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SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- A marked characteristic of the changing nature of conflict is deliberate attacks against and destruction of educational infrastructure, including the targeting of schoolchildren and teachers. This is illustrated by data which indicate that over one third of the 72 million out-of-school children of primary school age reside in low-income countries affected by conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Beyond the destruction of educational facilities through deliberate targeting or as collateral damage during armed confrontation, attacks against education also present other faces. For instance, there are reports of the use of acid and gas on girl students on their way to or at school, as well as shootings and suicide bombings in school premises. In some contexts, schools are a prime recruiting ground of children by armed groups. Elsewhere, school buildings are used as training centres or as military bases, turning them into high-value military targets.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The motivations for attacking teachers, students and school buildings are numerous and cynical, including to achieve military, political or sociocultural objectives. In some cases, attacks are perpetrated as a means of creating a general climate of insecurity, to destabilize local communities or target them for retribution for perceived support of the Government, or to undermine the Government by destroying symbols of State institutions. The result is a growing disregard for the sanctity of schools, the notion that schools, above all other places, are safe havens for children. The consequence is a growing fear among children to attend school, among teachers to give classes, and among parents to send their children to school.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- It is imperative that schools and other educational facilities be considered as zones of peace for children - safe havens even in contexts of conflict and instability. The concept of schools as zones of peace should extend also to school instruction and curricula, with emphasis on peace education and fostering cultures of tolerance. There are examples in numerous contexts of educational institutions being hotbeds for radicalization and recruitment of children, a trend that must be countered.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2010, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The emphasis on institutional reform introduces a number of new issues such as the importance of working with educational experts and officials, the need to undertake legal reform and the urgency of creating economic opportunities for children and young people.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- [Attacks on schools and hospitals: an emerging concern]: The abduction of educational and medical personnel is also of grave concern to the children and armed conflict agenda, as it severely affects the provision of basic services to children. The Office of the Special Representative is concerned at the use of schools as recruiting grounds for children with the aim of involving them in armed hostilities and military operations. Schools should be considered safe havens protecting children from involvement in armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- In her previous reports, the Special Representative has consistently noted with concern the increasing trend of attacks on education. Such acts include the partial or total destruction of schools and other education facilities and threatened or actual targeting of education personnel. Attacks on education undermine the establishment of a protective environment for children and their chances for a better future. In addition, violent attacks on girls and targeted attacks on their education undermine their role in society and prevent them from exercising their rights.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The reporting period has seen progress in terms of protective measures for education and the rights of children to education. Greater international attention led to the creation in 2010 of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, composed of United Nations agencies and NGOs. It has helped prevent attacks on education; develop effective response to attacks; improve knowledge, monitoring and reporting; and advocate for international norms and standards and increased accountability. In March 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published an innovative report highlighting the impact of armed conflict on education. The Special Representative welcomes these initiatives and looks forward to working closely with the Global Coalition, UNESCO and other concerned partners to enhance protection from attacks on education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Following the adoption by the General Assembly of its groundbreaking resolution 64/290 on the right to education in emergency situations, the Security Council also strengthened its efforts on this matter. In July 2011, the Security Council adopted resolution 1998 (2011), expanding the listing in the annexes to the annual reports of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict to perpetrators of recurrent attacks against schools and recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected personnel in relation to such facilities. The Special Representative commends the focused attention of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the right of children to access education and urges Member States, together with other child protection partners, to implement the decisions of both bodies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- At the start of any conflict, community leaders should be persuaded to make a special effort to negotiate with parties to ensure that schools are designated as “zones of peace” and are not the targets of attacks or use by military forces or armed groups. In this way, children will be free to pursue their education without abuse or violence. Community-based action to protect schools is another way in which to ensure that children are safe. Maintaining a degree of normalcy in the lives of children during conflict, through the continuation of schooling, sustains their development, while protecting them from recruitment by armed actors.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative will continue to engage with Member States, experts and the academic community to foster greater knowledge and develop and refine knowledge and understanding of emerging challenges to the protection of children in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- [Development, dissemination and enforcement of the law]: Measures to foster the dissemination of the law are also critical for prevention. These may include the creation of child protection units in the military, which have played an important role in some countries. Educational training programmes to inform armed forces and groups of the legal protection for children during armed conflict are equally important in increasing awareness of and compliance with international norms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Laws are not effective, however, if there is no implementation or awareness of their existence. Measures to foster their dissemination are therefore also critical for prevention. These may include the creation of child protection units in the military, which have played an important role in countries such as South Sudan and the Sudan. Educational training programmes to inform armed forces and groups of the legal protection for children during armed conflict are equally important in increasing awareness of and compliance with international norms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: In many contexts, joining armed forces or groups is a deliberate choice for children who otherwise lack opportunities and a sense of purpose in life. It is unlikely that children will want to leave an armed group or refrain from rejoining unless the reasons why they originally volunteered have been addressed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: Ensuring children’s access to education is itself a powerful means of protecting them from becoming involved with armed forces or groups in conflict-affected countries or fragile situations. If children attend school, they are busy and less likely to join armed forces or groups because they have other alternatives. In contrast, a lack of access to education leads many young people to see military training as their only opportunity to learn. In situations of armed conflict, when the protective function of schools is most required, schools often become targets for attacks. The use of schools for military purposes equally reduces the likelihood of children attending school, and thus may increase the likelihood of voluntary association of children with armed groups. All stakeholders must therefore ensure that schools are protected. Measures that field-based practitioners in conflict settings have used to prevent schools from being attacked include physical protection, community involvement in protection of schools, alternative delivery of education, negotiations with stakeholders to make schools conflict-free zones, restrictions on the military and political use of schools, and advocacy initiatives.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: In many contexts, joining armed forces or groups is a deliberate choice for children who otherwise lack opportunities and a sense of purpose in life. It is unlikely that children will want to leave an armed group or refrain from rejoining unless the reasons why they originally volunteered have been addressed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: Ensuring children’s access to education is itself a powerful means of reducing the risk of joining armed forces or groups in conflict-affected countries or fragile situations. Research has suggested that, in some contexts, the higher the level of education received, the less likely a child is to mobilize voluntarily. If children attend school, they are less likely to join armed forces or groups because they have other alternatives. In contrast, a lack of access to education leads many young people to see military training as their only opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. In situations of armed conflict, when the protective function of schools is most required, schools often become targets for attacks. The use of schools for military purposes equally reduces the likelihood of children attending school. All stakeholders must therefore ensure that schools are protected. Measures that field-based practitioners in conflict settings have used to prevent schools from being attacked include physical protection, community involvement in protection of schools, alternative delivery of education, negotiations with stakeholders to make schools zones of peace, restrictions on the military and political use of schools, and advocacy initiatives.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 71b
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to the prevention of the recruitment and use of children, the Special Representative calls upon relevant Member States:] To develop prevention strategies, including through the provision of formal and/or informal education services to children and young people, in addition to the establishment of job-creation and income-generation programmes;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Member States should accord priority to funding the strengthening of community-based child protection mechanisms as a critical measure in preventing child recruitment and linking community-based protection systems to formal child protection systems. Children and young people should be provided with alternatives through high-quality education, both formal and non-formal, and national programmes for job creation and income generation for young people should be the main priorities in national prevention strategies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Traditional warfare, evolving technologies and terror tactics deeply disrupt children's lives in many parts of the world. In other cases, extremist groups indoctrinate and take advantage of children in conflict or specifically target children and educational institutions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Attacks on schools, hospitals, teachers, schoolchildren and medical personnel in situations of conflict remain widespread and alarming. Access to education and health care continues to be disrupted by the damage or destruction resulting from targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities and by the use of explosive weapons. Many schools and hospitals are looted by armed groups, used as barracks, operational centres and detention sites, including by governmental forces. Access to education is also hampered, as schools are targeted by armed groups as places for the indoctrination and recruitment of children. In some cases, extremist armed groups also interfere in school programmes. Teachers and medical personnel are often threatened or become victims of targeted killings and abductions. Girls' access to education is particularly affected by all forms of attack on schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Schools remain at the heart of armed conflict in many countries around the world. The use of schools for military purposes by armed forces and groups continues to put schoolchildren at risk of attack and hampers children's access to education. Schools are often being used as military barracks, weapon storage areas, command centres, detention and interrogation sites, firing and observation positions and training grounds for combatants, as well as serving as recruiting grounds for children. This practice not only results in reduced enrolment, high dropout rates and overcrowding of schools, but also changes the civilian nature of schools and may lead to the perception of schools as legitimate targets for attack. Even when children are evacuated from schools used by military forces, their right to an education under international human rights law is compromised. In some situations, as a direct result of the military use of schools, children have been injured or killed and schools have been damaged or destroyed in targeted attacks and by the indiscriminate use of weapons.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- International humanitarian law prohibits armed forces and groups from using schools while children and teachers are using them for educational purposes. Parties to conflict are urged to fully comply with this obligation and not to use schools for any purpose in support of their military efforts. They are called upon to urgently take all precautionary measures not to endanger civilians and civilian objects in the vicinity of military targets and to exercise caution, especially when indentifying military targets among buildings that are normally dedicated to civilian purposes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Drone strikes directly affect the psychosocial well-being of children and their families, as well as their economic situations and educational opportunities. The unannounced and often mixed use of drones for both surveillance and military operations has created a pervasive sense of fear in affected areas. Children have been increasingly kept away from schools because of the fear that they could be killed on their way to school or to compensate for the income lost after the death or injury of a relative due to a drone strike.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- To break this vicious cycle, measures must be put in place to protect children from recruitment and rerecruitment and provide them with viable alternatives. Reintegration can serve as an effective tool for the prevention of recruitment through education, skills training, socioeconomic development for children and community sensitization programmes. With such opportunities, the likelihood that children will return to armed groups or engage in criminal activities is significantly reduced. This, in turn, contributes to the building of resilient communities and to social stability. The effectiveness of reintegration measures depends, however, on their continuity and sustainability, as well as the on extent to which the underlying causes of recruitment are being addressed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The multiple challenges faced by conflict-affected countries cannot be resolved by short-term or partial solutions. Heavy debt burdens, lack of resources and other capacity constraints hinder their ability to provide effective and sustained responses. The Special Representative welcomes the report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (A/67/890, annex), which highlights the importance of including in the agenda beyond 2015 the goal of eliminating all forms of violence against children and reiterates the need to ensure education for every child regardless of circumstances.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The concerted effort by both the General Assembly, through its resolution 64/290 on the right to education in emergencies, and the Security Council, through its resolution 1998 (2011) on attacks on schools and hospitals, has put children's access to education and health care in times of armed conflict firmly on the international agenda.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- To follow up on these important advances, the Office of the Special Representative, in cooperation with partners, is preparing guidance for the field on monitoring and reporting on attacks on educational and health-care facilities and plans to have dialogue with parties to conflict to halt and prevent such violations. A collaborative effort between United Nations peacekeeping and political missions in the field, as well as other United Nations entities, including UNICEF, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization, will be essential in strengthening and disseminating good practices for mitigating the effects of conflict on children's education and health care.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, notable progress was made in devising and reinforcing protective measures to ensure education in times of conflict. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, created in 2010 and composed of United Nations entities and non-governmental organizations, spearheaded the development of draft guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict, also known as the Lucens guidelines. The initiative, which results from broad consultations among military experts, child protection actors, education specialists and international humanitarian and human rights lawyers, is aimed at enhancing knowledge and understanding, as well as improving the monitoring and reporting of attacks on schools. It also served to advocate for the development of clear international norms on the interaction of military forces with schools and schoolchildren. The Special Representative strongly encourages Member States to support this process at both the technical and strategic levels and to promote concrete changes in national policies and legislation, as well as the inclusion of the guidelines in military doctrine, manuals and training.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Under international humanitarian law, both schools and hospitals are protected civilian objects and therefore benefit from the humanitarian principles of distinction. However, attacks on schools and hospitals during armed conflict are alarmingly widespread and carry grave risks for children. In its resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014), the Security Council highlighted the violation of attacks on schools and hospitals, provided clear direction on the need to monitor and report on this grave violation, expressed deep concern over the military use of schools, and encouraged Member States to formulate concrete measures to deter such practices. Similarly, the General Assembly has called upon States to ensure continuous access to education for children affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph