International Day to Protect Education from Attack

· The UN General Assembly proclaimed 9 September the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. Building on the momentum, Education Above All Foundation, Qatar Mission, UNICEF, UNESCO, Qatar Fund for Development and Save Our Future Now campaign are convening a virtual seminar on 9 September 2020.
 
· The event will bring together a range of high-level actors, including Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Education Above All; HE Prof Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the General Assembly; HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; David Beckham; UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Founder of the 7 Fund for UNICEF; Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director UNICEF; Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General UNESCO.
 
· The high-level speakers will take stock of effective practices and lessons learned; opportunities for strengthening monitoring and reporting of attacks; and the next steps for action, research and increased accountability. Topics include the importance of the protection of the right to quality education for all, especially in times of conflict and insecurity, and global efforts raise awareness and end the impunity for education-related violations of international law.
 
· Education spaces must be protected from violence and use of force. They should be considered neutral ground at all times. However, according to recent data released by GCPEA, between 2015 and 2019, there were more than 11,000 reported attacks, harming more than 22,000 students and educators in at least 93 countries.
 
· Attacks on education are a violation of multiple human rights, humanitarian law and of local/national law. Attacks on education perpetrated by state and non-state actors alike, involve the use of force in ways that disrupt and deter educational provision and should be stigmatized, criminalized, and prosecuted as such.
 
· ​Reducing the incidence of education-related attacks and ending the culture of impunity are critical to the safety and development of individuals and communities affected by conflict and insecurity.