Last month, the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) gathered leaders from governments, UN agencies, international financing institutions, civil society, philanthropy, the private sector, and academia in New York. For the first time in years, the early years — young children, their caregivers, and the workforce that supports them — were placed prominently on the global agenda. ISSA’s Executive Director, Liana Ghent, joined these discussions, bringing the voice of our network into high-level conversations about how to unlock the future through greater investment and collaboration in early childhood.

Financing and political will

A central theme running through UNGA80 was the urgent need to address the global financing gap for early childhood. At the event “Unlocking the Future: A Global Call to Invest in the Early Years” — co-hosted by UNICEF, the Government of South Africa, Theirworld, and partners of the Act for Early Years campaign — ministers and leaders made an emphatic call for bold commitments. In a symbolic show of unity, participants signed the “Minifesto,” a child-sized declaration urging world leaders to prioritize investment in the earliest years of life.

Momentum for financing was echoed in the Global Partners Roundtable on Early Childhood, where governments, donors, and networks debated how to mobilize at least US$1 billion in new funding. These discussions pointed toward a major milestone: the first-ever International Finance Summit for Early Childhood, planned for 2027, which will gather governments, donors, investors, and civil society to secure bold, long-term financing for under-fives.

From local to global: scaling what works

Another theme was how to connect local innovations to global solutions. The panel “Driving Change from the Global Level with ECDAN and Act for Early Years” explored how global partnerships can strengthen local action, while “Pathways to Scale” highlighted concrete examples of how early childhood programs can expand sustainably. The launch of the Home-Based Childcare Alliance marked another step forward, elevating the voices of caregivers and linking grassroots realities with global policy conversations.

Liana Ghent spoke on behalf of the five Regional Early Childhood Networks — AfECN, ANECD, ARNEC, ISSA, and Somos Crianza — which together span more than 100 countries. She underscored that while programs and policies are often visible, the less visible but essential infrastructure of networks is what enables collaboration to thrive. “Networks are the connective tissue, the glue that holds together diverse organizations and individuals,” she said, calling for their work to be recognized as vital drivers of change.

Equity, peace, and inclusion

The UNGA week also shone a spotlight on the devastating impact of war on young children. The incredibly powerful session “Stop the War on Children NOW!”, co-hosted by the Early Childhood Peace Consortium and the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN, reminded participants that violence affects children even before birth and that war trauma leaves a legacy across generations. Investing in early childhood can interrupt these cycles of fear and loss — fostering resilience, healing communities, and laying the foundations for lasting peace.

The MenCare Global Meeting emphasized how investing in nurturing care, parental leave, and gender equity in caregiving contributes not only to stronger families but also to more just societies. Meanwhile, the Agency Summit highlighted teachers’ critical role in supporting children’s agency by providing opportunities to act, choose, and thrive, thereby contributing to sustainable development outcomes and their participation as citizens in democratic society.

A turning point for the early years

Together, these events at UNGA80 sent a powerful signal: the early years are no longer peripheral, but central to solving global challenges of poverty, inequality, and instability. For ISSA, the week reaffirmed the power of networks — to connect local realities to global agendas, to amplify the voices of practitioners, and to turn momentum into lasting change for young children and families.

As part of the Act for Early Years campaign and the High-Level Advisory Group, ISSA will continue working with partners to mobilize political will, secure financing, and ensure that the voices of our members and communities are heard where decisions are made. The early years cannot wait — and together, we can build a future where every child has the best start.