 Doha, Qatar, 3 May 2026- Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global foundation for education and development, participated in a series of high- level engagements in Paris under the French G7 Presidency, contributing to international discussions on the future of development finance and the growing role of philanthropy in advancing sustainable and inclusive development. EAA Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mr. Mohammed Al Kubaisi participated as a featured speaker in the official high-level side event of the G7 Development Ministerial Meeting, titled Strategic Partnerships for a Renewed Development Paradigm: Engaging Philanthropy in Blended Finance. The session opened with welcoming remarks from H.E. Éléonore Caroit, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, responsible for Francophonie, International Partnerships, and French Citizens Abroad, and H.E. Moussa Faki, Special Envoy for the Pact for Prosperity, People and the Planet (4P). Convened jointly by the OECD Network of Foundations Working for Development (netFWD) and the 4P Secretariat as part of the Foundations 7 Engagement Group (F7), the roundtable brought together senior representatives including Gargee Ghosh, Director of Development Policy & Finance at the Gates Foundation; Prof. Charlotte Watts, Executive Director of Solutions at Wellcome Trust; Simon Hodson, Interim CEO (Global) of Industrial Promotion Services, Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, H.H. Princess Nouf bint Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Saud, CEO of the King Khalid Foundation, Thomas Melonio, Executive Director for Innovation, Strategy and Research at Agence française de développement; and Guido van Heugten, Stakeholder Engagement Adviser at FMO Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank. The discussion was chaired by Bathylle Missika, Head of the Inclusive Development & Partnerships Division at the OECD Development Centre and Head of the 4P Secretariat. The event also marked the launch of the statement “Philanthropy as a Strategic Partner in a Renewed Development Paradigm,” which EAA Foundation endorsed alongside other leading philanthropic actors. EAA Foundation’s participation reflected the growing international recognition of the Foundation’s role in advancing innovative, impact- oriented approaches to education financing and development. EAA Foundation also engaged in a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with senior representatives from key international institutions, including the OECD, UNESCO, and and Agence française de développement (AFD), as part of efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration across education, development, and financing priorities. Commenting on the Foundation’s participation, Mr. Mohammed Al Kubaisi, Chief Executive Officer of Education Above All Foundation, said: “Education Above All Foundation’s participation in these important discussions reflected the growing recognition that philanthropy has a vital role to play in shaping a more inclusive, effective, and partnership driven development finance system. At a time of increasing global challenges and widening financing gaps, stronger collaboration between governments, multilateral institutions, development finance actors, and philanthropy is essential to unlock more responsive and catalytic solutions. For EAA Foundation, this was also an important opportunity to ensure that education remained central to global development financing conversations and to strengthen partnerships that can help expand impact for children and youth around the world.” EAA Foundation’s participation across these engagements underscored its commitment not only to contributing to global dialogue but also to supporting practical solutions that help strengthen financing systems and expand opportunities for underserved communities. By engaging across policy, political, and technical discussions, the Foundation helped ensure that education and human development remained central to the international development agenda.
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