New York, September 27 (QNA) - Education Above All (EAA) Foundation highlighted the protection and continuity of education in crisis situations and innovative financing to mobilize additional resources for education during its participation in the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81).
From September 21 to 24, the foundation took part in nine high-level engagements with governments, UN agencies, development finance institutions, philanthropic organizations, businesses and humanitarian groups, focusing on protecting education for children affected by conflict, displacement and other crises and expanding financing to help them access and remain in school.
EAA Foundation CEO Mohammed Saad Al Kubaisi participated in two sessions at the 2026 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, contributing to the foundation's broader discussions on education and development.
Executive Director of EAA's Educate A Child program Dr. Said Yasin also participated in Opportunity International's session "Why Non-Grant Capital is Important," which examined how non-grant capital can complement traditional development funding and unlock additional investment for underserved learners.
On innovative financing, EAA Foundation convened a technical discussion with SEEK Development that brought together bilateral donors, philanthropic foundations and multilateral education and development finance institutions.
EAA Foundation Partnerships Senior Manager Dr. Ali Ansari contributed to discussions on blended finance facilities, guarantees, education bonds, outcome-based financing and debt-related mechanisms, focusing on their potential to mobilize additional resources for education.
Ansari also participated in "Beyond Grants: Unlocking Philanthropy's Capital for Education," a session co-hosted by the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) and the Jacobs Foundation. The discussion explored how philanthropic capital can complement traditional grant funding through a broader range of financing instruments to expand investment in education and skills.
Al Kubaisi said UNGA81 provided an important platform to underscore the urgency of protecting education when children are most vulnerable while addressing financing constraints that prevent millions from accessing and remaining in school.
"Protecting education in crisis and financing its future are deeply connected. We must strengthen partnerships, mobilize innovative forms of capital and ensure that children affected by conflict, displacement and poverty are not denied their right to learn," he said.
The range of participants, spanning development finance institutions, OECD partners, UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, philanthropies, businesses and technical experts, underscored the growing importance of cross-sector collaboration.
Through its UNGA81 participation, EAA Foundation advanced efforts to protect education in crisis settings, strengthen humanitarian responses, mobilize new sources of financing and develop investment models aimed at reaching children and young people facing the greatest barriers to education. (QNA)