On the occasion of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, expressed “strong concern on the increase in armed attacks against schools,” adding that “it is necessary to ensure the right to education in all circumstances, in accordance with international humanitarian law, including in situations of armed conflict or other humanitarian emergencies”. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, “in such contexts, the continuity of education must be ensured through the protection of school environments, the restriction of their use for military purposes and the safeguarding and protection of school staff and students, with special attention paid to the safety of minors and of women and girls”.
At the international level, Italy is committed along these lines, in close cooperation with UNESCO, UNICEF, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and other international organisations and civil society associations. In particular, on the occasion of the 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Italy pledged – together with many other States – to ensure that children can live in safety and enjoy their fundamental rights even in conflict situations, including by promoting the ratification of the First Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and the “Safe Schools Declaration”. Moreover, the Fourth National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace and Security” pays special attention to the protection of children, particularly to the protection of girls in conflict and post-conflict areas.
