The Arab Forum on Quality and Excellence in Early Childhood Institutions concluded its work on June 9, 2026. The Forum was dedicated to presenting the Arab framework for the quality of early childhood institutions, and featured presentations of experiences from participating countries, as well as from several international institutions within the UNESCO network.

The event brought together senior officials responsible for early childhood in Arab countries, alongside relevant experts, researchers, specialists, and practitioners. It served as an Arab platform for scientific dialogue and the exchange of experience and expertise. It also offered an opportunity to explore the future of quality systems in early childhood institutions, in light of rapid global transformations and the challenges facing Arab educational systems in ensuring children’s right to adequate care, learning, and growth development from the early years of life.

The Forum concluded by adopting the “Tunis Declaration on Enhancing the Quality and Sustainability of Early Childhood Institutions in Arab Countries.” This declaration reaffirms international commitments related to children’s rights, particularly SDG4 - Target 4.2 which aims to “ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education”.

The Declaration includes a set of key commitments:

1. Strengthening the right to high-quality early childhood
2. Building an Arab culture of quality and continuous improvement
3. Investing in human capacities
4. Leveraging innovation and digital transformation
5. Promoting partnerships and social responsibility
6. Reinforcing Arab and regional cooperation

The Declaration also calls on ALECSO and UNESCO-RCQE to work jointly on launching several strategic initiatives, including:

• The Arab initiative for capacity-building in early childhood quality
• The Arab reference framework for the quality of early childhood institutions
• The Arab observatory for early childhood quality
• The Arab digital platform for excellence in early childhood
• An Arab program for research and innovation in early childhood

Participants in the Forum called on all Arab countries, as well as on relevant national, regional, and international institutions and stakeholders, to unify efforts and invest in early childhood, being the most effective entry point for building the Arab human capital and fostering more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable societies. They also emphasized that early childhood quality is not merely a sectoral issue limited to education, but rather a comprehensive civilizational and developmental project for the Arab world—one that is closely tied to the future of countries and their ability to nurture creative, educated generations capable of promoting development and innovation, and shaping a better future.