The state of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s most vulnerable children
Click above to read the fully interactive, downloadable and sharable 21-page ECPC report.
G20 Civil Society 20 (C20) Virtual Summit — C20 Saudi Arabia 2020
The ECPC Global to Action — Response to COVID-19 for children in fragile and conflict-affected settings: The promise of early childhood development
A young migrant girl, wearing a Covid-19 protection mask, is relocating from the overcrowded refugee camp on Lesbos Island to the Greek mainland, May 2020. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A panel of six international experts representing Yale University, UNICEF, Early Years, the Arab Network for Early Childhood Development, and World Vision demonstrated by science and practice the vital importance of ECD strategies and services to mitigate the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis and its indirect consequences on the world’s most vulnerable children and families.
The panel assessed global efforts towards achieving universal access to inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education, most notably for children living in situations of violent conflict, war, and displacement, and looked at the global actions needed to expand and guarantee access.
What you will find in the sections below:
- A brief introduction to the science and practice of early childhood development with respect to peacebuilding,
- A video recording of the C20 Summit ECPC panel session,
- Highlights per each of the six presentations that are featured in this report, and
- Recommended actions.
1. What science and practice say
Science heralds a new era
Is nurturing care in early childhood a determinant to health?
How does long-term investment in early childhood development lead to more peaceful and sustainable societies?
What the evidence shows
- increased vertical and horizontal social cohesion,
- reduced risk of transgenerational transmission of violence, and
- increased economic growth and sustainable development.
2. Video recording — ECPC panel session, G20 Civil Society 20 (C20) Virtual Summit 2020
ECPC C20 Summit 2020 panel session: “Response to COVID-19 for Children in Fragile and Conflict-affected Settings: The Promise of Early Childhood Development”
Video appearances by a multidisciplinary team of ECPC experts include:
- Rima Salah, PhD — ECPC Chairperson, Assistant Clinical Professor in the Yale Child Study Center, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations
- James F. Leckman, MD, PhD — Neison Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology in the Yale Child Study Center
- Siobhan Fitzpatrick, CBE — Former Chief Executive Officer, Early Years — the organisation for young children (N. Ireland)
- Nada Elattar, MPH — Early Childhood Development Specialist — Emergencies, UNICEF
- Ghassan Issa, MD — Co-Founder, Arab Network for Early Childhood Development, Lebanon
- Ana Tenorio, MA, MS — Global Technical Director, Education, TSO, World Vision International
3. ECPC report highlights
01 Presentation — “The state of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s most vulnerable children

02 Presentation — “Pathways to a More Peaceful World: The Transformative Power of Children and Families

03 Presentation — “Empowering Families and Communities Through Quality Early Childhood Services
by Siobhán Fitzpatrick, CBE — Former Chief Executive Officer, Early Years — the organisation for young children (N. Ireland)
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04 Presentation — “Supporting Our Caregivers Through Home-based Services and Resources
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05 Presentation — “COVID-19s Impact on Young Children in the Middle East
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06 Presentation — “The Importance of Faith-based Leaders and Educating Our Young Children

4. Our global responsibility to champion the rights of the child — is now.
Take Action
- Utilizing a one-child-at-time approach
- Providing for the needs of parents
- Building community partnerships
- Offering additional creative and innovative strategies
About the G20 Civil Society 20 (C20)
- The world’s response and recovery to COVID-19,
- Economic and social justice,
- Sustainable development,
- Protection of human rights as well as the accountability, and
- transparency of governments across the world.
About the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC)
Topics & initiatives
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