Yesterday 3 April, Estonia formally endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. The aim of the declaration is to protect the right to education and to facilitate the continuation of education in situations of armed conflict.
Many conflicts continue to destroy not just school infrastructure, but the chance for an education of a whole generation. Estonia as an elected member of the UN Security Council supports the right of children to education during armed conflicts.
The declaration commends the persistent work of the United Nations Security Council on children and armed conflict, including the Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014). The Security Council has urged all parties to armed conflicts to refrain from actions that impede children’s access to education.
The political declaration sends an important signal about the need to protect the safety of schools and universities, and thereby maintain a safe environment for children and youth in conflict zones across the world. They are often the most vulnerable people in armed conflicts. In joining the declaration, Estonia also supports its accompanying guidelines.
The declaration was initiated by Norway. In addition to Estonia, 102 states have joined the declaration so far. The declaration and its guidelines propose principles for a more efficient implementation of international humanitarian law but it is not legally binding for the states.
The full text of the declaration: https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/departementene/ud/vedlegg/utvikling/safe_schools_declaration.pdf
Read more: https://ssd.protectingeducation.org/endorsement/
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]
