As part of Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) 2026, Refat Sabbah, GCE President and Secretary General of the Arab Campaign for Education for All (ACEA), participated in the First-Ever Education Worldwide Conference hosted by the Irish Network for Education Worldwide (INEW) on 28 April 2026 in Dublin.
The event brought together global leaders to discuss education financing, one of the most urgent challenges today. Representing GCE, Crispin Williams (Board Member) joined a panel alongside experts, including Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), to reflect on the current state of global education funding and the need for stronger international coordination, particularly in support of initiatives such as Education Cannot Wait and GPE.
In his intervention, Refat stressed that, “Education financing is not a purely technical or financial matter; at its core, it is a political decision that reflects a state’s priorities and value system.” He emphasised that the real issue is not a lack of resources, but how they are allocated. Declining investment in education, he warned, deepens inequalities and weakens the resilience of societies.
Refat concluded his intervention by reiterating that education must be recognised as a pillar of justice and dignity, and investing in it must not be delayed.
