76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
N Security Council Arria meeting on Protection of Education in Conflict
Statement by Ambassador Sven Jürgenson
December 6, New York
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We sincerely thank today’s speakers – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon, SRSG Gamba, Executive Director Fore, as well as Ms Ppoumou from Save the Children and Paola from Children’s Manifesto for their participation and messages.
Estonia welcomes and strongly supports the work of Norway and Niger on the protection of education in conflict. In applying national experiences and lessons learnt to tackle global challenges your determined leadership has put the protection of education at the centre of the Council’s attention.
There is no better time for this than now – it was striking how access to education, in particular for girls, also emerged as a major and uniting concern in the Arria-meeting organised by Estonia together with 14 co-sponsors on the impact of COVID-19 on children in conflict in May. Maintaining this unity is crucial when going further in implementing resolution 2601, adopted with the lead of Niger and Norway.
Our objective is clear – seeking education or going to school should never be a daily dilemma for anyone between gaining knowledge and risking their life. Everyone – including those most vulnerable and marginalised – has a right to education.
In working towards this objective, we stress the following points:
- Protecting education in conflict is crucial for rebuilding societies and sustaining peace. It provides the foundation for the long-term implementation of peace agreements through building cohesion and capacities. In ignoring this connection, we undercut our efforts on peace and security. The relevance of the right to education to peace underscores the unquestionable link between the protection of human rights and maintaining peace and security.
- Compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, is the cornerstone for ensuring the protection of children affected by conflict. The lack of accountability for these violations – which remains the norm – risks their recurrence. We also have a significant and broadly supported body of best practice, including the Safe Schools Declaration, to build awareness and knowledge.
- As recognised by resolution 2601, attacks against education often target girls to supress their right to education. At least 85 civilians were killed and over 240 wounded on 8 May in a bomb attack outside Sayed Shuhada High School, a girls’ school near Kabul. This was part of a pattern of actions threatening to undermine the gains made in girls’ education in Afghanistan. As they should in every country, girls have the right to continue their full education in Afghanistan without fear.
- Girls face specific risks in attacks against schools and educational institutions, and the disruption of education has a higher chance of ending their access to education permanently. The response to and prevention of attacks against schools therefore needs to take into account these risks.
- Digital and remote learning solutions, which have undergone an accelerated evolution during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide an additional tool to provide a safe learning environment in conflict.
- Resolution 2601 provides a strong basis for the Council, including its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, to include protection of education regularly in its deliberations. This also includes its discussions on women, as well as youth and peace and security. This needs to be supported by a corresponding attention to the issue in the reporting by the Secretary-General.
- Child protection advisers in political and peacekeeping missions play a crucial role in leading child protection work and reporting and monitoring of violations against children, including attacks against schools. Their presence and sufficient resourcing remains crucial.
Madame Chair,
Estonia has made the protection of children affected by armed conflict one of its priorities as a member of the Security Council. Supporting education in conflict, including for refugee and displaced children, has been a crucial part of our international cooperation and assistance. We remain ready to work with all partners to achieve the objectives of resolution 2601.
Thank you.
