Protecting education from attacks: Qatari proposal celebrated globally

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed", the founding charter of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) states.
Established in 1945, the Unesco places the issue of education and conflicts within its framework, delivering a message that concerns the entire world. The essence of the message is that the promotion of peace, and consequently the achievement of stability and development, can only be attained through education.
This underscores education's utmost importance at all times - at peace times, and before, during and after conflicts and wars - to enhance international awareness and understanding, and to spread tolerance, action and recognition of human rights, including the right to education.
Through education, it is possible to recover and overcome all the risks, destruction and threats that occur in its absence, especially since many countries and regions of the world are currently experiencing instability, conflicts, and challenges. Therefore, it is important to recognize the necessity of protecting education from attacks that result in the closure of schools, suspension of classes, attacks on students and teachers and their displacement, and even the destruction of educational institutions, turning them into shelters for those fleeing conflicts. Unfortunately, parts of our Arab region witness these circumstances.
Hence, education, its continuity, and its protection during conflicts are among the most critical goals and agendas of the global Sustainable Development 2030, especially since about half of all out-of-school children live in armed conflict-affected areas
Pioneering role
For all these reasons, the protection of education from attacks is of paramount importance for the State of Qatar under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatar serves as a neutral and trusted mediator in various conflicts. Furthermore, Qatar has consistently prioritized investment in quality education, both nationally and internationally.
Because the protection of education from attacks in conflict areas is of significant importance to the State of Qatar, it has been a top priority and a matter of great concern since early times. In 2010, with the support and guidance of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, the State of Qatar introduced a resolution on "The Right to Education in Emergency Situations" at the UN General Assembly. Thus, Qatar led the efforts to issue a pioneering United Nations resolution on the right to education in emergencies, as a large proportion of the world's children who are not enrolled in schools live in conflict-affected areas.
The resolution, which the General Assembly unanimously adopted, affirms the human right to education and access to it during crisis and conflict and urges states to support this right as an integral element of humanitarian assistance and response. It further urges states to fulfill their obligations under international law to respect civilians and civilian objects and to not attack teachers, students, and education facilities.
The world celebrates Sept 9 as the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, based on a draft resolution presented by the State of Qatar to the United Nations General Assembly during its 74th session. This resolution was adopted unanimously in May 2020. It calls on the international community to alleviate the plight of students affected by armed conflicts.
The world continues to remember with pride and appreciation His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani's announcement in September 2018 of the State of Qatar's pledge to provide quality education to 1mn girls by 2021. This pledge represents a significant milestone in the history of UN development initiatives aimed at delivering quality education to girls and women in developing countries.
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, played a prominent and pioneering role in the UN General Assembly's adoption of the "International Day to Protect Education from Attack." This demonstrates the State of Qatar's commitment to affirming the right to quality education for all, ensuring the well-being of millions of children and placing education among the top priorities by ensuring safety, protecting educational institutions, and ensuring access to quality education in conflict-affected areas.
The adoption of Qatar's draft resolution, celebrated worldwide for the fourth consecutive year, signifies the importance of ensuring quality education at all levels and providing safe learning environments during emergencies and armed conflicts.
In his statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi had emphasized the State of Qatar's commitment to quality education, not only at the national level but also on the international level. He pointed out that Qatar's numerous initiatives in this regard, particularly those related to protecting education from attacks and in conflict-affected areas, have garnered widespread acceptance and acclaim worldwide.
HE al-Nuaimi praised His Highness the Amir's efforts and initiatives, as well as those of His Highness the Father Amir and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, in the field of education and its protection worldwide, especially in conflict-affected areas. These efforts have received widespread international acclaim as they respond to the educational needs and aspirations of millions of children and youths who have been deprived of education due to armed conflicts. This, in turn, contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
He also noted that the EAA, along with its various programs, such as Educate A Child (EAC), serves as a model for international emulation. The foundation is renowned for its role in spreading learning and knowledge, reaching marginalized and deprived groups affected by conflicts, which is also considered an investment in the human capital and increasing awareness, which in turn leads to avoiding conflicts, tensions and poverty and contributing to development.
Dr. al-Nuaimi commended the collaboration between Qatar and Unesco in these areas and their partnership in supporting education and all aspects of the organization's work. Among the Qatari educational initiatives that are consistent with the goals of sustainable development, there are international institutions, led by the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, which was founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in 2012 to serve as an umbrella for many programs specialized in providing quality education to communities suffering from poverty or marginalization, such as Educate A Child (EAC), Al Fakhoora, Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC) and Reach Out To Asia (ROTA).
These programs work to ensure that all children in the developing world benefit from their right to education -- especially those who are not enrolled in school, and address education issues with a special commitment to the most disadvantaged groups in the world, through capacity building, resource mobilization, and the establishment of multi-sectoral alliances and partnerships.
In a related context, it must be noted that Her Highness Sheikha Moza signed in February 2018 in Paris an agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to provide education to more than 150,000 out-of-school children in the Middle East and Asia, thus expanding Qatar's partnership with Unesco to cover many countries, in addition to many vital and strategic initiatives and partnerships launched by the State of Qatar in the same context.
EAA has exceeded the goal of educating 10mn children in 2018, by educating 15mn children to date, in addition to the continuous emphasis on the need to respond to develop innovative solutions to confront the crisis of attacks on education.
EAA cooperates with its partners to achieve its goals, with 67mn children out of school, which means that one-sixth of children of primary school age around the world are deprived of their right to education, due to poverty, conflict, displacement, discrimination, disability and other obstacles.
People around the globe are aware of EAA's pioneering role in the global movement to stop attacks on education and protect it in times of conflict as a human right, with a focus on conflict-affected and marginalized communities.
Education Above All Foundation also works with about 100 partners, through the four programs that have been mentioned, in addition to managing the Global Innovation Program and the 'Together' project in Qatar, while developing an emergency curriculum designed specifically for children whose lives have been disrupted by conflict and displacement, and supporting them, as well as ensuring quality, equitable and inclusive education for all, especially for societies experiencing armed conflicts and insecurity.
The foundation does so through advocacy to ensure accountability and an end to the culture of impunity against attacks on education, and to empower rights holders with the knowledge and skills necessary to defend their right to education, which contributes to building more peaceful, fair and prosperous societies, in addition to the psychological and social reading skills.
In regard to the Educate A Child program, it represents a model of success and distinguished partnership between the foundation and the United Nations, as it was established in 2012 to reduce the number of children who lack basic education around the globe. After 10 years of efforts, the program supports more than 15mn children globally, contributing to real and significant transformations that contribute to strengthening societies and building a more sustainable world for children who were prevented from attending primary education.

Strategic partnerships
The program's strategy is to develop strategic partnerships and create innovative solutions to remove obstacles that prevent them from accessing quality education, in addition to providing students with basic needs, such as integrated vaccination programs and the provision of meals and water, in cooperation with the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) and the Food Security Program.
These successful initiatives achieved by EAA through EAC have encouraged the launch the new Zero Out of School Children Strategy, which aims to zero the percentage of children out of school in several countries, and the program is currently working with a number of governments to achieve this goal.
Education itself is a fundamental human right and should be enjoyed by all people at all times, especially in emergencies, as it should be seen as a lifeline for those stuck in conflict zones or displaced in remote displacement and refugee camps.
Emphasizing this fundamental principle, Qatar has been and remains one of the main supporters and proponents of the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) since its launch in 2015, knowing that optimal protection of education from attack will only be achieved by putting an end to armed conflicts. To achieve this goal, everyone must take concrete steps towards securing the safety of students and teachers and provide all support for the transformation of education in a changing and unstable world in many parts of it, as well as adopting a multidimensional approach that places education at the top of priorities, in terms of policy-making, financing, allocation, and provision of assistance, protecting schools, universities and all educational facilities from attacks and recognizing their civilian nature, to ensure that they always remain safe havens to promote peace, development and stability.
In this context, Qatar has established partnerships with regional organizations and many international partners to enhance the protection of conflict-affected children and prevent any violations against them, and other related initiative. This reflects Qatar's commitment, along with the international community, to recognizing that armed conflicts create numerous destructive obstacles to education, as prolonged conflicts, especially today, have a negative impact on the future of entire generations, particularly children and the most vulnerable groups. Therefore, it is essential for everyone to respect, support and enjoy the right to education, especially in situations of armed conflict and insecurity.
For all of this, it is evident the extreme importance of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack on Sept 9 of every year, which is the result of Qatari efforts to raise awareness of the suffering of millions of affected children in conflict zones and their urgent need for support in the field of education, and to affirm at the same time the commitment towards protecting the right to education in times of conflict, as well as the protection of education from the continuous and deliberate attacks and widespread armed violence suffered by children in different parts of the world, which also requires strengthening joint action for a more sustainable and just future, for generations armed with science and knowledge without discrimination in times of peace and conflict.