Around the world, attacks on children continue unabated, as warring parties flout one of the most basic rules of war: the protection of children. The protracted nature of conflicts today is affecting the futures of entire generations of children. Without access to education, a generation of children living in conflict will grow up without the skills they need to contribute to their countries and economies, exacerbating the already desperate situation for millions of children and their families.
A child’s right to education cannot be safeguarded in conflict zones without education itself being protected. Education can be a life-saver. Out of school, children are easy targets of abuse, exploitation and recruitment by armed forces and groups. School should provide a safe space where children can be protected from threats and crises. It is also a critical step to breaking the cycle of crisis and reduces the likelihood of future conflicts.
Following the United Nations General Assembly’s declaration of World Day to be celebrated every 9th of September each year to protect education from attacks, there is an urgent need to ensure that teachers, students and school buildings are protected from sustained and deliberate attacks, and that armed violence suffered by education leaders is combated, especially after increased attacks on students and educational buildings.
To reduce these attacks, Qatar's Permanent Mission to the United Nation, the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Foundation for Education Above All, are hosting a high-level Seminar entitled "Protecting Education for a Sustainable Peace", which will review the key role of education to build peace and stability, and Strengthening legal and political mechanisms to protect education from an innovative perspective.
A statement or a short video will be shown in a special broadcast on the 9th of September 2021 through the visual media and on the social media of the Foundation for Education Above All, along with the leaders of the world countries as well as with the participation of Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Education Above All and member of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals Defenders Group.