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© UNICEF/UNI164540/Liu

NEW YORK/ HONG KONG, 3 April 2017 – Montblanc and UNICEF today announced the continuation of their long-standing partnership to help some of the world’s most vulnerable children access education.

The partnership, formed in 2004 through a shared vision of empowering children through education, has to-date raised more than HK$78 million (US$10 million) for UNICEF’s work for children. In this next stage of the partnership, Montblanc aims to support UNICEF to improve the learning for over 5 million children.

“Writing is at the core of the Maison’s history. Montblanc is committed to advocating for a world where every child is given the chance to learn how to read and write,” said Montblanc CEO Nicolas Baretzki.

“Through our long-term partnership with UNICEF we have raised an incredible amount which has helped children access the quality education they need to thrive. While there is still much to accomplish on the journey to ending illiteracy, every life changed, and every individual story is testament to the difference we can make by working together,” continued Baretzki.

“Education, particularly girls’ education, holds the key to a better life for millions of children and adolescents worldwide: a life with less poverty, better health and an increased ability to take their future into their own hands,” said Jo Bourne, Associate Director of Education at UNICEF. “Yet 263 million children and youth are out of school – children denied a fair chance to learn and reach their full potential because of reasons such as poverty, location, gender, disability or conflict. UNICEF is grateful to Montblanc for its ongoing support in ensuring more children have access to a quality education.”

The partnership between Montblanc demonstrates how the private sector sees investing in early childhood care and education as one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to start children on a lifelong path of learning and to ensure they all have a fair chance to reach their potential.

Montblanc, a champion of the written word, embarked on the partnership with UNICEF in 2004 to help promote literacy across the world. The partnership has so far helped UNICEF’s education work with governments and partners in countries across Asia and Africa and helped UNICEF provide training to education professionals, reducing repetition and dropout rates. In addition, the collaboration has helped girls realise their right to education, and has also helped prepare communities for the onset of emergencies including natural disasters. The renewed partnership invests in children’s programs in China, Djibouti, and Brazil.