GENEVA: The State of Qatar has affirmed that the responsibility to respect, protect, and activate the right to education necessitates putting education at the top of priorities in times of war and peace alike, with the necessity to protect schools, universities, and all educational facilities from attack, as well as always recognizing their civilian nature, for them to remain as safe havens, promoting peace, development and stability.
This came in the State of Qatar's speech delivered on Tuesday by Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater via video conference, at a side event in Geneva on the occasion of the celebration of the fourth International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
The event was organised by the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN in Geneva, the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), and the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), under the auspices of the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Nigeria, Norway and Spain to the United Nations in Geneva, as well as the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) core group, the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, and Save the Children.
The Minister of State for International Cooperation expressed the State of Qatar's appreciation for all those who worked courageously and tirelessly to ensure educational opportunities for all children, especially those living in emergency situations due to conflicts or crises. She pointed out that despite these sincere efforts, attacks on education and the military use of schools have continued unabated over the past years, by all warring parties in different parts of the world, making it impossible for millions of children to continue their studies and education.
She stated that estimates indicate that half of out-of-school children live in countries affected by conflicts.
The Minister of State for International Cooperation stressed that conflict can never be an excuse to deprive a person of their right to education, adding that disrupting education will not only lead children to risk their lives temporarily but will affect their entire future and the future of their communities.
Al Khater stressed that education is a substantial and fundamental human right that enables one to develop all the necessary skills, enabling one to have the means to demand, enjoy, and protect the rest of their rights.
The Minister of State for International Cooperation said that the State of Qatar's commitment to supporting education has always remained steadfast and unwavering, where the provision of quality education nationally and globally is set as a top priority in its strategic vision.
Her Excellency noted the invaluable support provided by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, an advocate for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, and Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), in directing efforts towards protecting education and providing quality education to children who are out-of-school, through her initiative ‘Education Above All’, in addition to initiating the United Nations General Assembly declaration of the 9th of September as International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
She pointed out that the State of Qatar has adopted education as one of the strategic tools for regional and international cooperation, with the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) implementing projects via the ‘Educate a Child’ programme, together with 82 global partners in 50 countries, achieving its goal of helping more than 10 million of the most marginalized and out-of-school children by providing them with access to a good primary education.
Al Khater pointed out that EAA and other Qatari development and charitable organizations such as the Qatar Fund for Development and Qatar Charity, have built and renovated schools in Palestine and assisted Palestinian refugee students in completing their university education not to mention Qatar's support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) which led to the acceleration of its programs aimed at providing educational opportunities for Palestinian refugees.
The Minister of State for International Cooperation added that EAA made the education in emergencies program available in both the Ukrainian and Russian languages, in a commitment to support more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees and enable them to obtain continuous and comprehensive education. The programme's study materials integrate psychosocial education with practical skills and essential school subjects in order to support students suffering from conflict and displacement trauma.
In this regard, she noted that last month, EAA succeeded in completing its Ukraine Emergency Education Program - designed to integrate more than 6,000 Ukrainian refugee children into Polish educational and social systems. She explained that the goal of the program, which began in 2022 and included five adaptation centres in Warsaw and 100 schools throughout Poland, is to promote the well-being and fruitful participation of young Ukrainian refugees from 8 to 16 years old.
Her Excellency indicated that during the long years of work in Afghanistan, the State of Qatar has always been keen to pay special attention to issues related to the basic rights of women, particularly their right to education.
Al Khater explained that in partnership with Indonesia, the State of Qatar will host on November 28-29, the 2nd International Conference on Afghan Women's Education, for the mobilization of international support for education in Afghanistan. Her Excellency noted that on the sidelines of the Doha Forum last year, the Qatar Fund for Development in cooperation with EAA, signed seven agreements to support the education sectors of a number of least-developed countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, explaining that these agreements focus on providing quality education opportunities to out-of-school children via EAA's Educate a Child programme.
