New York, 14 September 2023 (TDI): The President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly (PGA), Dennis Francis, shared his remarks on the fourth International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
The PGA, Dennis Francis, shared his remarks in a high-level panel held on the theme of observing the fourth International Day to Protect Education from Attack, on September 13, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The panel event was attended by the Chairperson of Education Above All Foundation (EAA) Foundation, Sheikha Moza Bin Naseer, UNGA President, Dennis Francis, UN General Secretary, António Guterres, UN stakeholders, and victims of attacks on education.
Remarks by the President of UNGA, Dennis Francis
The PGA, Dennis Francis at the outset of his address, extended his appreciation to the state of Qatar for embracing the issue of protecting education from attack.
He emphasized before the panel that due to conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, students are prevented from enjoying their right to education.
Educators and students in many parts of the world are continuously threatened with abduction, sexual violence, and murder.
The President also highlighted that since 2020, more than 600 schools and universities have been targeted, destroyed, or attacked.
“An attack on a school is not merely the destruction of bricks and mortar; it symbolizes the shattering of those children’s entire educational futures.”, President Dennis Francis stated.
In correspondence to that, he focused that boys face a higher risk of being targeted for recruitment and radicalization by extremist groups, but at the same time, girls bear an extensive burden of conflict-related sexual violence.
In this regard, President Dennis Francis emphasized, “These disturbing trends translate to the severe curtailment of children’s educational opportunities and prospects for the future, for girls and boys alike.”
In the effort to protect education from terror, the President mentioned the ground-breaking initiative of establishing a Youth Advisory Group to Protect Education from Attack.
The initiative is led by UN General Secretary, António Guterres and Chairperson of EAA Foundation, Sheikha Moza Bin Naseer.
The UNGA President stressed that the UN requires full respect for International Humanitarian Law, commitment to guarantee the security of teachers, boys, and girls attending school, and ensuring the sanctity of every educational institution.
He urged the member states of UNGA to continue to endorse political commitments, such as the Paris and Vancouver Principles on Children Associated with Armed Groups, and on the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, as well as other important initiatives.
“Depriving young people of education is a surefire way to perpetuate the cycles of war and conflict, and it will inevitably hinder our progress towards the achievement of the Agenda 2030.”, President Dennis Francis emphasized.
In summation, he stressed that education is not just a fundamental right but also a gateway to a peaceful and enlightened world.
In correspondence to that, he urged to bring together global leaders, technical experts, civil society organizations, the private sector, and youth to engage in a productive global dialogue to protect education from any form of attack.
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The Chairperson of Education Above All Foundation (EAA) Foundation, Sheikha Moza Bin Naseer, and UN General Secretary, António Guterres during the panel talk also advocated the protection of educational institutes from terror attacks and urged for supporting peace and prosperity.
The International Day to Protect Education from Attack was recognized by the UN General Assembly during its 74th Session through a unanimous resolution that was initially presented by the State of Qatar and co-sponsored by 62 Member States.
