Global leaders unite to champion first-ever early years finance summit

Attendees at today’s Unlocking The Future event in New York hold up their signed copies of the ‘Minifesto’ – a child sized-document calling for the first-ever International Finance Summit for Early Childhood and bold new funding.

Global leaders took a historic step today towards transforming the lives of millions of young children with the announcement of the first-ever International Finance Summit for Early Childhood.

The summit in 2027 will bring together champions from government, business, philanthropy, civil society and multilateral institutions to forge bold, decisive action and financing commitments for under-fives who miss out on quality care and early learning.

The breakthrough was revealed at an event titled Unlocking the Future: A Global Call to Invest in the Early Years, hosted by Theirworld, UNICEF and partners from the Act For Early Years campaign during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It was co-hosted by the government of South Africa – an early years champion which currently holds the presidency of the G20.

In a keynote address, Siviwe Gwarube, South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education said: “The summit will give us the platform to chart a bold course for how the world can finance proven solutions that deliver real change for children and their families. We stand with you on this journey and will continue to push for early childhood to be recognised as a central pillar of sustainable development.”

At the Unlocking the Future event, it was also announced that:

• Several countries, international agencies and philanthropists have agreed to support the International Finance Summit for Early Childhood. They include South Africa, Brazil, Ukraine and Sierra Leone.
• Efforts will begin to mobilise new funding commitments from governments, international and philanthropic donors, and businesses to kickstart progress and action for the youngest children.
• As part of the Act For Early Years campaign, a new global panel of experts has launched a process to identify “Smart Buys” for Early Childhood Development that will be shared with finance ministers in advance of the summit. Learn more about the Smart Buys.

Act For Early Years is a growing movement of more than 150 organisations around the world that was launched by Theirworld in 2023. At today’s event, government ministers and other leading figures also signed copies of the Act For Early Years “Minifesto” – a child sized-document calling for the summit and new funding. That would drive progress towards every child having access to quality primary healthcare, quality preschool education and universal family support.

This is crucial because the early years is when inequality sets in. More than half of the world’s children – about 350 million – don’t have access to the childcare they need. And about half of pre-primary aged children aren’t enrolled in any form of early education. Investing in the early years is one of the smartest, most equitable investments any country can make.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell launched the case for the summit when she said: “The early years are the most critical years and they can really set the course for a lifetime. We’ve got to get it right from the start. Underinvestment in the early years perpetuates poverty and inequality. We know what we need to do – we just have to get it done. Investing in children unleashes the potential of women, families and entire communities. 

“Today’s event will launch the pathway to the first-ever International Financing Summit for Early Childhood, with UNICEF as a leading partner. We are calling for high-level endorsements from governments and private partners and for significant new investment. We can ensure that every child everywhere gets the chance that all children deserve.”

She was joined on the stage by Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown, who said: “We are here today united by a very simple, very powerful truth – that every child deserves the best possible start in life. Now it’s about what we can do together to make something happen.

“In the last six months, Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines amongst many more governments have launched new early childhood policies and investments that are putting the early years front and centre of their national agenda. Today political leadership is stepping forward in a powerful way. Let us act together with urgency and ambition.” 

Their opening remarks were followed by the comments from Siviwe Gwarube, which outlined her country’s domestic commitment to the early years and to the 2027 summit. She said: “I am proud that South Africa has placed early childhood at the centre of its G20 presidency in 2025 – the very first time the G20 has been held on the African continent – because we know this is where transformation truly begins.  

“As a nation, we are committed to tackling inequality, strengthening human capital and laying the foundations for long-term growth and prosperity. Early childhood development is not a peripheral issue – it is the most strategic and cost-effective investment any society can make.  

“That is why we devoted an entire day of the G20 to this agenda, ensuring that the youngest children were not just discussed but prioritised at the highest level of global economic decision-making. We look forward to it being the centre of the declaration we are to take make with our G20 partners.  

“Looking ahead, we know that achieving progress will depend not only on investing more but also on investing better. Different contexts require different approaches and the financing of early childhood must be designed to unlock both equity and efficiency. South Africa therefore strongly supports the proposal to convene an International Finance Summit for Early Childhood in 2027.” 

Theirworld President Justin van Fleet then welcomed a high-level panel to the stage to discuss early years investment in their countries.

Conrad Sackey, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, talked about expanding support for the early years. He said: “In my country early education was the preserve of middle-class kids. Some children were starting primary school classes much older than others. As a government, we decided in 2023 to provide at least one year of mandatory pre-primary education to prepare kids with numeracy, literacy and socio-emotional skills. We are now working on adding pre-primary schools to primary schools and training teachers to use a play-based approach.”

Her Excellency Rym Abdulla Al Falasy, Secretary General of The Supreme Council for Motherhood & Childhood in the United Arab Emirates, said: “Early childhood in the UAE is treated as the cornerstone of our national ambition. We have invested in supporting families through parenthood programmes and brought in experts to strengthen resilience and awareness in our communities. We want to ensure our experience contributes to the international dialogue.”

Next to speak was Camilo Santana, the Minister of Education in Brazil, which has launched a bold national policy to tackle structural inequality from the start of life. He said: “Brazil has made a commitment to our youngest children. These policies have the support of civil society. We are now integrating all policies affecting early childhood in a new national plan with a powerful message – no child should be left behind. We know this challenge is not just national but international. We need new partnerships and new commitments from all governments and sectors.”

Dr Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister at Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, said: “One of our reforms right now is in the early years. Why do this during war and current challenges? The first question for women and children after the war is about the education system. In Ukraine, we are planning to build forward better. We want the early childhood system to respond to local needs and we are introducing different types of kindergartens. Child development is our top priority – through quality, access and infrastructure.”

Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for UNOCHA, said: “Some of the children I visited in internally displaced camps are born undernourished. In 2024, one in five children lived in a conflict zone and 49 million are displaced due to conflict. But what gives me hope is humanitarians who work to serve these children. The partnerships such as this today also give me hope.”

Sidsel Marie Kristensen, CEO of LEGO Foundation, called for endorsements from philanthropy, business and foundations. She introduced support from Christian Guy, Executive Director, The Royal Foundation; Sonia Moldovan, VP Strategy and Programs Hilton Foundation; Emma Ursich, CEO, The Human Safety Net and Generali Group; and Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education, World Bank; Shununa Al Habsi, Assistant Director General for Special Needs & Continuous Education, Government of Oman; Director Gi Soon Song and Sofia Shakil, Asian Development Bank; Laurence Lien, Rina Lopez and Lionel Li Xiaobo, Asia Philanthropy Circle; Belinda Tanoto, Chair Tanoto Foundation.

Tony-winning actor and Disney star Anika Noni Rose also stood up as a champion of the summit campaign.

The case for the summit

What is the early years crisis, why a summit is needed and what the outcomes could be. Read the full story 

The ‘Smart Buys’ for early years

As part of the Act For Early Years campaign, a panel of experts has launched a process to identify ‘Smart Buys’ for early childhood. Some initial findings have been revealed, including a set of cost-effective measures that can deliver dramatic results for young children. Read the full story