EAA Foundation joins French G7 talks on development finance

By AI, Created 11:19 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Education Above All Foundation took part in French G7 Presidency meetings in Paris on development finance, philanthropy, and education partnerships. The foundation also backed a new statement on philanthropy’s role in blended finance and held talks with OECD, UNESCO, and AFD officials.

Why it matters: - Education Above All Foundation used the Paris meetings to push education and human development into global development finance discussions. - The conversations centered on how philanthropy can help fill widening financing gaps with more responsive, catalytic funding. - The engagements signaled broader interest in philanthropy as a partner in blended finance and sustainable development.

What happened: - Education Above All Foundation participated in a series of high-level engagements in Paris under the French G7 Presidency. - Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Al Kubaisi spoke at the official side event of the G7 Development Ministerial Meeting. - The event was titled Strategic Partnerships for a Renewed Development Paradigm: Engaging Philanthropy in Blended Finance. - The roundtable was convened by the OECD Network of Foundations Working for Development and the 4P Secretariat as part of the Foundations 7 Engagement Group. - Education Above All Foundation endorsed the statement Philanthropy as a Strategic Partner in a Renewed Development Paradigm. - The foundation also held bilateral and multilateral meetings with senior representatives from the OECD, UNESCO, and Agence française de développement.

The details: - The Paris side event opened with welcoming remarks from H.E. Éléonore Caroit and H.E. Moussa Faki. - Participants included representatives from the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Industrial Promotion Services, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, King Khalid Foundation, Agence française de développement, and FMO Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank. - Bathylle Missika chaired the discussion. - The foundation described its work as focused on innovative, impact-oriented approaches to education financing and development. - The meetings were used to explore deeper collaboration across education, development, and financing priorities. - The foundation said its engagement reflected growing international recognition of its role in development discussions.

Between the lines: - The Paris trip suggests philanthropy is gaining more formal space in G7-linked development finance debates. - Education Above All Foundation is positioning education as a core test case for how blended finance and cross-sector partnerships can work. - The meetings with OECD, UNESCO, and AFD point to a strategy of pairing policy influence with institutional partnerships.

What’s next: - Education Above All Foundation said it wants stronger collaboration among governments, multilateral institutions, development finance actors, and philanthropy. - The foundation will keep focusing on practical solutions that strengthen financing systems and expand opportunities for underserved communities. - Further partnership talks may follow as development finance actors look for models that can deliver more targeted impact.

The bottom line: - Education Above All Foundation is trying to turn philanthropy from a supporting role into a more central player in global development finance, with education at the center of the pitch. - More information