Ms Stefania Giannini was appointed UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education in 2018, becoming the top UN official in the field. She provides strategic vision and leadership in coordinating and monitoring the Education 2030 Agenda, encompassed in Sustainable Development Goal 4. During her term, she has given fresh impetus to multilateral and bilateral partnerships; increased focus on education’s ethical role in providing learners with the skills to respond to 21st century challenges and on the responsibility of universities in achieving the SDGs. She affirmed UNESCO’s leadership in the COVID-19 response through global evidence, guidance, policy dialogue and collaboration with all partners, including through the Global Education Coalition. In 2022, she led the landmark Transforming Education Summit convened by the UN Secretary-General, which propelled education to the top of the political agenda. With a background in the Humanities, Ms Giannini has served as Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia (2004 – 2012); Senator of the Republic of Italy (2013 – 2018) and Minister of Education, Universities and Research (2014 – 2016).

Cristina Gutiérrez Hernández has a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Valladolid (1984-1990). She also has postgraduate certificates in “Tropical Medicine” from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (1994), and in “Development cooperation management projects” from the Complutense University of Madrid (2001). She has over 25 years of professional experience in humanitarian aid and development assistance in NGOs, multilateral organizations and Spanish Cooperation in the Balkans, North Africa and Sub Saharan Africa. From 1996 to 1999 she worked for the NGO “Médicos del Mundo” and for the Andalusian School of Public Health on several health projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). In 2002, she started working for the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), first as a project manager at the Technical Cooperation Office for the Balkans (located in Sarajevo). In 2005 she became General Coordinator of this office, where she worked until 2010. She was designated General Coordinator in Morocco (2010-2014) and later in Mozambique (2014-2018). Since September 2018 she is the Director for Humanitarian Affairs at the AECID.

Dr. Fatoumata Haidara is Plan International’s Director of the Sahel Region. Dr. Haidara is a Malian visionary and champion for the rights of women and girls with a demonstrated passion for human rights and social justice. She has 20 years’ experience holding leadership roles with WaterAid, Oxfam, the Canadian International Development Agency, and most recently with Plan International. As Plan’s West and Central Africa Sahel Director, she provides strategic leadership for the design and implementation of Plan’s Sahel portfolio including child rights, education in emergencies, gender equality, and community-based development initiatives. She is a results-oriented leader with demonstrated competence in creating and delivering innovative program strategies that improve the quality of health and security of vulnerable communities. Dr. Haidara has a doctorate from the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in Russia and holds certificates in human rights, organizational development, and gender-based planning.