KIX EMAP Webinar 26 Highlights: Advancing ECCE in Asia and the Pacific

On 12 November 2025, over 220 policymakers, practitioners, and partners from more than 56 countries convened online for KIX EMAP Webinar 26: "Advancing ECCE in Asia and the Pacific – A Call to Action." Co-organised by the KIX EMAP Hub, UNESCO Bangkok, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC), the webinar sparked vital regional dialogue around the recently published Asia-Pacific ECCE Regional Fact Sheet 

José Luís Canêlhas, Director of the KIX EMAP Hub, delivered welcome remarks, followed by Catherine Wilczek, Associate Project Officer at UNESCO Bangkok, who presented the main findings of the Fact Sheet. Ms Wilczek highlighted global and regional commitments to ECCE, current participation trends, and the Fact Sheet's actionable roadmap to address critical challenges in climate, financing, workforce, and equity.

“This [ECCE] isn’t just another educational priority. It is the very foundation which upon all future learning, societal well-being, and economic prosperity are built. The decisions we make for our youngest children will shape the future of the Asia-Pacific region for decades to come.” - Catherine Wilczek, Associate Project Officer, UNESCO Bangkok 

The webinar featured two dynamic roundtable discussions, translating regional data into national realities and practical solutions. 

Moderated by Catherine Wilczek, the first roundtable brought together Ministry of Education representatives to discuss how regional findings translate to national contexts:

• Lola Berdieva, Director of the Department for Coordination of Preschool Education, Ministry of Preschool and School Education, Uzbekistan
• Udara T. Dikkumbura, Additional Secretary – Co-Curricular and Primary Education Development, Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka
• H.E. Prak Kosal, Deputy Secretary General of the National Committee on ECCD and Director of the Early Childhood Education Department, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia

Speakers outlined the current state of ECCE in their countries, sharing recent policy progress and innovative approaches to increasing access. The discussion explored factors behind successful reforms and remaining barriers.

Marina Dreux Frotté, Education Policy, Evaluation and Learning Lead at KIX EMAP Hub, moderated the second roundtable focused on evidence-based support for strengthening ECCE systems. Joy Nafungo, Senior Program Specialist for GPE KIX at the International Development Research Centre, introduced the role of knowledge exchange in addressing ECCE challenges. Panelists included:

• Vilasack Viraphanh, Program Director, Plan International in Lao PDR, KIX Research Project LEARN Plus: Adapting, Testing and Scaling the Proven Summer PrePrimary (SPP) Model in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Tanzania.
• Visal Moosa, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Islamic University of Maldives, KIX Research Project Scaling Impact of a Play-Based, Child-to-Child Approach to Make Pre-School to Primary School Transition Fun and Inclusive.
• Rika Yorozu, Education Programme Specialist, UNESCO Bangkok: Global tools and policy levers to strengthen ECCE systems.
• Joel Lasam, Knowledge Management and Learning Advisor, ARNEC: “MoreCare4YoungChildren Project: The use of evidence to improve parenting programs in Indonesia and the Philippines”.

The speakers presented research on expanding ECCE access and improving transitions between educational stages, and the importance of collaboration with national authorities, local communities, and international partners. Further discussions explored recommended key actions to advance ECCE across Asia and the Pacific.

Rika Yorozu and Evelyn Santiago, Executive Director of ARNEC, delivered closing remarks reinforcing the shared responsibility required to answer the Fact Sheet's call to action, emphasizing that cross-sector and cross-border collaboration is essential to ensuring that every child in the Asia-Pacific region receives a strong educational foundation.

“...the message is very clear. If we want to improve childhood care and education in the region, there needs to be a holistic approach that looks at improving financing, [improving] the situation of the early childhood workforce, [emphasizing] the use of data and evidence and the importance of multisectoral approach to ECCE.” - Evelyn Santiago, Executive Director, ARNEC

This event successfully bridged data, policy, and practice, setting a collaborative and urgent tone for the region’s ECCE agenda. For further insights, access key resources and responses to questions raised during the webinar, visit our dedicated Key Resources and FAQ documents.