Street Child at UNGA: Powering Partnerships for Education in Times of Crisis
Street Child co-hosted three events on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York this year, bringing together global civil society leaders, corporate partners, policymakers, and local actors to accelerate action for children’s education in crisis.
In a time of decreasing international humanitarian and development aid, Street Child co-hosted a high-level roundtable with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Accenture, focused on unlocking new, smarter, more sustainable financing for education.
A fireside chat between Sigrid Kaag (Chair, High-Level Steering Group of Education Cannot Wait) and David Miliband (CEO, IRC), moderated by Tom Dannatt (CEO & Founder, Street Child), set the tone for solutions-oriented discussions on: Blended, risk-based and innovative finance to close critical funding gaps through new partnerships; Localisation and diversification to reach frontline actors; Addressing obstacles to localised response including risk and compliance barriers in fragile settings; and Building complementarity to strengthen, not fragment, the global education system.
The session surfaced solutions and synergies from across civil society, government, multilateral, philanthropic, and the private sector. Above all, the session demonstrated a shared unity in finding practical pathways to fund education where it’s needed most.
Rethinking Education in Emergencies
n partnership with the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and the Global Campaign for Education, Street Child co-hosted a panel examining how the Education in Emergencies sector must evolve to better deliver for children.
Moderated by INEE’s Faiza A. Hassan and Street Child’s Tyler Arnot, the discussion gathered Education Ministers from Somalia and South Sudan, youth voices, and civil society leaders to identify shared priorities.
Key messages emerged:
- When systems fail, communities carry the weight. Neighbours and local civil society are the first responders in crisis, and it’s parents and teachers that keep learning alive. Together, they deserve timely, predictable finance that reaches the local level with the least friction possible.
- It is firmly established that education is lifesaving. In crisis, safe and continuous learning protects children, restores hope, and provides stability — it must be treated with the same urgency as food, water, and shelter. Now, we must ensure this message goes beyond traditional education circles and is held up by political will.
- Debt justice is essential. Too many governments are compelled to spend more on servicing debt than on schools. Debt relief and reform are needed if national governments are to be able to prioritise education.
- Partnership is no longer optional. New ways of financing and working demand that we come together across public and private, global and local, and across thematic sectors — only then can education withstand today’s shocks.
Local Leadership in Action
Street Child and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) also co-hosted an evening reception celebrating the power of local leadership in education in emergencies.
Robert Hakiza, CEO and Founder of the refugee-led organisation YARID Uganda, shared why embedding local actors is essential to sustaining learning through crisis. Tom Dannatt reaffirmed Street Child’s commitment to localisation, working hand-in-hand with community-based partners to design lasting, scalable solutions for children’s education.
A Common Theme
One message resonated across every conversation: education cannot wait for peace, stability, or prosperity — it must be protected and prioritised in every context.
Street Child remains steadfast in its call for increased financing, fairer partnerships, and deeper localisation so that every child, everywhere, can access the education they deserve.
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Key Takeaways
- Street Child co-hosted three significant events at UNGA80, focusing on children’s education in crisis alongside global leaders and partners.
- Key discussions highlighted the need for innovative financing, localised responses, and treating education as urgent as food and shelter.
- Street Child emphasised collaboration across sectors and the importance of local actors in sustaining education during emergencies.
- Essential messages included the necessity for predictable finance, debt justice, and the urgent protection of education.
- A unified theme emerged: education must be prioritised in all contexts, regardless of circumstances, to ensure every child has access to learning.
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