By Caribbean News Global 
LONDON, England – A statement by James Kariuki at the Arria meeting on the Protection of Education in Conflict said that the United Kingdom recognises the obstacles to children’s education extend beyond physical attacks on schools, and can include insecurity in and around schools and displacement of children. To this end, we are proud to be a founding member of the Education Cannot Wait initiative.
“Between 2017 and 2020, Education Cannot Wait supported over 4.5 million children to access education across 33 crisis and conflict-affected countries. We have committed $120 million between 2019 and 2023 to support its work, which has real-world impact. In Syria for example, 4,500 teaching staff were trained to work in emergency settings between 2019 and 2020 with Education Cannot Wait’s support”, Kariuki added. “The United Kingdom is also the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education, which has supported 39 million girls living through conflict and crises to attend school over the last decade.”
Delivering the statement at the UN Security Council on December 6, ambassador Kariuki said: “We are proud to have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration and we encourage other member states to join us in that commitment,” highlighted three key actions needed to strengthen the protection of education in conflict:
First, allegations of violations of applicable national and international law must be fully investigated, and, where appropriate, perpetrators must be duly prosecuted.
Second, governments, donors and humanitarian agencies must work together to ensure the provision of safe learning spaces and quality educational services for children whose education is disrupted by conflict, including children who are refugees and internally displaced.
And third, in post-conflict and peacebuilding environments, education must not be denied to any children. In that regard, I join colleagues in calling on the Taliban to ensure that Afghan girls of all ages will be able to attend school.
Deputy Permanent Representative, UK Mission to the UN, New York, ambassador Kariuki, tabled on behalf of the United Kingdom, that he looks forward to working with “Norway, Niger and our international partners and institutions to fulfil the promise of resolution 2601, which we were pleased to co-sponsor, and which reaffirms the fundamental contribution education makes to building peace and security.”
