Qatar’s Permanent Mission in Geneva Marks 7th International Day to Protect Education from Attack

Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva has organised a high-level side event highlighting the need to build education systems capable of continuing during conflict, while strengthening accountability for attacks on schools, students and teachers.

The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva organised a side event on September 9 titled “Can Education Survive Attack? The Resilience of Human Communities,” marking the 7th International Day to Protect Education from Attack.

The event was held in cooperation with the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation and brought together diplomats, representatives of international and regional organisations, humanitarian bodies, education experts and specialists working on the protection of children in conflict situations.

Qatar Calls for Education Systems That Can Withstand Crisis

Opening the event, HE Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, stressed that simply protecting education facilities is not enough.

She said education systems must also be designed to remain functional when attacks or emergencies occur.

According to Dr. Al Muftah, one of the central challenges is ensuring that children can continue learning during and after attacks, supported by strong mechanisms for preparedness, adaptation and recovery.

Her remarks placed resilience at the centre of the discussion, highlighting the need to prepare education systems before crises happen rather than waiting until schools have already been damaged or forced to close.

Early Warning and Alternative Learning Systems Needed

Dr. Al Muftah called for greater investment in proactive measures capable of keeping education accessible during conflict.

She highlighted several areas requiring attention, including:

•    Early-warning systems
•    Alternative learning infrastructure
•    Distance-learning solutions
•    Emergency preparedness
•    Recovery mechanisms for affected schools and communities

She said governments, humanitarian organisations and development partners should work together to establish these systems before emergencies occur.

Such planning can allow students to continue their education even when traditional classrooms become inaccessible or unsafe.

Resilience Must Be Matched by Accountability

The Permanent Representative also emphasised that resilience alone cannot provide a complete response to attacks on education.

While praising the determination of communities that continue teaching and learning under extremely difficult circumstances, she said the international community must also strengthen adherence to international humanitarian law.

Dr. Al Muftah called for greater efforts to seek justice when educational institutions are attacked and to ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious violations.

The message reinforced the idea that attacks on schools and educational communities should not simply be treated as unavoidable consequences of conflict.

UN Geneva Director-General Delivers Keynote Address

The event included a keynote address by HE Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

A panel discussion brought together representatives from several major international organisations involved in education, humanitarian response and international law.

Participants included:

•    Hazel De Wet, Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programs in Geneva
•    Lindsey Cameron, Head of the Thematic Legal Advisers in the Legal Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross
•    Lili Ji, Programme Specialist at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education
•    Moza Al Kamali, representing Education Above All Foundation

The discussion was moderated by Isis Alves, Advocacy Officer at the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.

Focus on Attacks Against Schools and Students

The panel examined the growing impact of attacks on:

•    Schools
•    Universities
•    Students
•    Teachers
•    Other education personnel

Participants considered how such attacks can interrupt the educational process and create long-term consequences for entire communities.

The event also explored measures to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law and improve implementation of international legal protections relating to education.

Safe Schools Declaration Highlighted

Another important area of discussion was the Safe Schools Declaration, an international political commitment aimed at protecting education from the effects of armed conflict.

Participants examined ways to strengthen implementation of the declaration and encourage governments and other actors to take stronger measures to safeguard educational institutions.

The discussions also addressed accountability for serious violations targeting students, teachers and educational facilities.

Protecting education during conflict increasingly involves both immediate physical security and longer-term planning to ensure that learning can continue even if classrooms are damaged or temporarily unavailable.

International Figures Join Through Video Messages

The side event also featured a video presentation containing messages from senior officials and international figures.

Speakers emphasised the importance of stronger international cooperation to protect education from attack, safeguard students and teachers and ensure that learning continues during conflicts and humanitarian crises.

The messages reinforced the central theme of the event: education should remain accessible even under the most difficult circumstances.

Photo Exhibition Highlights Human Impact

Following the panel discussion, organisers opened a photo exhibition highlighting the consequences of attacks on education.

The exhibition aimed to place a human face on statistics surrounding damaged schools and disrupted learning by showing the experiences of communities affected by conflict.

Visual storytelling formed an important part of the wider awareness effort surrounding this year’s International Day to Protect Education from Attack.

‘Crosswalk’ Installation Part of #UniteToProtect Campaign

The Geneva event also featured “The Crosswalk,” a visual initiative presented as part of Education Above All Foundation’s #UniteToProtect campaign.

The installation presents a visual timeline of attacks on education and is intended to help audiences understand how frequently schools and education communities are affected by armed conflict.

By converting data into an accessible visual format, the campaign seeks to increase awareness and encourage stronger international action to protect schools, students and teachers.

Qatar’s Continued Role in Protecting Education

Qatar has played a prominent international role in promoting protection of education during conflict.

The International Day to Protect Education from Attack is observed annually on September 9 and focuses global attention on the need to safeguard students, educators and educational institutions from violence.

The Geneva side event reinforces Qatar’s broader message that protecting education requires more than rebuilding schools after an attack.

It requires preparedness, resilience, international cooperation and accountability.

The Bottom Line

Qatar’s Permanent Mission in Geneva used the 7th International Day to Protect Education from Attack to call for a more proactive global approach to education in conflict zones.

The central message was clear: education systems must be able not only to survive crises but also to continue functioning through them.

By bringing together diplomatic missions, UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and education experts, the event highlighted the need for early-warning systems, alternative learning options, stronger adherence to international humanitarian law and accountability for attacks.

As conflicts continue to disrupt education around the world, Qatar and its partners are calling for a shift from simply responding to damaged schools toward building education systems resilient enough to keep children learning even in times of crisis.