On 7 July 2026, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN), together with UNICEF, officially launched the reconstituted Early Childhood Education and Development & Foundational Learning (ECED-FLN) Cluster under the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026–2035 (CESA 26–35).

Over 77 participants from across the continent joined the 90-minute session, which introduced the Cluster's leadership, presented the draft Terms of Reference for 2026–2035, and opened the floor for Member States and partners to share priorities and perspectives shaping the Cluster's direction.

As the successor to the CESA 16–25 ECED Cluster, the ECED-FLN Cluster expands its focus to cover the continuum from early childhood through foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning in the early primary grades — coordinated by AfECN, chaired by the AUC's ESTI department.

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1. [Orientation_Meeting_Report_EN] |

2. The [Report of Proceedings] for full details.