The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered learning and exacerbated educational inequalities in bothintranational and international contexts. This disruption has affected all levels of learning, from pre-primary to tertiary and adult education, and all settings, whether formal or non-formal. By restricting educational activities, the pandemic denies learning opportunities to several hundred million learners. The sudden closure of school buildings led education ministries to hastily organize distance education while shortening instruction time. These measures have particularly affected society’s most vulnerable groups. According to governments and media outlets, pre-crisis learning gaps continue to widen, and unless disparities are promptly addressed, many disadvantaged children and youth will fall further behind or drop out of learning institutions altogether. These learning gaps will negatively impact their lifelong prospect for further learning, decent livelihoods, and work. In response, more than 100 countries have reported an intention to introduce remedial and/or accelerated learning programs aimed at mitigating the learning gaps. In March 2020, UNESCO launched the Global Education Coalition (GEC) as a platform of international solidarity to help combat the COVID-19 induced learning disruptions. The Coalition uses innovative solutions to protect the right to education, ensure the continuity of learning and strengthen the resilience of education systems during the education disruption and beyond. It promotes cross-sector multilateral partnerships to facilitate distance and hybrid learning and to support smooth school reopening through curriculum adaptation. Above all else, the GEC has been called upon to promote equitable and inclusive learning opportunities, in particular by providing solutions for alternative learning modalities during the periods of school closures and restrictions, and possibly after school reopening.As part of the Global Education Coalition platform, three partnership initiatives have been launched, to deliver on three mission-oriented programs:• The Global Skills Academy will equip 1 million young people with employment and resilienceskills to help them to find jobs in the ongoing recession.• The Global Teachers Campus will equip 1 million teachers with ICT skills while matching theneeds of teachers with GEC members.• The Global Learning House (GLH) will provide 1 million learners with high quality, cost-freesupplemental learning opportunities, both online and offline, in subject areas related toscience, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM)