A high-level interactive discussion on ‘Innovative mechanisms and partnerships for international development cooperation in education’ took place on Day 2 of the WISE Summit.
The session focused on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and how resources can be used to further educational objectives in more effective and innovative ways in the context of the current global financial crisis.
An expert panel
This year's session brought together experts from all sectors to engage with the crucial questions of education financing:
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Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, MDG Advocate and UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education.
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Carol Bellamy, Chair of the Board of Directors, Global Partnership for Education, former Executive Director, UNICEF.
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Senator Cristovam Buarque, Member of the Brazilian Federal Senate; former Minister of Education, Brazil.
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Reeta Roy, President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation.
The panellists emphasised the considerable funding gap between the health and education sectors and the need to establish effective partnerships. They noted the need for increased accountability through more monitoring of education projects on the ground in order to attract more private sector interest.
WISE focus on universal primary education
During the session, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser announced that from next year, one of the 6 annual WISE Awards would specifically recognise achievements helping to advance the realisation of MDG 2, which calls for universal primary education.
New annual session on the MDGs
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser also announced that this year's special MDG session at WISE would be repeated annually, with the objective to address a specific urgent aspect related to the MDGs each year:
‘[We] see MDG2 as a business case with a funding focus. There have to be targets that have measurable outcomes to serve key performance indicators. I think the business sector is most affected by the outcome of education so we need to rethink because business is the main end-user … We need to revisit our goals. Methods have to be more creative and more innovative. Education should be dynamic and always flexible and adaptable.’
To watch the high-level interactive discussion session, click here.