FORUM: "Renewing our plight for the millions of children living in countries affected by conflict." International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2024. Attacks on education can have serious, long-term physical and psychological repercussions for students and teachers. Attacks can suspend teaching and learning, lead to a significant increase in dropout rates and prevent students from accessing their right to quality education. We must build on the international consensus on child protection and rally behind the instruments that have already been agreed upon widely as well as the respect of international law. Over 14,500 reports of attacks on education or military use of educational facilities were recorded worldwide between 2017 and 2022, according to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA). More than 28,000 students, teachers, and academics were injured, killed, or harmed in such attacks carried out in situations of armed conflict or insecurity. The International Day to Protect Education from Attack is an occasion to raise awareness about the pressing issue of attacks on schools, students, education personnel and teachers worldwide. It serves as a reminder that children and youth continue to face conflict, violence and disruption to their education, undermining their right to learn and thrive in a peaceful and nurturing environment. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #9september, #AttacksonEducation, #ProtectEducationfromattack.
EVENTS: On September 9th, a webinar to mark the International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2024; The United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UNHCR, the OHCHR, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG), the United Nations Peackeeping will held. This year's main High-Level Observance of the fifth International Day is co-organized by the UNESCO, the Permanent mission of Slovenia to the UN, the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, the UNICEF, and the United Nations Department of Global Communications, will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This event is part of a week-long commemoration dedicated to galvanizing action to safeguard education. The event will gather global leaders, stakeholders, teachers and victims of attacks on education to focus on the endorsement and implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, and to renew the international political commitment aimed at protecting education in conflict situations. The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission will organize a special event focusing on education’s role in building peace within the framework of the ongoing revision of UNESCO’s 1974 recommendation concerning education for international understanding, co-operation and peace and education relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms
LIVESTREAM: Launch of the Education under attack 2024 Report. This year’s version of the report will demonstrate that attacks on education and military use of schools and universities are increasing across the globe.The overall goal of the launch event is to galvanise support by Member States and other relevant stakeholders towards key findings and recommendations in the Education under Attack report, and to inform the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict. Specific objectives: 1. To disseminate and build support and partnerships towards key findings and recommendations of Education under Attack 2024, in particular those related to the increase in attacks involving the use of explosive weapons, climate change and gender; 2. To increase the political support to the Safe Schools Declaration within the Security Council in the lead up to the 2024 International Day on Protecting Education from Attack; 3. To stress the need for an intersectional and cross-sectoral approach towards attacks on education, including multi-stakeholder and multi-level coordination around different fora, including the Security Council, the 79th session of the UN General Assembly and the Summit of the Future, the 2024 Humanitarian Affairs Segment and the 2024 High-Level Political Forum. Audience: Members States, in particular members of the UN Security Council, UN experts and entities, civil society organisations, academia, donors, NY-based press. Watch the livestream!
PUBLICATION: Key findings of the Education under attack 2024 report include: • Attacks on education are increasing; over 10,000 students, teachers, and academics were harmed, injured, or killed in these attacks, which occurred in armed conflicts across the globe. • Attacks on schools were the most prevalent form of attack on education; • There has been a general increase in the use of educational facilities for military purposes and attacks involving the use of explosive weapons; • Students with disabilities were uniquely impacted by attacks on education; • Women and girls were targeted because of their gender in attacks on education in certain contexts; • Spreading violence from the Central Sahel into neighbouring West African countries began impacting access to education in affected countries; • Initial connections between climate change and attacks on education are emerging, such as in contexts of climate-change induced food insecurity. Read more!
Statement from the United Nations Secretary General on International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2024; September 9th.
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in attacks on students, teachers, educational personnel and schools around the world — from Gaza, to Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere.
Every conflict exacts a cruel human toll. But for the children and young people caught up in the hell of conflict, the cost is incalculable.
This important day reminds us of the damage of war on young learners’ bodies, minds and spirits. From injuries and loss of life, to abduction, forced displacement, sexual violence, recruitment to the fighting, and lost opportunities, the risks are enormous.
Education is not only a basic human right in itself — it’s essential to the fulfilment of all human rights.
I call on all countries to invest in education and spare no effort to safeguard education and places of learning, protect students and teachers alike, and hold accountable perpetrators of attacks on places of learning.
I also urge all countries to fully endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration, support the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, and stand with all efforts to ensure that children and young people can continue their learning — both in times of crisis and after the fighting stops.
Let’s protect education from attack, and safeguard the fundamental right to education that belongs to every child and young person, everywhere.
António Guterres.
WEBCAST: Education Under Attack 2024 Global Launch.
The 2024 version of the report will demonstrate that attacks on education and military use of schools and universities are increasing across the globe. Join us on 20 June to learn more about the findings and recommendations of the report ahead of the 2024 Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.
The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) is a global coalition of UN agencies and International Civil Society Organisations that advocates for the protection of education during armed conflict since 2010. Every two years GCPEA publishes its flagship report, Education under Attack, which is the most comprehensive report documenting attacks on education on a global scale.
Education under Attack monitors human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including indiscriminate attacks on schools, arbitrary killing of students and education personnel, sexual and gender-based violence, and recruitment of children by armed forces or armed groups. It includes data on the military use of schools and universities by armed forces and non-state armed groups, for example their use as barracks or weapons storage facilities. It also analyses the effects of the use of explosive weapons on schools and universities.
Moderator: Lisa Chung Bender, Executive Director of GCPEA
Opening:H.E. Sangjin Kim, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea
Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children And Armed Conflict
Panel:Jerome Marston, GCPEA's Senior researcher
Mina Bakhshi, Refugee Student from Afghanistan
Col. Luis Viñas, Uruguayan representative from the UN Verification Mission in Colombia
Moderated discussion with questions and reactions
Synthesis and Call to Action: H.E. Merete Brattested, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations in New York
Closing: H.E. Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Representative of Slovenia to the Security Council TBC
The 2024 version of the report will demonstrate that attacks on education and military use of schools and universities are increasing across the globe. Join us on 20 June to learn more about the findings and recommendations of the report ahead of the 2024 Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.
The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) is a global coalition of UN agencies and International Civil Society Organisations that advocates for the protection of education during armed conflict since 2010. Every two years GCPEA publishes its flagship report, Education under Attack, which is the most comprehensive report documenting attacks on education on a global scale.
Education under Attack monitors human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including indiscriminate attacks on schools, arbitrary killing of students and education personnel, sexual and gender-based violence, and recruitment of children by armed forces or armed groups. It includes data on the military use of schools and universities by armed forces and non-state armed groups, for example their use as barracks or weapons storage facilities. It also analyses the effects of the use of explosive weapons on schools and universities.
Moderator: Lisa Chung Bender, Executive Director of GCPEA
Opening:H.E. Sangjin Kim, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea
Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children And Armed Conflict
Panel:Jerome Marston, GCPEA's Senior researcher
Mina Bakhshi, Refugee Student from Afghanistan
Col. Luis Viñas, Uruguayan representative from the UN Verification Mission in Colombia
Moderated discussion with questions and reactions
Synthesis and Call to Action: H.E. Merete Brattested, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations in New York
Closing: H.E. Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Representative of Slovenia to the Security Council TBC
