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International

“Back then, out of the humanitarian funding, to give results. I think that’s what we offer. look forward to doing the same with Martin partners are invited to join, and we outline
only 2.1 percent went to education. This begs It is a very good example of how the United Griffiths. So, he created it, and I was appointed strategic plans of Education Cannot Wait,
to build and lead it.
and what we expect as an outcome, and
Nations really delivers.
question: is this what, we would invest in the then they embark on the assessment in the
education of our own children?” So yes, sometimes it takes two years, sometimes Q: Education is the basis for everything. How country, they develop the joint programme.
it happens over a meeting. It all depends, but do you choose your partners on the ground? “Who has the competitive advantage?” “You
most of them have been members of Education Through the United Nations Coordination are better at school feeding...” Then you might
Cannot Wait for a long time, while others are Mechanisms under the Resident/Humanitarian have one programme with five, six or seven
United Nations Secretary General Antonio coming on board every year. Coordinator and the Inter-Agency System, different actors working hand in hand. The
Guterres also uses, “Less bureaucracy, more that is how you remove the conflict-of-interest humanitarians do a quick response and then
accountability,” and we really try to live by it. Q: Education Cannot Wait – was it your element. You have in a country two sorts of the development actors do the medium- and
We have slashed all the redundant idea? coordination mechanisms in a disaster crisis. long-term investment. That’s the humanitarian-
bureaucracy, and kept that which is required This idea belongs to the former Prime Minister One is the cluster system which goes under an development nexus in one programme! Then
for financial management and transparency. of Great Britain, The Hon. Gordon Brown OCHA inter-aid standing committee. They we put in seed funds, 25 millions – 45 million.
We are focusing on results and action, and we who is the United Nations Special Envoy for have a cluster for education that cooperates The total cost of the programme might be
are very agile. We go out to these countries; Education. He is the chair of the High-Level with the cluster for cooperation, and a cluster 200 million. Then we mobilise in-country or
we are not a fund that sits in headquarters Steering Group. He came up with this idea for water and sanitation. It is the Humanitarian outside means, to find the remaining $155-
and open envelopes. We go out and make years ago. He has always been very passionate Coordinator that leads that process. When you 175 million. We use all avenues to bring in
the Unite Nations and the NGOs work about education. He realised that there was have refugee situations, the High Commission resources. We see ourselves as a catalytic fund
together with host-governments. We use the too much bureaucracy and that we could not for Refugees coordinates the situation, so, to help our colleagues, host governments,
United Nations coordination mechanisms move in a crisis. There was also the realisation it all depends on the context. For example, communities on the ground, families and
that have been in place for decades, and we that refugees – you may wait for 15 to 20 years if I go to Uganda, where we have a major children to get resources on the ground. We
pursue implementation of the UN Secretary- to get an education because humanitarian refugee and education plan, UNHCR helps us do not take resources for ourselves because
General’s Reform. So, it is a whole new way priorities are very different. Tents – yes they’re coordinate that together with other agencies, we are only 31 staff. We are just operating at
of working! We bring in everybody to work important. They’ll get education even though donors and civil society. We are running a minimum. As long as we have our salaries and
together through joint programming. We are it’s not part of the humanitarian response, massive education response plan there for are able to travel and be the convener, that’s it!
very strict on results and quality. You must be but they will wait 20, 30 years or even longer. South Sudanese refugees, children and youth. We do not want a big bulky bureaucracy. That
when you have a major actor like Germany Look at Afghanistan. So, he said, “This is not It was also among the first ones, then came is what makes it so exciting. We are not here to
or the United Kingdom, which is our second OK. Education has to be part of the response.” Afghanistan and Lebanon. Now we have 24 build an empire but to empower!
largest donor, or the Scandinavian countries, Back then, out of the humanitarian funding, multi-year joint programmes and investments
like Denmark or Norway, and then of course only 2.1 percent went to education. This begs in 43 crisis countries. Q; How has the Covid pandemic influenced
Canada and the EU and others. What they see, question: is this what, we would invest in the your work?
year in year out, is results, accountability. They education of our own children? The answer If you have internally displaced persons, Well, it is challenging because children cannot
have decision-maker power. We are in this is: of course not! He said we have to raise then it is the Humanitarian Cluster that leads go to school, social distancing and all that
together. Of course, they would want to invest. investment funds, which we did, working the coordination. Through that process, we comes with it. So, we have a choice, because
They invest because they know that it’s going closely with OCHA and Mark Lawcock. We organise meetings where all the different most of us in the international community

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