(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) commended Qatar's significant and vital role in advancing the education agenda for the world's most marginalized children, emphasizing Qatar's dedicated efforts to provide quality education opportunities for children and youth in need, especially those affected by emergencies and conflicts.
The world celebrates the international day to Protect Education from Attack on September 9 every year after it was approved and adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly at its 74th session, based on a draft resolution submitted by the State of Qatar. The Qatari draft resolution, which the world celebrates for the fourth time this year, was adopted on May 28, 2020, entitled“International Day to Protect Education from Attack,” and stipulates that September 9 of each year is considered a global day to protect education from attacks, and urges the international community to alleviate the plight of students affected by armed conflict. In an interview with the Qatari News Agency (QNA) on the occasion of the international day to Protect Education from Attack, UNERepresentative for the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the UNEOffice in Doha Salah El Din Zaki Khaled lauded the long-standing collaboration between UNEand Qatar, stressing that Qatar, since joining the organization in 1972, has contributed significantly to UNESCO's vision, strategy, and specialized fields of focus, which encompass education, culture, sciences, communication, and information.
He explained that over five decades, UNEand Qatar have built a robust partnership, with Qatar consistently at the forefront of the organization's work. Since 1976, Qatar has also hosted the UNERegional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, a clear testament to Qatar's commitment to supporting UNESCO's strategies and programs at the national, regional, and global levels, he pointed out.
Khaled said that the Qatar-UNEpartnership covers a wide range of programs and focuses on education, culture, and sustainable development.
He pointed out that in the education field, UNEcollaborates with the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation to provide educational opportunities for children and youth in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and others. He underscored that Qatar's genersupport contributes to the global agenda for transforming education. Qatar joined the UNEAssociated Schools Network (ASPNet) in 1983, with the number of ASschools in Qatar currently exceeding 100. Additionally, Qatar hosts six member municipalities of UNESCO's Global Network of Learning Cities and four UNEChairs in varifields, further advancing UNESCO's work in areas such as science, technical, and vocational training and education.
UNERepresentative emphasized the fundamental right to education. He stated that during times of conflict, education provides a safe space for children and youth, protecting them from physical harm while equipping them with knowledge and skills to overcome complex challenges and rebuild their communities when conflicts subside. He pointed out that despite efforts and progress in this field, many countries have faced numerattacks on educational facilities, students, and teachers in recent years. The“Education Under Attack 2022” report highlighted that in 2020 and 2021, more than 5,000 attacks were reported in 28 countries, targeting education and involving military use of schools and universities.
Khaled revealed that during the aforementioned period, more than 9,000 students and teachers were kidnapped, arrested, injured, or killed. The report also found that attacks worldwide increased by a third in 2020 and that they continued at this high rate in 2021.
He highlighted that Qatar has played a significant role in promoting the education agenda for marginalized children worldwide, praising its efforts to provide quality education to children and youth in need, especially those whose education has been disrupted by emergencies and conflicts.
Furthermore, Qatar proposed and sponsored the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 74/275 on May 28, 2020, designating September 9 as the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. He pointed out that Qatar submitted the resolution proposal and 62 countries participated in its sponsorship. Qatar had also proposed Resolution 64/290 ten years ago, which calls on member states to ensure the right to education for affected populations during emergencies. Recognizing the importance of raising awareness about the need to protect schools and universities as safe havens during times of conflict and ensuring the continuprovision of quality education, the resolution appoints UNEand the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as joint facilitators for the annual celebration of this International Day, calling on stakeholders to keep the protection of education at the top of the international agenda.
The International Day for the Protection of Education from Attack primarily serves as a call to take urgent and tangible measures to protect education from attacks by enforcing provisions of international law related to education. It also represents an annual platform to advocate for and mobilize concrete actions to safeguard education and achieve sustainable peace for all. The UNGA resolution reaffirms the right to education for all and the need to ensure safe enabling environments during humanitarian emergencies and times of conflict. It places the responsibility on member states to provide protection and ensure equitable and comprehensive quality education at all levels for all learners, particularly those in vulnerable situations.
Furthermore, the resolution, according to UNESCO's regional representative in Doha, emphasizes the necessity of intensifying efforts and increasing funding to enhance safe and protective school environments during humanitarian emergencies. This includes measures to protect schools, learners, and education personnel from attacks, refraining from actions that hinder children's access to education, and facilitating access to education during armed conflicts.
He underlined that effective implementation of the agenda to protect education from attacks requires concerted efforts, coordination, and cooperation with key stakeholders at national, regional, and international levels, including ensuring the effective use of standard mechanisms to guarantee the continuity of education during times of conflict, protecting students, schools, and education personnel from attacks, enhancing accountability for perpetrators, and delivering justice for affected populations.
Moreover, he explained that it necessitates the strengthening of efforts to monitor incidents and ensure accountability for ongoing and deliberate attacks on education. He called for active engagement and advocacy to support the implementation of tangible measures to mitigate and prevent the use of schools by armed forces and to deter armed groups from using schools. He also urged facilitating the continuity of education during armed conflicts.