EAA Foundation advances education protection, innovative financing at UNGA81

Education Above All (EAA) Foundation emphasized the importance of education protection and innovative financing during its involvement in the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81), held from September 21-24. The foundation engaged in nine high-level discussions with governments, UN agencies, development finance institutions, philanthropic organizations, businesses, and humanitarian groups, all focused on safeguarding education for children affected by conflict, displacement, and crises, while also expanding financing to improve their access and retention in school.

EAA Foundation CEO Mohammed Saad al-Kubaisi took part in two sessions at the 2026 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, where he contributed to ongoing conversations on education and development.

Dr. Said Yasin, the Executive Director of EAA's Educate A Child program, joined the Opportunity International session titled "Why Non-Grant Capital is Important." This session explored how non-grant capital can supplement conventional development funding and unlock additional investment for learners who lack access to education.

EAA Foundation convened a technical discussion with SEEK Development, bringing together bilateral donors, philanthropic foundations, and multilateral education and development finance institutions to discuss innovative financing strategies.

Dr. Ali Ansari, EAA Foundation's Partnerships Senior Manager, contributed to the discussion on blended finance facilities, guarantees, education bonds, outcome-based financing, and debt-related mechanisms. These topics aimed to identify ways to mobilize additional resources for education. Dr. Ansari also participated in the session "Beyond Grants: Unlocking Philanthropy's Capital for Education," held in collaboration with the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) and the Jacobs Foundation.

This session examined how philanthropic capital could complement traditional grant funding by exploring a wider array of financing instruments to boost investment in education and skills development.

Al-Kubaisi highlighted that UNGA81 served as a crucial platform to underscore the urgency of protecting education for children in vulnerable situations while simultaneously addressing financing constraints that prevent millions from accessing and remaining in school. He emphasized that protecting education in crisis and financing its future are intrinsically linked, and that strengthening partnerships, mobilizing innovative forms of capital, and ensuring that children affected by conflict, displacement, and poverty are not denied their right to learn are essential.

The diverse range of participants, including development finance institutions, OECD partners, UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, philanthropies, businesses, and technical experts, demonstrated the growing significance of cross-sector collaboration. Through its participation in UNGA81, EAA Foundation advanced its mission to protect education in crisis settings, reinforce humanitarian responses, mobilize new sources of financing, and devise investment models tailored to reach children and young individuals facing the most significant barriers to education.