different African countries, fostering knowledge sharing and mutual learning.

3. Renewed commitment from policy makers, private sector, and international organizations to making education a budget priority.

4. Strengthened collaboration between the AU, Member States, Private Sector and International Financial Institutions around budget transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness in the education sector.

5. Established platform to mobilize additional resources and investment in education, as well as to encourage innovative financing mechanisms, such as public-private partnerships, to meet the education needs of African children.

Media are invited to cover the Commemoration of the Day of the African Child & the Launch AU-UNICEF Education Financing Report