– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
9 September 2020
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Education Above All Foundation and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I thank the State of Qatar, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the Education Above All Foundation for organizing today’s virtual high-level event.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that education is one of the public services most vulnerable to external shocks. In fragile contexts, education is one of the first to be impacted by conflict and violence. It is critical that we continue to advocate for the cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians whilst we respond to the fall-out of the coronavirus.
Today, more countries are experiencing violent conflict than in the three decades since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Violent conflict has resulted in the displacement of more than 30 million children. The threat of disruption of education has in turn triggered displacement.
To this end, I welcome the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire and applaud the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, as well as the United Nations peacekeeping troops and personnel on the frontlines.
Equal access to quality education has been an overarching priority of the 74th session of the General Assembly. I commend the Government and People of Qatar and all 62 co-sponsoring Member States for bringing this critical issue to the attention of the world. In adopting resolution 74/275 to establish the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, the entire membership of the General Assembly upheld the values underpinning the Charter of the United Nations while working remotely to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Excellencies,
In 2015, we adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and committed to achieving equal access to quality education for all. Yet since then, there have been over 7,300 attacks on education. Two-thirds of these were direct attacks on schools, including: arson; ground and airstrikes; raids; looting; and the use of explosive devices.
We are witnessing the military occupation of schools which causes the campus to lose civilian status, thus facing threats of attack as a lawful military target. Furthermore, proximity to weapon-bearers places students at risk of forced recruitment, sexual violence, and abduction. It is most disturbing that 70 years after the Geneva Convention came into being, we must continue to remind the world that students, teachers, and schools are protected as civilians and civilian objects under international humanitarian law.
We must take urgent action to protect and uphold the rights of children in all circumstances. No one is above the law, and all perpetrators of attacks on education should be held accountable.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that education is one of the public services most vulnerable to external shocks. In fragile contexts, education is one of the first to be impacted by conflict and violence. It is critical that we continue to advocate for the cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians whilst we respond to the fall-out of the coronavirus.
I call on all Member States who have not already done so, to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, and to support UNICEF’s Change Agenda. We must invest in strengthening the monitoring and reporting of attacks on education and disaggregate this data to improve our response to attacks on education.
In post-conflict settings, we must give high priority to education. Rebuilding education systems is the foundation of peacebuilding, the critical action to break the cycle of fragility. Education provides youth with the analytical skills, tolerance and coping mechanisms required to navigate life’s challenges. The Global Partnership for Education estimates that each year of education reduces the risk of involvement in conflict by approximately 20%.
We must provide flexible and accelerated funding to ensure continuity of education. This requires transitional education planning, teacher training, and the adoption of innovative solutions such as UNICEF’s community-based education and radio-programming.
Excellencies,
In this Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, we must convene all stakeholders to take transformative actions in order to create a better world. Let this inaugural International Day to Protect Education from Attack be the catalyst for progress as we strive together to deliver for all.
I thank you
