ECCD GROUP

Annual Consultation

The CG’s Annual Consultations are a vital meeting point for the coalition’s knowledge generation processes as well as a time for critical reflection and analysis amongst peers, which in turn inform and sharpen strategic planning. As a meeting of partners, associates and invited guests also organised around a designated theme or focus, the annual consultation also provides a key opportunity for strengthening partnerships and building new alliances.

Format of the Annual Consultation
a)           Focus Theme: Designed around a theme that is agreed to be a current priority in the field of international Early Childhood, CG Partners, the Secretariat, the Executive Board and invited individuals and organizations working on the agreed theme come together to review, reflect upon, debate and (eventually) synthesise current practices, gaps, and issues on the selected topic. Thematic discussion papers and/or background materials are prepared and shared at the meeting. Out of the discussions and review of what is happening (or not) on the ground, specific publications are prepared – most commonly the Coordinators’ Notebook, the CG’s annual publication.
b)           Convening and Reporting of Working Groups: The Annual Consultation also represents an important opportunity for Working Groups to convene, share their progress, challenge the collective thinking, and to agree on forward plans.
c)           Annual Business Meeting: In addition, the Annual Consultation also enables CG partners, the Executive Board and Secretariat the opportunity to organize an annual Business Meeting for partners to review and approve work plans and budgets, identify upcoming global events/publications for the coming year and prioritize those where CG leadership and/or participation is critical.

2010 Annual Consultation
December 1-4, 2010
Zanzibar, East Africa

Based on discussions following the 2009 Annual Consultation and at/following the recent Executive Board Meetings, we are pleased to confirm that the 2010 Annual Consultation will be held December 1-4, 2010 in Zanzibar, East Africa. Given CG Partner interest to continue to hold the Annual Consultation in regions and following on the 4th African international conference on ECD last November in Senegal, the meeting will be co-hosted/supported by the ADEA Working on ECD, the Ministry of Education in Zanzibar and local CG partners. We are working on confirming accomodations and will have this information to you next month.

The thematic focus of the meeting will be on the MDG's given the current UN review (proposed summit in September 2010) exploring ways in which to speed up the progress towards achieving the current goals and begin to look beyond 2015. This is an opportunity to address how ECD can be more strategically positioned in the current MDGs including to what extent the current MDGs address ECD holistically, where are the gaps/how can they be addressed between now and 2015 and what should be the “strategic” intent for ECD beyond 2015/what would be the best way to address ECD as a global development goal after 2015?

In addition, given the 3rd Committee of the UN General Assembly will be debating and hopefully adopting an omnibus child rights resolution on implementing the CRC in early childhood ( in September 2010), this will also provide a framework/call to action/ways forward for strategic planning during the next 5 years.

25th Anniversary Annual Consultation:
October 4 - 7, 2009, Antigua, West Indies
Hosted by the Ministry of Education for Antigua and Barbuda and supported by UNICEF

Over 70 participants gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Consultative Group on ECCD. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Education of Antigua and Barbuda and supported by Caribbean partners, providing an opportunity to highlight progress in the Caribbean region and in particular the implementation of Antigua’s new ECD policy.

The focus of the Annual Consultation was to look retrospectively and prospectively at global, regional, national, and local challenges including the economic crisis, rising food prices and food insecurity, climate change, violent conflict, continued population growth, migration, the loss of cultural and linguistic diversity, etc. and the serious impact this has on the ability of families, communities, and nations to provide adequate care and development services for young children.

Despite the increasingly clear rationale for ECCD, its further development as a field and growing importance in the development process, participants agreed on the ongoing need to prioritise actions that ensure children’s rights are defended and nations become more accountable regarding ECCD services for vulnerable children. National and regional as well as global advocacy for ECCD will be necessary to ensure:

* Increased investment in ECCD with a focus on priority target groups
* Improved programming and expansion of ECCD services through the development of comprehensive ECCD policy planning, advocacy and implementation

Two concrete opportunities for moving the ECCD agenda forward include ongoing participation in the work of General Comment 7: Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood’s Working Group to develop and pilot indicators that will assist countries to report on their obligations to young children. In addition, in light of the 2010 review of the MDGs, the CG has convened a new working group to advocate for ECCD as an important strategy in achieving the current MDGs and the urgent need to search for a more prominent place for young child’s holistic development in future global and national development agendas and goals.

The Annual Consultation also presented an important opportunity to: collaboratively review and agree upon a working definition of ECCD and ECCD principles; further develop the 4 Cornerstones framework in order to continue to raise public awareness of the importance of ECCD, monitor policy through the development of an international progress report and national profiles, identify new champions and partnerships and support capacity building and network development; review progress on the CG Working Groups including Emergencies, HIV/AIDS and Climate Change and convene a new working group on identifying ECCD research priorities.