The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Board of Directors convened in Brussels, Belgium, on December 4–5, 2025. The meeting opened with a brief update on the progress of the Foundation for the Global Partnership for Education, which the Board warmly welcomed.
The meeting was a moment for the Board to appreciate the strong results delivered under the final period of GPE’s 2021-2025 strategic cycle. Together over the past five years, GPE grants and cofinancing have improved education for 372 million children, enrolled 10 million more children in school, and trained 4.7 million teachers.
As GPE prepares to embark on its next strategic period, the Board made several key decisions that will shape the future of the partnership. The Board approved the GPE 2030 Strategic Plan, and requested the CEO, under direction from the Chair and Vice-Chair and under the mandated authority of the Executive Committee, to finalize it for publication in early 2026.
The Board thanked the Secretariat for the robust and inclusive consultation process, and expressed appreciation for the strong focus on results.
Recognizing the vital role that civil society plays as an agent of transformation and accountability, the Board approved the design framework for the next phase of Education Out Loud. Finally, the Board approved the design framework for the next phase of the GPE Knowledge and Innovation exchange.
The Board also engaged in several strategic discussions that provided an opportunity for reflection on the challenges confronting partner countries, and the opportunities that GPE’s next strategic cycle presents to collectively advance our vision of a quality education for all.
In light of the education financing gap and in the context of constrained fiscal space, the Board discussed the need for education systems transformation to be underpinned by sustainable education financing. The Board recognized the important role that GPE, as a partnership and a fund, can play in helping partner countries develop long-term, sustainable investment strategies anchored in domestic resources, and welcomed the experiences shared by partner countries.
Following the June 2024 decision for the GPE Secretariat to bring staff closer to partner countries, the Board received an update on the successful operationalization of three regional hubs in Paris, Nairobi, and Washington DC, which have delivered strong results and efficiency gains for both the Secretariat and partner countries.
The Board expressed appreciation for these efforts and encouraged the Secretariat to continue to find innovative and strategic ways to deliver better for partner countries, while keeping operating costs low. The Board also engaged in a strategic discussion on evidence and results for GPE 2030.
The Board acknowledged the growing number of partner countries affected by conflict, fragility and vulnerability to climate shocks, impacting education for millions of children. In this context, the Board was briefed on the findings of an independent review of the multilateral aid architecture for education in emergencies and protracted crises.
The Board reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to leave no one behind, and emphasized the importance of coherence, alignment and complementarity between humanitarian and development actors in crisis contexts.
Finally, the Board received an update on GPE’s fifth financing campaign, Multiply Possibility, which was launched at the 2025 UN General Assembly, co-hosted by the Governments of Italy and Nigeria. The Board welcomed the first sovereign pledge from Germany, of €320 million for 2026-2032. A successful financing campaign raising US$5 billion would enable the partnership to reach nearly 750 million children with better education, and aligned with domestic and other resources, improve learning outcomes for 105 million more children in GPE partner countries.
As GPE 2025 concludes and GPE 2030 begins, our choice is clear: we must fully activate our partnership to invest in education, replenish GPE and multiply possibility for a generation of children and young people around the world.
The next Board meeting will be held in June 2026.