IPNEd and GCPEA spotlight the role of MPs in safeguarding education
On October 14, IPNEd partnered with the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) for a discussion on the role of parliamentarians in strengthening the protection of education from attack.
At the webinar moderated by IPNEd’s Executive Director, Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly, representatives from government, parliament, civil society and youth shared their reflections on the important role of MPs in protecting students, teachers, lecturers and other educational staff as well as schools and educational facilities from violent attacks.
The discussion took place ahead of the Fourth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration, scheduled to take place in Abuja later this month. The Abuja Conference, hosted by Nigeria in collaboration with the African Union Commission, Argentina, Norway, Spain and GCPEA, presents a key opportunity for countries to announce their endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration and share good practice in keeping education safe.
The event was opened by Nwatamasaya Papka, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria at the United Nations in Geneva. Ms Papka outlined the opportunity the upcoming Abuja Conference presents for governments to set out their endorsement and implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration:
“The Abuja Conference is the first Safe Schools Conference to be held in Africa, and in the Sahel Region, one of the regions most affected by attacks.
“In Nigeria, the Safe Schools Declaration framework has enabled us to systematically develop strategies and mechanisms to protect education. The Conference provides us with the opportunity to critically review implementation progress and hold ourselves accountable for the endorsement of the Declaration”.
Nwatamasaya Papka, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria at the United Nations in Geneva.
Veronique Aubert OBE, GCPEA Co-Chair and the ICC Prosecutor’s Special Advisor on Crimes Against and Affecting Children, reflected on the importance of moving from commitment to practice, the theme of the Conference:
“Endorsement of the Declaration is just one step. Concerted action to protect education from attack is particularly urgent as COVID-19 further endangers students schooling. Since the Declaration was opened for endorsement there have been tangible improvements in law and practice to protect education from attack due to effective implementation”.
Attacks on education not only damage school infrastructure and deny children and students their right to education, they destroy the hopes and ambitions of a whole generation of girls and boys.
Mohammad, a seventeen year old from Hebron in the West Bank, spoke about the devastating impact that attacks at and on the way to school have had on him and his education:
“One of the things that makes me feel unsafe on the way to school is the checkpoint that I have to go across, because if it is closed or there are nearby skirmishes that would definitely prevent me from getting to school. It is a daily source of anxiety, in addition to the ongoing disruptions, searches and attacks by the occupation army and settlers that often target students and children on their way to school”.
Since it opened for endorsement in May 2015, the Safe Schools Declaration has served as an effective tool for protecting students and educators from attack, with 112 countries joining the Declaration.
During the event State Minister for Education Fathimath Naseer announced that the Maldives had become one of the most recent countries to endorse the Declaration:
“In March 2021 President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih decided to seek Cabinet’s advice to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration. After the Cabinet advised Maldives to join the Declaration, the President consulted the Parliament on the matter. The Ministry of Education sent a proposal to the Parliament who unanimously approved our endorsement of the Declaration”.
Veronique Aubert OBE
State Minister for Education Fathimath Naseer
Members of IPNEd’s Executive Committee also outlined steps they have taken towards keeping schools safe during conflict.
MNA Mehnaz Aziz, a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and IPNEd’s Regional Representative for Asia, provided a powerful case for Pakistan and neighbouring countries to endorse the Declaration:
“In 2014, at an army-run school in Peshawar, an attack happened where 150 students and teachers were slaughtered. The situation in Afghanistan now makes me revisit that scenario.
More recently, between 2017 to 2019, GCPEA identified between 50 reported incidents of attacks on schools, with nearly half of these attacks targeting girl’s schools. Endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration alone is not a panacea but it shows commitment and political will. The Abuja Conference is an opportunity for our governments to demonstrate they are committed to safeguarding the right to education”.
“The law is very clear, education is a right and it is a crime against humanity to destroy schools and prevent children from accessing education. With colleagues from across the political spectrum we will encourage the Australian Government to step up and take our place amongst the college of nations who have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration”, said Senator Deborah O’Neill of the Parliament of Australia and IPNEd’s Regional Representative for Oceania.
MNA Mehnaz Akber Aziz
Senator Deborah O’Neill
“As we heard unanimously from all our speakers, members of parliament have a critical role to play to help safeguard education from attack, said IPNEd Executive Director Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly.
“Last month on International Day to Protect Education from Attack, we released our briefing which sets out a range of concrete measures parliamentarians can take to encourage their government to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration and strengthen its implementation.
“Ensuring that all children and students in conflict zones are able to access their right to education is core to IPNEd’s mission and we look forward to continuing to work with GCPEA to support our member parliamentarians to advocate on this critical issue”.
