Angola

Gva experts attended War Child side event on safe schools in June 2015 and showed interest. Follow up meeting on 20/07 (Filipa): in principle should be supportive, sent info and positive recommendation to capital. Follow up in Gva and NYC fall 2015 – still no result. Endorsed in June 2016. Letter sent ahead of CAAC open debate 2016.

August 2016: CAAC Open Debate: “One very disturbing trend is that of increasing attacks on densely populated areas — including schools, hospitals and medical facilities — by military forces and armed and terrorist groups. These criminal actions must end and, in due time, the perpetrators must be held accountable.” “Member States and the international community must do all in their power to help protect schools, students and teachers in situations of armed conflict and ensure that schools remain a safe place, while strictly respecting their civil character. Angola recently adhered to the Safe Schools Declaration, adopted at the Oslo conference in May 2015, endorsing the guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during conflict. This process has been driven by Member States, civil society and child protection actors.”

June 2016: Thank you letter sent to NY Ambassador. September 2017 UNSC: GCPEA sent a letter to the Ambassador in New York asking to raise the issue of attacks and military use and draw the attention to the Declaration and the Guidelines and also to mention the AU call to endorse in view of the Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

March 2019: Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the SRSG Ms. Virginia Gamba, HRC Geneva:referred to the right to education and access to education during armed conflict in a statement on behalf of African Group. Joined Norway’s joint statement on the Safe Schools Declaration.

October 2021: cosponsored UNSRC2601.