The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the attacks on schools, teachers and children, and called on all parties involved in armed conflict to protect the right to education.
A resolution adopted unanimously by the Council affirmed “the valuable role that education plays in providing life-saving spaces and its contribution to peace and security.”
“For the first time, the Security Council has adopted a resolution uniquely dedicated to protecting education,” Norway’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mona Juul, whose country adopted the resolution along with Niger, told the Council after the vote.
“Education is under attack all over the world,” she told the council.
Juul added that the participation of 99 countries in sponsoring the resolution “is an expression of true global commitment to this important issue,” stressing that the adoption of the resolution must be followed by full implementation.
The resolution urges the 193 member states of the United Nations to “develop effective measures to prevent and address attacks and threats of attack on schools and educational facilities.”
The resolution condemns the military use of schools, making the buildings “legitimate targets of attack, endangering the safety of children and teachers.”
The resolution urges all parties to armed conflict to respect schools as civilian facilities under international humanitarian law.
The Council expressed its “deep concern that girls and women may be victims of attacks targeting their access to and continuity of education,” saying that such attacks could include rape, sexual violence and sexual slavery.
Between 2014 and 2019, 11,000 attacks were reported, affecting more than 22,000 students and teachers in at least 93 countries.
