New York, 24 January 2025 –
With over 100 million children denied their rights to education, due to conflicts, economic barriers, natural disasters or discrimination, education remains a pressing challenge. In some conflict situations, attacks on schools and their military use continue to jeopardize children’s safety and right to learn. In 2023, the United Nations verified 752 attacks against schools and their protected personnel. The harsh reality of these numbers should serve as a wakeup call to better protect every child's right to education, even in the most challenging circumstances, as framed by international humanitarian and human rights law.
The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG CAAC), underscores that education not only lays the foundation for peace, resilience, and sustainable development but is also a powerful tool to end and prevent grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict.
Education is a life-saving tool for children affected by conflict and a key element for reintegration, particularly for children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG). Customized resources to support teachers and educators working with CAAFAG are lacking, and to address this gap, OSRSG CAAC in partnership with UNESCO will launch next week a new Guidance specifically targeting Teachers and Educators. This resource equips teachers and educators with practical tools to create inclusive learning environments that support children’s reintegration and help them recover from the trauma of war. While this new Guidance marks a significant milestone in better addressing the educational needs of conflict-affected children and particularly CAAFAG, more should be done.
‘On this International Day of Education, I urge the global community to prioritize the protection of safe learning environments by safeguarding schools from attacks and ensuring they remain free from military use, providing targeted reintegration support to help children affected by armed conflict rebuild their lives through education, and making education a central pillar of humanitarian responses and recovery efforts,’ stated Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.
By protecting and investing in education, we can transform the lives of children impacted by conflict and lay the foundation for a future rooted in peace, resilience, and sustainable development.
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For more information, please contact:
Ariane Lignier, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: ariane.lignier@un.org
Fabienne Vinet, Political Affairs Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: vinet@un.org