The right to education is fundamental and indispensable for the exercise of other human rights. Yet, around the world, millions of children and youth in crisis situations and conflict zones are being denied this right.
The 57th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC57), which took place in Geneva from 9 September to 9 October 2024, was a key moment to raise awareness about the importance of the right to education, and elevate it on the international agenda. The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub) and partners co-sponsored two side events, focusing on the protection of education during conflict and crises. These gathered Member States, human rights experts, UN agencies and other key stakeholders.
Mainstreaming the protection of education into human rights mechanisms
On 18 September UPR Info, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack and the EiE Hub hosted a discussion exploring the Universal Periodic Review’s (UPR) potential as a tool to safeguard education in times of conflict. The inclusion in UPR recommendations of the endorsement or implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict was highlighted as a concrete measure to do so. Speakers also stressed the need for more synergies on the protection of education in conflict across UN Treaty Bodies, such as the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the UPR.
Mona M’Bikay, Executive Director of UPR Info, said “The Universal Periodic Review is a mechanism that allows us to address all human rights, even in times of war and conflict”. She further emphasised the critical role that the UPR can play in expanding prioritisation of EiE across sectors.
“The power of the UPR is that it is a collective voice, a kind of bilateral platform: 193 states can participate in the UPR and use it as platform to address serious concerns,” added Mikiko Otani, member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, who also noted the opportunity to better link global thinking about EiE. “While Geneva is the centre of the Human Rights Mechanisms, the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda, and other institutions relevant for child rights, are in New York – we thus need to bring these together.”
As outlined in one of the recommendations of a Workshop on Advancing the Protection of Education in Conflict, held in Geneva in March 2022, there is a need to mainstream the protection of education in conflict agenda into human rights mechanisms.
The impacts of conflict and crisis situations have consequences for all children and youth, and can have particular effects on the youngest.
Protecting the right to early childhood care and education (ECCE) during crises
In an event held on 30 September, co-sponsored by UNESCO, Colombia, Education Cannot Wait, UNICEF and the EiE Hub, Member States, UN Agencies and key partners discussed lessons learnt and opportunities to provide and protect the right to early childhood care and education (ECCE) during crises. The event aimed to strengthen the linkages between education programmes that ensure the right to education in crisis situations, and global legal and accountability mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council. Representatives from Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Maldives and South Sudan all spoke about challenges to delivering education in emergencies, including for children 8 years old and younger – in particular the lack of prioritisation, and the need for extensive coordination across sectors – as well as providing examples of good practice.
Speakers emphasised that different sectors are necessary to implement ECCE. Healthcare workers are often supporting children from birth and through their first years, and this puts them in the right place to start the process of caring for children’s mental, intellectual and emotional health, as well as physical – ensuring these children can thrive, develop and learn, not just survive.
For children impacted by crisis, access to quality ECCE is critical. Scientific evidence shows the key role of ECCE in cognitive and socio-emotional development and in meeting the immediate physical needs of young children, including health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene. Evidence and research also show that the earlier children start learning, the more chances there are for them to continue their education.
Mainstreaming EiE in human rights mechanisms will remain an important policy and advocacy focus for EiE Hub members in the months ahead. For more information about the EiE Hub’s work and resources in this area (including upcoming factsheets on human rights mechanisms and EiE), keep an eye on the latest from https://eiehub.org.
