A/HRC/RES/56/5 primary, secondary and tertiary education and technical and vocational training, with targets to ensure, by 2030, that all children complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes and that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education, Expressing deep concern that a significant number of countries have made only slow progress in raising early childhood education participation and secondary education completion rates, in particular with regard to children from low-income families and in marginalized or vulnerable situations, Recognizing that the right to education is a multiplier right that supports the empowerment of all women and girls to realize their human rights, including the rights to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, to participate in the conduct of public affairs, as well as in economic, social and cultural life, and to fully, equally and meaningfully participate in the decision-making processes that shape society, and the transformative potential of education for every girl, Expressing profound concern that, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 250 million children, adolescents and young people do not attend school, predominately at the secondary school level, that, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, nearly 50 per cent of pre-primary age children around the world – at least 175 million – are not enrolled in pre-primary education, that costs to students or their families, social inequality and lack of infrastructure at the pre-primary and secondary levels remain important obstacles to access to education in many countries, and that girls are still more likely to remain excluded from education, Noting that special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council and treaty bodies have highlighted that providing free education includes removing not only fees but also indirect costs, including the cost of books, school materials, uniforms, transportation, examination fees, utilities and security, parent-teacher association fees, the payment of volunteering teachers, boarding school costs when parents have no other choice and, increasingly, the costs of digital devices and Internet connections, as well as providing free lunches, in particular for those unable to pay, Taking note of the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education, in which young people demanded that decision makers eradicate all legal, financial and systemic barriers preventing all learners from gaining access to and fully participating in education, Affirming the need to ensure equal access to educational opportunities and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices, Welcoming the steps taken at all levels, including by low- and middle-income countries, to prioritize and allocate adequate resources, despite economic and financial challenges, to make pre-primary and secondary education free and accessible for all children, Recognizing the long-term benefits of education, including on digital skills and literacy, in promoting economic growth, development, social stability and individual empowerment, and urging States to explore the innovative financial mechanisms, international partnerships and effective policy measures to ensure that every child receives a quality education without financial barriers, especially children in marginalized or vulnerable situations, Urging the international community, including development partners, international financial institutions and non-governmental organizations, to support and cooperate with States in their efforts to provide quality, inclusive and free public education, including through non-conditional financial assistance, capacity-building initiatives and the sharing of best practices to help States to overcome economic constraints and successfully implement free education programmes, thereby helping to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all, Taking note of the Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action for Transforming Early Childhood Care and Education, adopted at the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education, held from 14 to 16 November 2022 in Tashkent, in 2