Right to education in armed conflict: a human rights imperative

In the present report, submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 8/4 and 53/7, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed, addresses international obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education in situations of armed conflict. This report contains a policy brief on the right to education in armed conflict as a human rights imperative. Building on earlier reports on education in emergencies by mandate-holders of the right to education (A/HRC/8/10 and A/66/269), the brief presents an action-oriented perspective on protecting the right to education in armed conflict. It maps the multiple binding sources and soft law standards, as well as existing tools and promising practices, addressing legal, policy and operational gaps that enable continued violations and impunity. To address gaps, the brief outlines eight urgent, actionable priorities for international and national actors to protect and realize the right to education in armed conflict, as well as to address escalating attacks on education and persistent impunity.