For each initiative a working group is in place, outcomes have been identified over a multi-year time frame, and plans have been developed for a range of activities.  The initiatives involve research, publication of reports, convening of knowledge roundtables, and the use of advocacy to strengthen prevention, protection, monitoring and reporting, and adherence to international law and standards to protect education from attack during armed conflict.

Strengthening Monitoring and Reporting

During 2010 and 2011 GCPEA, working closely with other groups, advocated for the Security Council to improve its monitoring of attacks on schools, teachers, and students in armed conflict. On July 12, 2011, the Security Council adopted resolution 1998, asking the UN Secretary-General to report to it about parties to armed conflict that attack schools and hospitals or threaten and attack their personnel. It also requested UN monitoring of the military use of schools and hospitals. Parties that attack these institutions will be required to negotiate with the UN to create time-bound action plans to stop these abuses.

Promoting Programmatic Measures for Protection and Prevention

One of GCPEA’s organizational goals is to promote effective, coherent, timely, and evidence-based programmatic measures, including prevention and response.  Education sector actors in affected countries have expressed a need to receive information on good practices that could be adapted to their particular country contexts. Toward this end GCPEA has undertaken a multi-year initiative to:

• Build and strengthen a network of key field-based prevention and response actors in affected countries
• Establish a knowledge baseline of field-based protection and response programs and initiatives and identify gaps
• Identify research needs to evaluate effective practice
• Foster communication among practitioners in affected countries to share best practices

Restricting Military Use and Occupation of Schools

The initiative is intended to restrict, in both policy and practice, use of education institutions by military and other armed actors during conflict and insecurity. In order to develop evidenced-based advocacy and identify best practices in programming, protection, and legal work, the initiative will promote the following:

• Building knowledge around and facilitating information exchange about the use of education institutions by armed forces
• Ensuring collaboration among multiple and diverse stakeholders, including those engaged in research and field operations
• Initiating advocacy that applies the research toward developing domestic and international policies and programs aimed at restricting use of education institutions by armed forces.