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More than 124 million children and youth are out of school across the world. Millions of them are being denied an education because of emergency situations such as wars and natural disasters.

The Sustainable Development Goals include a place at school for every child and adolescent and the opportunity for lifelong learning. But it is clear that governments can鈥檛 do that by themselves.

They need financial and other support from businesses and philanthropists. That鈥檚 why the 听(GBC-Education) convened business leaders and development agencies last year to identify how to deliver joint investments in education.

Now GBC-Education is hosting an event in Washington, DC, today called Stronger Investments, Greater Impact. The businesses and development agencies are back 鈥� and the more than 100 attendees include foundations and philanthropic leaders.

This blog will bring you the highlights of the event. All times given are local Washington time.

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The event gets underway at the St Regis Hotel in Washington

7am 鈥� Today鈥檚 event is going to be a quick-fire format of engaging conversation, to include as many perspectives as possible.

GBC-Education is a coalition of more than 100 businesses worldwide. It believes the skills, influence and leadership of the private sector can be powerful tools to increase the number of children and youth who are in school and learning 鈥� especially when combined with peer companies, government, foundations, civil society and the educational community.

7.30am 鈥� Guests arriving early are getting a sneak preview of an amazing virtual reality film which 鈥� the children鈥檚 charity behind A World at School 鈥� has produced to mark next month鈥檚 anniversary of the Nepal earthquake.

The film, Safe Schools: Nepal, will be officially launched in April as part of the charity鈥檚 . It captures 360-degree video and audio to allow the viewer to experience the continued impact of the earthquake and hear about the challenges children face in going to school.

7.45am 鈥� In February, the, was held in London 鈥� and private sector foundations and businesses mobilised $75 million in commitments to support education for children impacted by the conflict.

That demonstrated that business not only can be a partner 鈥� but is already a partner in delivering educational opportunity.

Host Tom Fletcher makes the opening remarks

8am 鈥� The event begins with an introduction from Tom Fletcher, former British Ambassador to Lebanon and now Director of Global Strategy for GBC-Education.

He says: 鈥淲e鈥檒l hear today about new ways of financing, new mechanisms for delivering education, examples of partnerships that have worked and where we need to do more as an international community.鈥�

8.05am 鈥� Now on to the first segment of the event 鈥� our featured speakers on the four pillars of Multilateral, Government, Foundation and Donor Agency.

First up is Kristalina Georgieva, Vice-President of the European Commission, on the theme of humanitarian finance.

Kristalina Georgieva, Vice-President of the European Commission

She says: 鈥淚n 2015 we in the EU have increased by 15% our delivery of assitance in development. We are now at a record high of 68 billion euros 鈥� this is a significant increase, making us the region with the highest contribution to development.

鈥淲e are more concentrated today on giving a future to people and are focusing on fragile circumstances much more 鈥� 70% of what we do goes to situations of fragility.鈥�

She tells how the the private sector contributes only 5% of all humanitarian aid. She says the skills they can deliver must be harnessed.

Next is Akinwumi Adesina, President of the .听

Akinwumi Adesina talks about African Development Bank initiatives

Mr Adesina says: 鈥淚n Africa, 750 million people are basically illiterate. Simply put education, enhances lifetime economic opportunities. A lot of our kids, the future generations, are out of school.

鈥淧overty continues to be a critical factor, as children from low-incole backgrounds are more likely to drop out of school. We need to improve economic opportunities for their mothers.鈥�

He tells how the bank is investing heavily in initiatives to help African women, who in turn will ensure their children are in school. The African Development Bank is also helping to provide technology in schools and has invested $1.6 billion in education over the past 10 years.

Mr Adesina says strong partnerships are needed to moblise the recources needed to provide quality education.

The President of the , Peter Laugharn, is asked to explain how the private sector and donor governments can work effectively with foundations to increase impact.

On the role of foundations, he says: 鈥淲e can be helpful with the experimental, the things that governments are hesitant to provide. We welcome partnerships with business and welcome their particular skills.鈥�

He says the Hilton Foundation has decided 鈥渢o take more dynamic approaches on educating Syria鈥� and has worked with sa国际传媒 on helping Syrian refugee children in the region.

Eric Postel is Associate Administrator for , the United States government agency that administers foreign aid. Tom asks him how donor agencies best work with business for results through partnerships.

He says: 鈥淲e cannot do this job alone without the help of the private sector.听We have got to move beyond working on an individual village or town basis and got to start working at scale.鈥�

Eric Postel is watched by Gordon Brown, on his right

Mr Postel says USAid will be taking GBC-Education partners on a trip to Jordan next month and will get their ideas about collaborating on their investments for refugees and Jordanians.

He adds that businesses and foundations can help to 鈥渃rack the code on girls鈥� education鈥�, printing and distributing textbooks and the issue of financing education.

8.25am 鈥� Tom he鈥檚 now keen to hear how businesses engage with each other to help frame the conversation.

He starts with a GBC-Education Advisory Board member 鈥� Rosalind Hudnell, President of the and Intel鈥檚 Vice President of Corporate Affairs.

Tom Fletcher listens to Rosalind Hudnell鈥檚 remarks

She says: 鈥淲e want to ensure we have our aim is now about how we go together around a solution and decide to go and solve it.鈥�

She tells about a programme in Africa in partnership with USAid which reached 100,000 girls, helping them to learn about the internet and digital skills.

Now for Sir Ronald Cohen, Chair of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce and Chairman of the .听

He says: 鈥淭he world will not change if we keep doing the same old things over and over again. I am here to preach revolution.

鈥淭he world will not change of we keep doing the same old thing. I鈥檓 here to preach revolution.鈥� Sir Ronald Cohen

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

鈥淲e can bring new sources of capital, new entrepreneurs and the activity of corporate organisations to bring about meaningful social improvement.

He tells of plans to create a $1 billion 鈥渙utcomes fund鈥� to help the education and assimilation of refugees.

8.35am 鈥� We now have three themed discussion. The first is titled Addressing the Syrian Refugee Crises through New Partnerships. This is a chance to hear about how partnerships are working in the region.

First to speak is Elias Bou Saab, Education Minister of Lebanon. He says: 鈥淚 have hope because all the people in this room are here of the same cause.

Elias Bou Saab tells of the struggles in Lebanon

鈥淚n Lebanon the crisis is too huge 鈥� it has the highest number of displaced people. The nine next add up to Lebanon. And yet we are still trying to put every child in a classroom.鈥�

Mr Bou Saab tells how the funding is not sufficient to put all refugee children into school and adds: 鈥淲e risk losing an entire generation and you know where they will be heading after that 鈥� and that will affect the world. I ask the donors to move fast.鈥�

8.40am 鈥� Kolleen Bouchane, GBC-Education鈥檚 Director of Policy and Advocacy, is now taking the microphone to talk to people about examples of partnership models.

Tone Skogen talks about the need for joint efforts

She hands over to听Tone Skogen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway, who says: 鈥淛oint effort is needed if we want to provide education for children affected by emergencies. This involvement of businesses and private sector is vital.鈥�

She tells about a partnership between her government, USAid and a mobile phone company to create a learning app for Syrian refugees.

Kasia Witkowski, Director of Government Relations-Americas at HP, talks about educational programmes created by her company including in Guatemala, Tunisia and Hungary.

Kasia Witkowski talks about HP鈥檚 educational programmes

Chris Page, Executive Vice President at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, tells how its mission is to help donors with creative and meaningful philanthropy.

He says: 鈥淲e see our role as a home for all kinds of donors. For example, we work with many family foundations who have an interest in education.鈥� He also talks about the work of the Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform.

Mr Page adds: 鈥淲e really enjoy this role of briging together donors from all sectors and there is significant impact from working together in strategic ways.鈥�

Roger Ford, Managing Director at Accenture Development Partnerships

Alice Albright, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education, talks about solving problems at scale. She says: 鈥淭op of the agenda for many of us is education in emergencies. We will not make progress on any of the education goals unless we work in countries of crisis.鈥�

She says 鈥淲e have to work with the private sector鈥� and says innovation is needed in the areas of finance and date.

Roger Ford, Managing Director at Accenture Development Partnerships, says his company has more than 300,000 employees and a chance to use that scale.

He says: 鈥淲e have to give young people around the world the right talent to get a job.鈥� He tells how Accenture has helped听three million youth 鈥済et a job, become an entrepreneur and have a sustainable business鈥�.

8.55am 鈥� Marie Ottosson is Assistant Director-General for the Department of International organisations and policy support at Sida (Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency).

She talks about Sida鈥檚 role in the Swedish Academy for Training in Iraq, which offers quality training for mechanics, and a training centre in Ethiopia 鈥� both are partnership projects.

Next to speak is Stephen Sobhani. He is CEO of the Wellbeing Foundation, which partners with more than 50 organisations in Africa.

鈥淲e cannot exist, we cannot pursue, we cannot progress without partnerships鈥�

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

He talks about the foundation鈥檚 work and adds: 鈥淲e cannot exist, we cannot pursue, we cannot progress without partnerships.鈥�

Harley Feldbaum, Head of Strategy and Policy at The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, takes to the microphone.

He says: 鈥淲e have a crisis in HIV and we need to work with the education communiyt to solve it.鈥� He says HIV is the leading cause of death among girls and young women aged 15 to 24 in Africa 鈥� but girls who stay in school have a better chance of avoiding HIV.

Mr Feldbaum talks about partnerships to help adolescent girls stay in school to improve both their education and health outcomes.

9am 鈥� Megan Pollock, Senior Director, Strategic Communication for Samsung Communciations, talks about the role of fostering students鈥� interest in STEM 鈥� science, technology, engineering and math.

鈥淲e believe that in addition to 鈥榮 role as a visionary, our role is to provide resources & to collaborate鈥�

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

She tells about a partnership to develop a schoolyard STEM lab, designed to work in any climate and to engage children in learning.

She adds: 鈥淲e want to execute more programmes like this and find partners who have the passion to take these regional programme and create global scale.鈥�

Cracking the issue of partnering with the private sector at scale is tackled by Julia Gillard, Chair of the Global Partnership for Education.

.: We live in a world where the old divide between humanitarian work and development no longer applies

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

She says: 鈥淲e need clear metrics at scale around the world 鈥� part of your investment conversations should be about how the workforce of the future has the right qualifications.鈥�

9.10am 鈥撎鼵laudia Costin, Senior Director for Education at the World Bank Group is up next 鈥� the day after her organisation announced $12.5 billion of funding for education of adolescent girls in the developing world.

Emiliana Vegas, Chief of the Education Division of the Inter-American Development Bank, highlights a bonds initiative which enables investors to get involved in education projects.

Doug Hunt, General Manager Education at IBM, tells of his company鈥檚 long-standing commitment to innovation in education. He says: 鈥淲e believe that education leaders can pave the way by creating new models for personalised education.

Ewen McDonald, Deputy Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia, tells of his government鈥檚 particular focus on early childhood development and about partnerships with industry to ensure students leave college with the right skills to enter the workforce.

Claudia Costin talks about World Bank funding for girls鈥� education

Takao Toda is the Director General of Human Development at JICA (Japan International Co-operation Agency). He tells of its work to help the Lebanese government improove 100 schools.

He adds: 鈥淐harity might not to be sustainable 鈥� we need to ask the private sector to do the sustainable business.鈥�

9.20am 鈥� Now for the third and final segment, which is on Building the Global Momentum. This is a chance to zoom out and look at the big picture.

How do we drive greater momentum for partnerships and bring diverse partners together to solve today鈥檚 global challenges?

Now we have two members of the Education Commission 鈥� the high-powered group set up to engage world leaders, policymakers and researchers to develop a renewed and compelling investment case and financing pathway for global education.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt is Chief Executive of Save The Children International. She says: 鈥淲hat we are trying to achieve is one very simnple thing 鈥� that every child has the chance to get into quality education.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt explains the aims of the Education Commission

鈥淏ut governments cannot do this alone. This is what the commission is trying to resolve.鈥�

She says private partners have to be involved, scale and systems are vital, and the focus must be on every single child 鈥� not just on quick wins.

Ms. Thorning-Schmidt adds: 鈥淭he commission will come up with some brilliant ideas. If we get the financing right, this is an ambition which we can achieve together.鈥�

Amel Karboul, Secretary-General of the Maghreb Economic Forum, tells how governments used to 鈥渢alk at me鈥� when she was a company CEO.

She says: 鈥淢y personal aim is to build bridges between the corporate worlds, the governments and NGOs to really advance the quality of education. We really need the support of everyone.鈥�

9.25 am 鈥� The official event ends with an address by Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education. He is here in his role as Chair of the Education Commission, which is charting the progress of education funding.

Gordon Brown says 鈥榃e need the best brains鈥�

He talks about the creation of the Safe Schools Initiative in Nigeria in the wake of the Chibok abductions, the Syrian refugee crisis and the after-effects of the Nepal earthquake.

Mr Brown says: 鈥淭he public-private partnerships are important because we need the best brains in emergencies. We need people ready to take risks and do things for people in the first of circumstances.

鈥淲e want businesses, foundations and others to be partners for the new humanitarian fund for education in emergencies which will be launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul next month. This coalition will be at the centre of the running of this new fund.鈥�

Powerful words from Envoy Gordon Brown. This is why we must make the in education for ALL youth

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

He says the Education Commission has got to come up with solutions for funding the education of millions of children not at school or not learning properly.

Mr Brown adds: 鈥淲e are constructing a partnership and leveraging each other鈥檚 finance upwards so that we can fund education.

鈥淲hat crushes a child is the soul-destroying lack of hope that a child cannot plan for the future because there is no school and no education available for them. That is why partnerships are so important.鈥�

9.35am 鈥� Mr Brown introduces听Matata Ponyo Mapon, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mr Mapon says: 鈥淲hen you invest in education it is as if you were taking a seat and trying to learn.

鈥淚 myself am a result of education!鈥� shows exactly how a in education changes lives

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

鈥淭hat seat is like a tree that will produce. It will bring forth fruit for eternity and one day we will taste this fruit.鈥�

The programme ends but guests are invited to view the Nepal virtual reality film and find out more about the #SafeSchools campaign.

It鈥檚 been an inspiring event, bringing together some great minds and opinion-makers 鈥� all willing to work together for the sake of educating children.

If you want learn more about the opportunities for public-private partnerships in education, on the subject.

Prime Minister Mapon is the final speaker at the event