One-year Anniversary of Safe Schools Declaration
Symposium on Education Under Attack during Armed Conflict, 26 May, The
Hague.
During the past 10 years schools and universities have been used for military
purposes in at least 34 countries in the world, often in situations of armed conflict.
Occupying a school can turn it into a legitimate military target, and usually makes
the safe continuation of education for children impossible. The right to education
means little if students cannot safely attend school, but that is the reality for many
children living in conflict zones worldwide.
On the 26th of May Human Rights Watch and Leiden University will mark the oneyear anniversary of the Dutch endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration, a
declaration through which the Netherlands committed themselves to
implement Guidelines that will better protect schools and universities in conflict
areas. International experts on this topic including Leila Zerrougui, Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict at the
United Nations, and Bede Sheppard, Deputy Director of the Children’s Rights
Division at Human Rights Watch and representatives of the Dutch government will
speak on the subject during a one-and-a-half hour program, followed by a reception.
THURSDAY, 26 MAY 2016
16:30 Arrival
16:45 Programme and Q&A
18:15 Reception
19:00 End
LOCATION
Leiden University College
Anna van Buerenplein 301
2595 DH The Hague
DIRECTIONS
Leiden University College is location 2 minutes walking distance from The Hague
Central Station. For directions by car or public transport
see: http://media.leidenuniv.nl/legacy/directions-to-luc.pdf
TO RSVP
Please confirm your attendance here.
We hope to welcome you on 26 May.
Ms. Leila Zerrougui is Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral for Children and Armed Conflict. In this capacity, she serves
as a moral voice and independent advocate to build awareness and
give prominence to the rights and protection of boys and girls
affected by armed conflict. As a legal expert in human rights and the
administration of justice, Ms. Zerrougui has had a distinguished
career in strengthening the rule of law and championing strategies
and actions for the protection of vulnerable groups, especially
women and children.
Bede Sheppard is the deputy director in the Children's Rights
Division of Human Rights Watch, where he specializes in the issues
of attacks on students, teachers, and schools, and the military use of
schools. During his time with Human Rights Watch, he has
conducted investigations and advocacy on the Democratic Republic
of Congo, Japan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Thailand, Ukraine, and Yemen.
Jaap E. Doek is emeritus professor Family and Children’s Law at the
VU University Amsterdam. He has been a member of the UN
Committee on the Rights of the Child ( 1999 – 2007) and the
chairperson of that Committee ( 2001 – 2007). He is member of the
Boards of some international NGO’s , the senior Legal advisor of
ECPAT and a lecturer at the Family and Children’s Rights Law
department of the University of Leiden. He has worked with UNICEF
offices in different countries and provided some assistance to the
Special Representative of the UN SG on Children and armed conflict
in the Lubanga case.
Leiden University’s Faculty of Governance & Global Affairs is
co-hosting this event with Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch campaign: #WatchOurSchools
Human Rights Watch has researched attacks on education in countries over the world. You
can find their numerous findings and recommendations here. In March this year the
#WatchOurSchools campaign in the Netherlands was launched in order to draw attention to
this important topic. The campaign website tells the stories of Hassan, Nina and Martha, all of
whom experienced military use or military attacks on their schools in Nigeria, Ukraine and
South Sudan. Leiden University is co-hosting this event, and looks forward to a stimulating
discussion with international experts, policymakers and students.
Human Rights Watch thanks the Dutch Postcode Lottery, the world’s
second largest private charity lottery, for their structural annual
support, enabling us to defend human rights worldwide. The
#WatchOurSchools campaign is made possible by a grant of the
National Postcode Lottery, which supports Human Rights Watch to
carry out investigations into attacks on students, teachers, and
schools and the military use of schools in a number of conflicts
around the world.
Learn more @ www.watchourschools.nl & follow us on Facebook and Twitter@WatchOurSchools
Photo: School Number 42 in Vuhlehirsk was struck six times in January and February 2015. ©2015 Yulia
Gorbunova/Human Rights Watch