Parties to Conflict Must Treat Education, Health Facilities as Zones of Peace,

Secretary-General Stresses at Event on Attacks against Schools, Hospitals

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at an event on attacks on schools and hospitals in armed conflict, hosted by the German Mission to the United Nations in New York today, 30 June:

I thank Ambassador [Peter] Wittig of Germany, and the Chair of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, for hosting this event.

I also express my deep thanks to Her Royal Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser for her strong commitment and leadership as Millennium Development Goals advocate, and particularly on education, and thank you very much for taking the time to participate in this very important event.

As I noted in my most recent annual report on children and armed conflict, a growing number of schools and hospitals are coming under attack, or threat of attack, in conflicts around the world.  Fifteen out of 22 countries covered reported attacks on education facilities and/or hospitals.  Furthermore, threats and attacks by non-State actors have led to schools being closed.

The result is that students are being denied access to education.  Education and health care are fundamental rights for all children.  Schools and hospitals must be considered zones of peace.  This principle must be respected by all parties to conflict.

The protection of schools and hospitals is central to the United Nations’ work to protect children from those who seek to deny education and health care.  I welcome efforts to negotiate a Security Council resolution that will add attacks on schools and hospitals as listing criteria in my annual reports on children in armed conflict.

The proactive efforts of the United Nations, Governments, civil society and non-governmental organizations on previous listed violations, such as the recruitment and use of children in conflict, have yielded positive results.  These efforts — and the “action plan” concept laid out in Security Council resolution 1539 (2004) and later resolutions — have led to the signing of 15 action plans covering nine conflict arenas.  Two more action plans are expected before the end of this year.

These successes show the great value of “naming and shaming”.  The recent signature of action plans in Chad and Afghanistan provide further examples.  I commend the Government of Chad for undertaking to separate all children associated with its security forces, in line with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).  Once the action plan is implemented, Chad will be removed from the “list of shame” and from the agenda of the Security Council Working Group.  I encourage the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and Sudan, as well as the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, to follow suit.

Beyond naming and shaming, we have a further tool we can consider employing to safeguard schools and hospitals in conflict.  The threat of targeted measures against repeat violators, especially non-State actors, is credible and effective.

My Special Representative, Ms. [Radhika] Coomaraswamy, has briefed me on her dialogues with non-State actors in various situations she has visited.  I commend her leadership and commitment.  Many have asked her specifically how they can get off the “list of shame” and avoid targeted measures.  They know that being a persistent violator of the rights of children has a very real cost for them and their supporters.

Let us resolve to keep up the pressure on all who violate the rights of children in conflict, whether it is in conscripting child soldiers or threatening schools and hospitals.

Together we can make the world a safer and more humane place.

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For information media • not an official record