OpenLettertotheG7ontheGlobalPartnershipforEducationTotheLeadershipoftheG7:We,theundersigned,arewritingtoencourageleadersoftheworld’smostpowerfuleconomiestoensureasuccessfulreplenishmentoftheGlobalPartnershipforEducation(GPE)onFebruary2nd,2018,co-hostedbythegovernmentsofSenegalandFrance.ThisisacriticalmomentforG7leaderstocommittofundeducationandensurethatthenextgenerationofgirlsandboysfullyenjoytheirhumanrightsandareequippedwiththeskillstocontributetooursharedgoalsofhealthier, wealthier, inclusive and more just and peaceful societies while leaving no-onebehind.At present, 264million children and youth remain out of school, with 75million children incountriesfacingwar,violenceandinstabilityneedingeducationalsupport.Evenmorealarming,isthatmorethan617millionchildrenandadolescents(6outof10)globallyarenotachievingminimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. The World Bank’s 2018 WorldDevelopmentReporthascalledthis“alearningcrisis”thatthreatenstostifleeconomicgrowthandglobalprosperity.The power of education is clear — brighter futures, healthier communities, and increasedeconomic growth for individuals and countries. Educated societies develop institutions andgovernance systems that value gender equality, inclusion, peace and stability, and aremoreresilient to crises and emergencies. Education is a critical enabler to the achievement of allotherSustainableDevelopmentGoals (SDGs),evidenceofwhich iswelldocumented. As theEducation Commission notes, “education is so central for facilitating development that eachoneofthe17SDGsincludesatargetwhichrelatestoordependsuponlearningandeducation.”

Yetdespite itscritical importance,globalfinancingforeducationhasdeclinedinrecentyears,even while investment in other areas of international development has risen. Since 2002,education’s share of official development assistance (ODA) globally has fallen from 13 to 10percent.ItsshareoftotalODAdeclinedforsixyearsinarowbetween2009and2015,althoughODAitselfroseby24percentduringthesametimeperiod.AsleadersoftheG7youcanhelptoreversethisstartlingtrendinglobaleducationfinancing.

Financing for education is a shared responsibility. All stakeholders – developing countrypartnersanddonorsalike–muststepuptheirpoliticalandfinancialsupportforeducation.Weencourageyoutodemonstrateyourcontinuedcommitmenttoeducation,buildingofftheG72017 Taormina Progress Report Investing in Education for Mutual Prosperity, Peace andDevelopment.TheTaorminaProgressReportaffirmsthatG7investmentsineducationcanactas a force multiplier to accelerate progress across a range of G7 priorities, including globaldevelopment and security. The report calls on G7members to give greater support to GPEwhich it notes has “grown to become the world’s largest multi-stakeholder partnershipdedicated to helping all children access quality basic education in the world’s poorestcountries.” The report further recognizes GPE’s upcoming Financing Conference as “an

importantopportunityfortheglobalcommunitytorecommittothepromiseofeducationandunleashthepotentialandtalentofthenextlearninggeneration.”WithpreviouscontributionsfromG7members,aswellasotherkeydonors,GPEhascommittedmore than US$4.7 billion since 2002 in more than 60 countries, including in 29 countriesaffectedbyfragilityandconflict.TheGPE’spartnershipmodelhasbeenremarkableinitsabilityto bring stakeholders from all levels around the table to design durable and needs-basednationaleducationsectorplansinacoordinatedandefficientway.TheGPEalsoworkstoseethat theeducationalneedsof girls, Indigenous, and refugeeand internallydisplacedchildrenaretakenintoconsiderationrightfromthestart.TheGPEiscommittedtotheefficientuseofdonor dollars and the timely delivery of funding, and exemplifies the principles of aideffectivenessineducation.GPEhasnowsetthegoalofraisingUS$2billionayearby2020,doublingtoUS$4billionayearby2030,asrecommendedbytheEducationCommission.GPEfinancingofUS$2billionayearby2020wouldsupporttheeducationof870millionchildrenin89developingcountriesthatarehometo78percentoftheworld’sout-of-schoolpopulation.To achieve this much-needed scale-up, donor governments must commit a total of US$3.1billion to GPE over 2018-2020. To play their part in a successful GPE replenishment,we arecalling on the leadership of the G7 to commit to lead the replenishment of the GlobalPartnershipforEducationattheFinancingConferenceonFebruary2nd,2018:G7 leadership isnotonlycritical totheGlobalPartnership forEducation,but forotherglobaleducation initiatives, such as Education Cannot Wait. We look forward to building on thefinancial commitments made at the GPE replenishment with further political commitmentsthroughaG7DeclarationtoEducateGirlsinCrisesattheupcomingG7hostedbyCanada.WebelievesuchaDeclarationwilladddepth,policyresonanceandpotentialforheightenedfocusandimpactforthemostvulnerableoutofschoolgirls.G7governmentshavemadesubstantialcontributionstotheGPEinthepast.Now,wecallontheG7tonotonlycontinuebutstepupitssupportinthistimeofurgencybymakingambitiouscommitmentstoGPEatitsFinancingConferencein2018.Sincerely,