Remarks by Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the General Assembly

13 September 2023

[As delivered]

 

 

Her Highness, Sheikha Moza Bin Naseer,

President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio,

Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Today, we come together to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time — an issue that has garnered unanimous support from the UN membership, and our sincere appreciation extends to Qatar for its leadership in bringing it to prominence.

Education, and the right to education, is currently at risk.

Among other challenges, conflicts and humanitarian emergencies are preventing students from fully enjoying their fundamental right to quality learning, leaving lasting and profound scars on entire generations.

An attack on a school is not merely the destruction of bricks and mortar; it symbolizes the shattering of those children’s entire educational futures, not to mention their inability in future to make a meaningful contribution to the Sustainable Development of their communities and societies.

With 2 billion people living in war zones, education is, at best, in jeopardy, and at worst, ruthlessly weaponized to extremist ends.

In too many corners of our world, students and educators face the constant threat of abduction, sexual violence and murder, while their schools are being bombed, burned down or exploited for military purposes.

Indeed, since 2020, more than 600 schools and universities have been targeted, destroyed or attacked.

What we are witnessing is an extremely worrying global trend, and it is imperative that we unequivocally refuse such abuse.

Excellencies,

It is critical, also, that we look at this issue through a gender lens – for the impacts are far from equal.

We are acutely aware that boys face a higher risk of being targeted for recruitment and radicalization by extremist groups.

But that girls suffer the worst humiliation and bear a disproportionate and systemic burden of conflict-related sexual violence.

These disturbing trends translate to the severe curtailment of children’s educational opportunities and prospects for the future, for girls and boys alike.

So, what can the General Assembly do to protect education from these deleterious attacks?

Firstly, let me commend the ground-breaking initiative, led by the UN Secretary-General and Her Highness, establishing a Youth Advisory Group to Protect Education from Attack.

Consulting directly with – and meaningfully involving young people, in particular those most directly affected – is paramount to ensuring their lived experiences are reflected in our policies.

Initiatives like the Safe Schools Declaration, championed by Argentina and Norway in 2015, exemplify the type of unwavering commitments essential to battling this scourge.

What we urgently require is:

  • The full respect of International Humanitarian Law
  • Commitments to guarantee the security of boys and girls attending school, and their teachers doing their vital work.
  • Pledges to safeguard the sanctity of every educational institution, ensuring they remain safe havens, and
  • Pledges to ensure that universities remain bastions of free, independent, and critical thinking, enabling individuals to pursue and share knowledge with academic integrity.

I urge Member States to continue to endorse political commitments, such as the Paris and Vancouver Principles – on Children Associated with Armed Groups, and on the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers – as well as other important initiatives.

These are tools we can use to ensure that Education and the protection of children’s, young people’s and teachers’ basic rights and safety are protected.

Excellencies,

Our role – as is stated from the outset of the United Nations Charter – is to protect future generations from the scourge of war.

Depriving youth from their right to education is – and I stress this is, in the strongest possible terms – the gravest dereliction of our duty.

Education – in its empowerment – is the mightiest of peacebuilders.

For this reason, I chose “Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability” as the guiding principles of my Presidency.

Quality education empowers students with skills and knowledge to drive progress in climate action, resource management, urban development, and more.

Depriving young people of education is a sure-fire way to perpetuate the cycles of war and conflict, and it will inevitably hinder our progress towards the achievement of the Agenda 2030.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Education is not just a fundamental right – it is humanity’s pathway to a brighter, more peaceful, and enlightened world.

Let us use today’s important event to amplify global calls – to bring together global leaders, technical experts, civil society organisations, private sector, youth – and engage in a productive global dialogue to protect education from any form of attack.

Thank you.