UNRWA curriculum for Gaza schools – SecGen spokesperson – Press briefing (excerpts)

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

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**Questions and Answers

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Question:  Farhan, two reports that I want to refer you to yesterday.  One was that the Israeli attack that was reported last night near Gaza.  Another report was attributed to, I think, UNRWA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] or something, that there was a protest over there in Gaza on the education of the Holocaust by UNRWA.  Is that in UNRWA’s report?  Is that right?  Do you have any…?

Associate Spokesperson:  In terms of the details on that, that is not quite what I’ve got.  But what I can tell you is this:  the Holocaust is not included in the curriculum in Gaza, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA.  In Gaza, as in all fields where UNRWA works, UNRWA utilizes the curriculum of the host countries as its core curriculum.  UNRWA has included an additional human rights component since 2002, and it will continue to teach human rights within the constructive, positive and apolitical environment it promotes in its schools.  The focus of the human rights curriculum is the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.  And that’s the information I have on that.

Question:  What about the Israeli jets attacking the crossing?

Associate Spokesperson:  I don’t have any update on that, no.

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For information media • not an official record