Today RESULTS UK welcomed an important pledge by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), announced by Minister Lynne Featherstone at today’s Global Partnership for Education (GPE) replenishment conference in Brussels.

Announcing a 50% increase in the UK’s contribution to the GPE from 2015-2018, Ms Featherstone confirmed that the UK Government would provide up to £300 million over the next four years, if other donors also step up their support.

RESULTS’ Executive Director Aaron Oxley said, “I am pleased with the important leadership shown by Lynne Featherstone and the UK Government today. Together with GPE, the UK is changing the lives of millions of the most marginalised children in our world, including children with disabilities. Their commitment today will impact on the decisions of other donors. We urge other world leaders to step up over the coming weeks and months to ensure GPE reaches its target to fund education for a further 29 million children over the next four years”.

At the grand finale of the landmark replenishment conference, GPE Chief Executive, Alice Albright, called the outcomes “a tribute to partnership”. She announced that Developing Country Partner Governments themselves had pledged to increase domestic financing for education by US$26 billion. Donor governments pledged US$2.1 billion in aid. Ms Albright thanked the UK Government, as well as the European Union and Governments of Norway, Sweden and Denmark, for their generous commitments.

Closing the conference, Chair of the GPE and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that the outcomes were “an enormous step forward towards education for all”. But she also warned the leaders of donor governments that “we will not rest until we reach the full US$3.5 billion target”. GPE’s target would ensure that they can support 29 million children to receive a basic education from 2015-2018.

Mr Oxley said “Julia Gillard was absolutely right to call today’s outcomes ‘a great start’. The UK’s vital commitment is contingent on other donor governments stepping up, and we urge them to do so quickly. We must all stand together – a global partnership – if we are to tackle the challenge ahead of us and secure every child’s right to an inclusive, quality education”.

At the GPE conference, RESULTS affiliates in Australia, Canada, UK and U.S. jointly pledged their own support to the goals of the Global Partnership for Education, committing to double the resources we allocate to basic education advocacy, and to work with partners in the global South and North to improve oversight and accountability on education.

A big thank you for all the grassroots support that has helped to drive forward our campaigning on this issue over the last 6 months!

If you would like to see the live updates that were posted by RESULTS UK staff throughout the replenishment conference just visit our Twitter page, where you can also add your voice to the conversation!