Contribution to Education Cannot Wait Programme Budget 2025-2028

• Over the initial Strategic Plan period (2018–2022), ECW’s overarching goal was to ensure quality education for 8.9 million conflict- and disaster-affected children aged 3 to 18 years. By the end of 2022, ECW had supported over 8.8 million children and adolescents across 44 countries. 
• ECW's advocacy campaigns (e.g., #222MillionDreams) and the High-Level Financing Conference in 2023 in Geneva have amplified the importance of EiE, leading to increased high-level attention and financial support.  
• Through collaborations with partners, including governments, NGOs, multilateral organisations and UN agencies, ECW has improved joint planning and timely response, resulting in the delivery of education to marginalized populations. 

• Switzerland successfully organized the ECW High-Level Financing Conference in collaboration with ECW in 2023, reinforcing global commitment, support and funding for EiE.  
• Switzerland contributed to ECW's strategic decision-making by reinforcing complementarity with GPE and leveraging Swiss interests on both global and country levels. 
• Switzerland enhanced engagement with the ECW office in Geneva, positioning International Geneva as a prominent global hub for EiE. The ECW office in Geneva, which opened in 2019, accommodates 10 staff members (with two more under recruitment).  
• Switzerland strongly supported the Geneva Global Hub for EiE, which closely collaborates and shares office space with ECW, thereby using synergies to foster political, financial and operational commitments for EiE. 

• ECW is working towards ensuring that children and adolescents in crisis situations access safe, inclusive, and quality education, achieving holistic learning outcomes.  
• ECW aims to significantly increase gender-equitable participation and completion rates in secure learning spaces, fostering improved inclusive, gender-equitable holistic learning, and well-being outcomes.  
• ECW’s advocacy efforts are anticipated to lead to increased and enhanced global funding for EiE. 

With its engagement Switzerland will support  ECW to:  

• Integrate EiE and child protection within ECW programs, incorporating essential child protection elements. 
• Establish a solid governance structure that promotes accountability, effective management, and smooth coordination within the education architecture along the humanitarian/developement nexus. 
• Ensure policymakers recognize, prioritize and fund EiE. 

10th donor overall 

There are 23 public and private donors to ECW. The top ten donors as of January 2024 are Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, USA, Norway, Canada, Lego Foundation, European Commission, France and Switzerland. 

As an active member of the High-Level Steering Group and the Executive Committee and as host country, Switzerland exerts its influence and actively seeks and facilitates coordination with other donors and partner countries.