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EFA Flagship Initiatives


HIV/AIDS & Education

Early Childhood

Persons with Disabilities

Rural People

Emergency and Crisis





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The World Education Forum held in Dakar (April, 2000) re-emphasized and reiterated the importance of inter-agency partnerships, collaboration and coordination in pursuance of the EFA goals. This facilitated the launching of a number of multi-partner initiatives that focused on specific EFA-related areas and problems requiring special attention as well as the reinforcing of existing ones. EFA flagship initiatives were considered to constitute, among others, one of the mechanisms that would contribute in enhancing and strengthening multi-agency partnership and coherence on EFA related goals.

Three years after Dakar, the EFA flagships continue to expand in terms of number of initiatives launched as well as their scope and membership. At present, nine initiatives have been established, involving United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and NGOs.

What is an EFA flagship initiative?

An EFA flagship initiative is a structured set of activities carried out by voluntary partners, under the leadership of one or more United Nations specialized agencies and NGOs, that seeks to address specific challenges in achieving the EFA goals. There is a variation in the structure of these flagship programmes depending to a large extent on the way they were initiated. The common denominator is a partnership platform.

The EFA flagships address specific problems from an interdisciplinary perspective, taking into account the interaction between education and other factors (for example, health, nutrition and rural development). Programmes and activities differ between flagships, but most involve advocacy and communication, exchange of experience, institutional capacity development, technical advice and monitoring of progress. EFA flagship initiatives perform the following three major roles: (1) assist countries to achieve the EFA goals; (2) provide special focus on a related aspect of EFA that poses particular problems; and 3) strengthen partnerships among stakeholders.

How are they organized?

Each EFA Flagship initiative is organized slightly differently. There are some key features that are, however, common:

An organization (i.e. United Nations agency, Bilateral donor, NGO), as part of its commitment to EFA, undertakes to lead and fund most of the associated costs (administrative as well as programme) of the initiative;

A meaningful number of partners is voluntarily associated, based on interest and commitment, to the specific issue being addressed by the flagship;

An institutional/organization focal point ensures coordination of the partnership and may also provide leadership.

Clear communication lines and structures are established;

A built-in mechanism that regularly monitors and assesses the Flagship programmes;

A mechanism to review achievements annually and to plan an annual, or longer, work programme;

A willingness to work and co-ordinate with other Flagship Programmes to ensure coherence and to prevent duplication of effort.

Each EFA Flagship addresses a specific challenge. Although they share the common underlying goal of achieving Education for All, each flagship is different in terms of objectives, activities and partnerships. The following section highlights each initiative and presents details about each one of them.

The Initiative on the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Education
Early Childhood Care and Education
The Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities: Towards Inclusion
Education for Rural People
Education in Situations of Emergency and Crisis
Focusing Resources on Effective School Health (FRESH)
Teachers and the Quality of Education
The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI)
Literacy in the Framework of the United Nations Literacy Decade