The Pakistan government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) are going to set up the Malala Global Fund at a mega advocacy event, Stand up for Malala – Stand up for Girls’ Right to Education, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on December 10.
President Asif Ali Zardari and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova will co-host the event while French Prime Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, former British prime minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown, Queen Rania of Jordan and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera are likely to participate along with other world leaders and representatives of various UN bodies and NGOs. The event, which will coincide with the United Nations Human Rights Day, is designed to generate political will and accelerate action in favour of every girl’s right to education. President Zardari and the UNESCO director general have jointly signed the invitation being sent to all UN member states. “The event being held in Paris is meant to emphasise the need for girls’ education and also to pay tribute to the brave Pakistani girl Malala,” Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Pakistan Today.