The African Union, UNHCR & SCI launch Education in Emergencies and Resilience continental Cluster under CESA 2026–2035

The African Union (AU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children International (SCI) today launched the Education in Emergencies and Resilience (EiE) Cluster under the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2026–2035, reinforcing continental action to ensure that children and young people affected by conflict, forced displacement, disasters and other crises can continue to access quality, inclusive and resilient education.

Co-led by UNHCR and SCI, in coordination with the African Union Commission’s Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), the Cluster provides a continental platform for Member States, Regional Economic Communities, AU institutions, UN agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen policy coordination, peer learning, technical cooperation and advocacy, while reinforcing national leadership and existing coordination mechanisms.

The Cluster will support the integration of Education in Emergencies into resilient national education systems, ensuring that learning can continue through crisis and contribute to recovery and resilience. Priorities include the inclusion of refugees and internally displaced learners in national systems; teacher safety, wellbeing and professional development; stronger links between education, skills and livelihoods; and sustainable financing for EiE.

The launch marks the beginning of a joint implementation journey under CESA 2026–2035, building on Africa’s existing commitments, including the AU Agenda 2063, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the AU Safe Schools Declaration, the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention and 2009 Kampala Convention. The AU, UNHCR and SCI call on Member States, RECs and partners to actively engage with the Cluster and translate continental commitments into coordinated national action, ensuring that crisis, conflicts or displacement never becomes a reason for an African Child to lose the right to learn.

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For more information, please contact:

• Hervé Kuate, +251 91 121 0273, [email protected]
• Molaligne Tsegaye, +251 91 049 2010, [email protected]