On March 2014, the UN Security Council held an Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict and unanimously adopted this resolution setting out practical steps to combat violations against children in armed conflict, including their right to education. An important element in this resolution is the reference to the use of schools by armed forces.

La comunidad humanitaria está cada vez más consciente de la crisis del desplazamiento interno que afecta a más de 20 millones de personas en todo el mundo. Aunque la responsabilidad de la protección de las personas internamente desplazadas incumbe primordialmente a los gobiernos nacionales y a las autoridades locales, conviene que la comunidad internacional examine la mejor manera de contribuir a mejorar la protección de esas personas en situaciones de conflicto y de crisis. Debemos también concebir una asistencia humanitaria que promueva la protección de las personas internamente desplazadas.

Dentro del sistema de las Naciones Unidas se han adoptado medidas importantes para atender a tiempo y con eficacia a las necesidades de las personas internamente desplazadas. El Comité Permanente entre Organismos me ha encomendado la responsabilidad de actuar como centro de coordinación dentro del sistema de las Naciones Unidas con respecto a las cuestiones relacionadas con los internamente desplazados. En el desempeño de este mandato, me he comprometido a mejorar la capacidad de las Naciones Unidas en conjunto para responder a las situaciones de desplazamiento interno y a promover una firme coordinación y una división más clara de las responsabilidades institucionales así como a prestar el apoyo adecuado a los organismos operacionales.

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Ce document énumère les instruments internationaux qui protègent le droit à l'éducation dans les situations d'urgence.

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The Safe Schools Declaration is an inter-governmental political commitment that provides countries the opportunity to express support for protecting students, teachers, schools, and universities from attack during times of armed conflict; the importance of the continuation of education during armed conflict; and the implementation of concrete measures to deter the military use of schools.

By joining the Safe Schools Declaration, states commit to undertake several common-sense steps to make it less likely that students, teachers, schools, and universities will be attacked, and to mitigate the negative consequences when such attacks occur.

These measures include:

  • collecting reliable data on attacks and military use of schools and universities
  • providing assistance to victims of attacks
  • investigating allegations of violations of national and international law and prosecuting perpetrators where appropriate
  • developing and promoting 'conflict sensitive' approaches to education
  • seeking to continue education during armed conflict
  • supporting the UN's work on the children and armed conflict agenda
  • using the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, and bringing them into domestic policy and operational frameworks as far as possible and appropriate

The Declaration is also a framework for collaboration and exchange, and endorsing states agree to meet on a regular basis to review implementation of the Declaration and use of the Guidelines.

The Guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict can be found, here and the accompanying commentary, here,

This document lists the international instruments that protect the right to education in emergencies.

 

Este documento enumera los instrumentos internacionales que protegen el derecho a la educación en situaciones de emergencia.

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Key resource

This document is written to be readily accessible to a non-legal audience and so to provide a stand-alone insight into the three relevant areas international law, and the potential of that law, in protecting education during insecurity and armed conflict.

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