Attacks and Military Use of Schools in Africa

Introduction/Background The UN Security Council has resolved that the protection of children from armed conflict is an important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict, and should be a priority for the... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction/Background
The UN Security Council has resolved that the protection of children from armed conflict is an important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict, and should be a priority for the international community. The General Assembly and other UN bodies have repeatedly called for special protection afforded to children by all parties to conflict.
Education is a fundamental right for all children in all situations. Yet in the world today, about 58 million primary school aged children are denied their right to education (UNESCO, 2015). Half of them, 28.5 million, live in conflict and crisis affected areas (UNESCO, 2014). Majority of these children are in Africa.

The themes of the presentation
This presentation therefore permeates children’s rights and harmful practices that exploit the vulnerabilities of children and their social protection. The narrative also draws attention to a phenomenon and challenges that need in to be addressed now and in the future, if the African Charter is to be meaningful to the realities of the times.

Firstly, this paper seeks to create awareness to the intensity of abuse of the rights to education in humanitarian situations in general and particularly during armed conflicts in Africa and challenges the relevant sections of the AUC and Member States to take advantage of global responses to devise an Africa-led response to this new challenge.

Secondly, closely related to responding to the new challenge, the presentation draws attention to how the rights to education during emergencies are not being realised as a result of poor fulfilment of donor commitments to humanitarian education and reflects on how Member States, the AUC and the donor community devise mechanisms for more and better investments in humanitarian education in Africa.