Gabon

January 2017: Meeting in GVA with Vero. Sees their role as peace maker, and regional leader in conflict prevention. Very interested by the issue. She wanted to sign the form right there and give it to me. I explained the process and the need to convey their enthusiasm to the Norway MoFA.

July 2018: Co-sponsored resolution 2427 (2018).

December 2018: GCPEA met with the Counsellor in New York who began the meeting by expressing his Ambassador’s regrets not to have been able to join the meeting. His Ambassador is a jurist and has a strong interest in this type of issue. The Counsellor felt that Gabon should endorse as a means of expressing political solidarity with countries in conflict. The Mission was fully occupied with preparations for the Global Compact on Migration meeting in Marrakech, but he promised to provide a full briefing to his Ambassador after this. The position of the African Union Peace and Security Council was of interest, particularly as Gabon is currently a member. GCPEA followed up in writing, sharing a letter for the Foreign Minister.

January 2019: GCPEA met with the Legal Advisor. She could not share any update from capital since a new cabinet had been established two weeks before. She reassured us that she would make a positive recommendation to capital and that she would keep us informed of any updates. GCPEA followed up in writing, sharing a letter for the Foreign Minister.

April 2019: GCPEA met with the Ambassador and the Counsellor who began the meeting by expressing that Gabon should soon endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, possibly before the Spain conference. The Ambassador seemed very engaged to secure endorsement by his government and was enthusiastic to advocate for the initiative to other Central African countries.

December 2019: Save the Children AU Liaison & Pan Africa Office met with the Gabonese ambassador in Addis Ababa to discuss a joint meeting on children and armed conflict of the African Union Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council which Gabon will host on January 13-14 in Libreville. GCPEA and Save the Children sent a formal letter addressed to the Foreign Minister encouraging Gabon to announce endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration at the joint meeting in January.

January 2020: Gabon is keen on signing according to the AU Ambassador who is familiar with the Paris and Vancouver Principles. The ambassador suggested that we send an official communication via his embassy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs inviting Gabon to endorse the SSD. GCPEA had prepared a letter encouraging Gabon to announce endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration at the joint meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council on children armed conflict hosted by the government of Gabon. Save the Children AU office shared GCPEA letter with the Gabonese Ambassador in Addis Ababa advocating for the government to endorse the Declaration and lobbied for the inclusion of the Safe Schools Declaration in the seminar’s outcome document.

October 2021: Gabon co-sponsored UNSC resolution 2601 (2021), the first thematic resolution on the protection of education in armed conflict and to mention the SSD (preamble).

February 2022: Lunches in Geneva: GCPEA supported the Norwegian Permanent Mission in Geneva in organising two PR level lunches to discuss endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration with countries that have recently co-sponsored the UNSC resolution 2601. GCPEA prepared talking points and analysis of the countries’ positions (concerns and opportunities to endorsement). The second lunch took place on 10 February with the Ambassadors of Norway, Spain, Rwanda, Gabon and Lesotho. All three ambassadors (Lesotho, Gabon and Rwanda) were unfamiliar with the declaration before the meeting. As regards the position on the SSD, all agreed that it was a worthy cause. They expressed genuine interest in the declaration, and asked for more information (which Norway sent after the meeting). They indicated that they would forward the information to capital with a positive assessment. None foresaw any particular obstacles to endorsement. Rwanda’s ambassador stated that the Rwandan army in all likelihood was acting in accordance with the SSD already.

August 2022: The advocacy team had a call with the Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Michel Biang of the Permanent Mission of New York. We emphasized Gabon’s support for the protection of education (ECOSOC event, co-sponsorship of resolution 2601) and advocated for their endorsement. The Ambassador explained that he was very supportive of this cause and that his country was supportive of the SSD in principle. He did not foresee any issue with a speedy endorsement. We followed up with relevant documents and encouraged them to make their announcement at the TES. We encouraged him to speak to his counterparts at the Norwegian and the Argentinian Mission, and get more information on the SSD and the implementation network.

September 2022 Transforming Education Summit: Gabon: committed to strengthen, through diverse mechanisms, strategies of resilience to ensure that Gabonese people of all ages, and all sexes, have access to inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools.

February 2023: On 15 February, Apolline and Nevena met with H.E. Ms. Mireille Nzenze, Ambassador at the PM in Geneva. The Ambassador attended a lunch on the SSD organized by the PR of Norway in February 2022 therefore she was familiar with the SSD. We emphasized why Gabon should endorse: having co-sponsored UNSCR2601, being a regional leader on conflict prevention and a global leader via its current mandate at the UNSC, as a troop contributing country, and in line with AU support and doctrine. We also mentioned the upcoming international conference and the state-led network. The Ambassador was very receptive. She explained that her Government was committed to international peace and security as well as education therefore there was no reason why they should not endorse. We followed up with a letter listing the key arguments for her to present the case for endorsement to her capital.

March 2023: GCPEA convinced the Nigerian Mission in Geneva to host a lunch on protecting education and the SSD with Cabo Verde, Guinea, and Gabon. The lunch took place on 23rd March and only Gabon attended. Michel Anglade represented GCPEA. The Gabon PR in Geneva as well as her counterpart in New York are fully behind Gabon endorsing the SSD. They have submitted the case to Libreville. In the capital, the MoFA needs to consult with the MoE, the MoD, and the Ministry of Interior. This process takes time and capacity is limited. The PR advised that we could write a letter to the MoFA to support her make the case to capital. GCPEA had already sent an encouragement letter in January. There is a strong need for advocacy in capital to create momentum in Libreville and secure support from the relevant Ministries