Statement on the occasion of the High Level Ministerial Meeting held in Doha on April 30, 2014

The High Level Ministerial Meeting was yet another great success that highlighted, at the country level; the enduring sense of urgency and strong commitment through action, to out of school children across 15 of EAC’s priority countries*, strategic partners and key organizations from the private sector; represented at the meeting.

• Participants gathered under the meeting theme of “Accelerating Action for Out-of-School Children”, that unquestionably implies the need of strengthening attention on out-of-school populations and prioritizing actions aimed at enrolling, retaining and completing primary education.
• Participants acknowledged that access to quality education is a common goal and therefore have declared their intention to ensure that all students in their respective countries receive a quality education that will contribute to the reduction of poverty and improve the quality of living.
• Participants agreed to concentrate efforts on accelerating progress in support of out of school children to gain access to and complete a quality primary education before the 2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goal deadline (MDG).
• Participants offered strong endorsement of the direction in which the Education Above All Foundation, through its program Educate-a-Child, is moving and have agreed to provide political support to EAC's efforts in their respective countries.
• Ministers recognized the uniqueness of EAC being the only global program, which focusses on out of school children.

_{* where EAC is not yet actively engaged in partnership}