The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will convene a special event, “Partnering with the philanthropic community to promote education for all” on 28 February 2011, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

This event is one of the preparatory events for the 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”, and is organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), and the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthrophy (CECP).

An opening plenary session will be followed by two panel discussions on: (a) Staying the course: Enabling access for both girls and boys to complete primary education; and (b) Promoting education and training for tomorrow's economy.

The key objective of the special event is to increase focus on issues central to the achievement of education for all, through:

(i) broadening of the range of stakeholders involved in the work of ECOSOC, as well as increasing the awareness amongst the philanthropic community on the progress made and the challenges faced in achieving the internationally agreed goals and commitments on education;
(ii) promoting concrete initiatives by the philanthropic community and initiating new partnerships that would accelerate progress in reaching the international goals and targets related to education;
(iii) expanding multi-stakeholder engagement in the international community’s efforts to help advance the progress on the two focus areas mentioned above.

A number of co-convenors are lending their support to this event. These include: the Clinton Global Initiative, Education For All-Fast Track Initiative Secretariat, the International Association of University Presidents, the International Labour Organization, the NEPAD Business Group, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Millennium Campaign, the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations University, the United Nations Women, the World Bank, the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists, and the World Economic Forum.