International Day to Protect Education from Attack marked

On Wednesday, Qatar's Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva organized a side event in cooperation with the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation to mark the 7th International Day to Protect Education from Attack. The event, titled "Can Education Survive Attack? The Resilience of Human Communities," aimed to address the challenges faced by education in conflict zones.

Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, H.E. Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, highlighted the importance of protecting education, but emphasized that mere protection is insufficient. She argued that education systems need to be resilient, capable of weathering attacks through preparedness, adaptation, and recovery mechanisms. The key challenge, according to Al Muftah, lies in ensuring the continuity of education during and after attacks.

To protect education, Al Muftah stressed the need for proactive systems, including early warning mechanisms, alternative learning infrastructure, distance education solutions, and emergency planning before crises strike. She also underscored the importance of accountability, urging governments, humanitarian actors, and development partners to adhere to international humanitarian law, seek justice in cases of attacks on education, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, presented a keynote address during the event. Panelists included Hazel De Wet, Deputy Director of Unicef's Office of Emergency Programmes in Geneva; Lindsey Cameron, Head of the Thematic Legal Advisers in the International Committee of the Red Cross; Lili Ji, Program Specialist at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education; and Moza Al Kamali, Representative of the EAA Foundation.

The panel discussion, moderated by Isis Alves, Advocacy Officer at the Global Alliance to Protect Education from Attack, focused on the scale of attacks on schools, universities, students, and education workers, their impact on the educational process, and ways to promote compliance with international humanitarian law and the Safe Schools Declaration.