December 8th 2025.
The recent G20 summit held in South Africa was a significant event that brought together world leaders to address some of our most pressing global challenges. From tackling inequality and long-standing conflicts to addressing issues such as artificial intelligence and climate change, the leaders' declaration adopted at the end of the summit reaffirmed the group's commitment to finding solutions and creating a better future for all.
One of the most notable outcomes of the summit was the historic milestone of the G20 identifying education as one of its top global priorities for the first time. The declaration emphasized the urgent need to invest in children's early development and recognized the crucial role of early childhood care and education in a country's social and economic future. This recognition is long overdue, as investing in people has proven to be the most effective way to promote growth, social cohesion, and peace in a world marked by economic volatility.
Unfortunately, we are failing far too many children before they even reach school age. Shockingly, over 40% of preschool children globally do not have access to quality care, which results in a significant loss of human potential that holds back communities, economies, and societies. The first five or six years of a child's life, when 90% of brain development occurs, are crucial for establishing the foundations of lifelong learning, health, and well-being. Research has shown that every dollar invested in early childhood care and education can generate up to $17 in economic returns, breaking cycles of poverty and reducing inequality. Furthermore, expanding access to child care can also empower more women to enter and remain in the workforce, strengthening households and national economies.
The importance of investing in early childhood care and education has been recognized by the United Nations through the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. This was reaffirmed in UNESCO's 2022 Tashkent Declaration, where more than 150 countries pledged to provide at least one year of free, compulsory pre-primary education for all children and allocate at least 10% of their education budgets to preschool programs. However, despite these commitments, funding for early education remains inadequate, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where 180 million three- and four-year-olds do not have access to basic early childhood services.
Despite the discouraging situation, there is momentum for change, driven primarily by major emerging economies within and beyond the G20. Brazil, for example, has made early childhood support a central part of its social-inclusion agenda during its G20 presidency. The launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty in late 2024 also signalled a broader effort to address intergenerational inequities. In addition, Brazil has introduced several domestic measures, such as its National Integrated Policy for Early Childhood, which aims to track and support children's needs through a unified strategy across all of the country's municipalities.
The recent G20 summit in Johannesburg, the first to be held in Africa, highlighted the scale and urgency of the problem. Across the continent, childhood mortality rates are 14 times higher than in high-income countries, and only one in four children in sub-Saharan Africa has access to preschool education. South Africa, in particular, has recognized the importance of investing in early childhood care and education as a national priority and has recently launched its largest early years education program. President Cyril Ramaphosa, during South Africa's G20 presidency, has urged governments worldwide to invest in their youngest citizens and frame early childhood education as a global imperative.
However, mobilizing the political will and financing needed to transform early childhood care and education will require a sustained, coordinated multilateral effort. Organizations like Theirworld have championed this agenda through their Act for Early Years campaign, and the recent announcement of the world's first international gathering solely focused on funding pre-primary education is a significant step forward. This gathering, initiated by a coalition of stakeholders from both the Global South and North, demonstrates that early childhood is finally receiving the attention it deserves.
Looking ahead, the International Finance Summit for Early Childhood in 2027 offers a unique opportunity to secure new funding, redirect domestic investment, and unlock private capital. It is crucial to recognize that investing in preschool education is not a secondary concern but a prerequisite for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, one principle should guide the policy debates that will inevitably follow: putting children first is the surest route to a more prosperous, peaceful, and stable world. After all, as Justin van Fleet, President of Theirworld, and Pia Rebello Britto, Global Director of Education & Adolescent Development at UNICEF, aptly put it, "putting children first is the surest route to a more prosperous, peaceful, and stable world."
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