MPs adopt Geneva Declaration on education in emergencies

Parliamentarians from a wide range of countries formally adopted the Geneva Declaration on Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises during a high level event at the Education Cannot Wait High-Level Financing Conference on 16 February 2023.

The event was organized by the International Parliamentary Network for Education in Emergencies (IPNEd) and the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub).

The Declaration is a political statement, developed in consultation with legislators from a wide range of countries and informed by global experts in education in emergencies.

“The Declaration is a statement of both concern and commitment” said IPNEd Executive Director, Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly, speaking at the launch event.

“Concern that conflict, climate change and pandemic disease pose a growing threat to education around the world, along with a commitment to act to mitigate those threats and protect the right to education of children caught up in humanitarian crises.”

The Declaration sets out commitments parliamentarians can make, both alone and in collaboration with peers from within their parliaments, regions and globally, to act in response to the challenges posed by humanitarian crises.

Serving parliamentarians were front and center in discussing and adopting the Geneva Declaration, including Mehnaz Akber Aziz Co-Chair of IPNEd and Member of the Pakistan National Assembly, Nicolas Walder Swiss Member of Parliament and member of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly, and Awut Deng Acuil, Member of Parliament and Minister for Education of South Sudan.

“To secure education budgets, parliamentarians must stand up and fight for it. As an Education Minister, it makes it much easier (when parliamentary support is strong),” said Minister Acuil. “If we do not push the finance ministry, they will discard our budget, and put the money somewhere else.”

“In many countries, education is fighting for life – people tell us, ‘Instead of talking about education, talk about putting food on the table’ – that is the challenge we are having,” said Mehnaz Akber Aziz, who also talked about Pakistan’s devastating floods, and the need to act in solidarity with countries like Turkey, Syria, Ukraine.

 “We are the elected representatives of our constituents. We have to be the ones fighting – for women’s rights, for the rights of children, for the right to education.”

“For us in the International Francophonie, the right to education is essential,” said Nicholas Walder. “Education is a lifeline for children everywhere, it brings stability and hope to young people and their families. As parliamentarians, it is our duty to vote in education budgets adequate to the needs in our countries, and to pursue solidarity and concerted action.”

The disruption caused by conflicts, violence, climate change, pandemic, and the global food and nutrition crises pose a growing threat to the goal of ensuring all the world’s girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality education by 2030. There has been exponential growth in the number of children and youth in need, and demand for education by affected communities.

“Unfortunately, political understanding of and commitment to education in emergencies is insufficient. In response, the Geneva Declaration on Political Leadership for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises identifies commitments that parliamentarians can make to move education from the margins to the centre of humanitarian policy making and financing,” said IPNEd Cofounder and Executive Director Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly.

Both IPNEd and the EiE Hub are committed to growing political knowledge, understanding and action in support of education in emergencies and to supporting implementation of the Geneva Declaration.

“The Declaration is a key outcome of our collaboration but there’s more to come. We’re working together to develop tools and opportunities for parliamentarians to take effective action on education in emergencies, building on the Geneva Declaration which was adopted today,” said EiE Hub co-ordinator Petra Heusser.

The Geneva Declaration is available to download here in English, French and Spanish.