Organizational Excellence
OMEP was accepted because its work program directly serves UN goals and purposes. Acceptance is based on several rigorous requirements:
- Democratic Constitution: Ensuring fair governance.
- Representative Structure: Reflecting a global presence.
- Accountability Mechanisms: Maintaining high standards.
- Transparent Decision-Making: Open and clear processes.
This also includes OMEP's trajectory and the resources contributed by national partners and individual members.
Global Impact
This status provides a major platform to defend children globally by:
- Strengthening OMEP's visibility and credibility regarding the well-being and rights of children aged 0 to 8.
- Influencing decisions made at the highest institutional levels.
- Enabling collaboration with influential stakeholders in early childhood public policies.
Official Representation: OMEP representatives at UNESCO, UNICEF, and the UN are appointed by the World Executive and approved by the World Assembly.
1. AT UNESCO
OMEP was created, thanks to the support received from UNESCO, in the first World Conference on Early Childhood in Prague (1948), where delegates from 17 countries participated. From that moment on, OMEP was committed to cooperate closely with UNESCO, carrying out joint work in different instances and projects.
1.1 Liaison Committee NGO-UNESCO
OMEP has three permanent representatives to UNESCO and actively participates in the reflections, activities and work of the Committee which represents all the NGO partners of UNESCO.
1.2 Collective Consultation for NGOs (CCNGO)/Education 2030
Since 2015, OMEP has been an elected member of the “Coordination Group” of the CCNGO/Education 2030. For the 2020/2021 period, the elected representative is OMEP’s World President.
1.3 Education for Sustainable Development
OMEP has participated in actions regarding the United Nation’s Decade for ESD (2005-2014) and in the implementation of the Global Action Plan (GAP) for ESD. Today, OMEP continues participating in related initiatives.
1.4 Global Citizenship Education (GCED)
OMEP is working with UNESCO in order to educate children since early childhood to develop a citizenship that allows them to contribute, with a proactive attitude, to building a more peaceful, tolerant, safe and sustainable world.
1.5 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
UNESCO calls OMEP as associated organization and specialist in ECCE to advice, inform, create strategies and write related documents.
1.6 UNESCO Participation Programme
The “Training Project for hydrology technicians in Africa” was established in 2017. This has been a strong contribution from OMEP in response to UNESCO’s main priorities: Africa, water and women. Initially, Congo Democratic Republic, Ivory Coast and Madagascar participated in the project, and in the 2019 edition, Senegal, Togo, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Burkina Faso also participated.
1.7 Other participations
OMEP participates in the extraordinary sessions for NGOs at UNESCO’s General Assembly. It is also present at other events in relation to the international days for education, peace, literacy, girls, teachers, mother tongue and other key issues.
1.8 Regional and local work
Given that OMEP is made up of more than 70 National Committees and 5 Regional Vice Presidencies, it has created networks and joint work with UNESCO, with the regional and local offices and with the International Institute for Educational Planning, and has developed different projects and initiatives. OMEP has also participated in regional Education Ministers’ Meetings and in technical meetings at UNESCO.
2. AT THE UNITED NATIONS
2.1 NGO Committee on Migration
OMEP had the position of Chair of the NGOs Committee on Migration for 4 years until July 2020 and is still a member of the Executive Committee. Its work has been put into practice in several actions, documents, declarations and the daily presence in the UN for the humanitarian cause of protecting migrants’ human rights.
The Executive Committee
Chair
Kimberly Happich Moloche
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
Vice Chair
Kati Garrison
Justice Coalition of Religious
Secretary
Nermin Ahmad
Business and Professional Women International
Treasurer
Jason Pop
World Evangelical Alliance
Members at Large
Marcio Toniazzo
Scalabrini International Migration Network
Eva Rodriguez Diaz
Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary-Loreto Generalate
Jessica Essary
OMEP
Elaine Congress
Federation of Social Workers
Global Presence & Advocacy
OMEP was represented at the launch of the event Unlocking the Future: A Global Call to Invest in the Early Years, hosted by Theirworld, UNICEF and partners from the Act For Early Years campaign during the United Nations General Assembly in New York (2025).
2.2 NGO Committee on UNICEF
From 2010 - 2018 OMEP worked closely with UNICEF on a variety of programs and presentations, particularly during the annual meetings on the Commission on Social Development and the Commission on the Status of Women. (See OMEP Annual Reports for details.)
From 2011 - 2018 OMEP collaborated with the UN’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program (WASH) and UNICEF to create WASH from the Start. The project’s goals were to:
- Adapt materials form WASH’s highly successful WASH in Schools (WiNs) program for use in early childhood settings;
- Expand existing WiNs programs to include younger children;
- Expand water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, education and activities in early childhood settings around the world, prioritizing areas were children were most vulnerable to water- and sanitation-related diseases and illnesses.
OMEP invited all OMEP National Committees to participate in WASH from the Start. (See World OMEP annual reports for participation rates.)
Key Achievements & Impact:
World OMEP received two funding grants from the UN for its work on WASH from the Start. Our advocacy also resulted in the first listing of early childhood as a priority for WASH programs at the UN. OMEP also authored a Field Guidance document for WASH programs around the world to strengthen their focus on younger children.
2.3 ECOSOC
ECOSOC consultative status is the formal mechanism that allows non-governmental organizations to
participate in the deliberations and work of the United Nations. By granting this status, the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) enables organizations to contribute their expertise, advocate for their
causes, and engage with various UN bodies and international conferences. This relationship isdesigned to strengthen civil society's involvement in global decision-making, ensuring that diverse perspectives help shape UN policies and initiatives.
Find out more about UN ECOSOC Consultative Status: www.ecosoc.un.org
3. AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
OMEP participates in events and exchanges information with other specialized organizations in the UN, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), regarding topics on rights and care and education in early childhood.
Together with the International Labor Organization (ILO), OMEP has drafted the document “Policy Guidelines on the promotion of decent work for early childhood personnel”, available at: Download ILO Guidelines
MEET OMEP’S REPRESENTATIVES