New Zealand

2015: Attended the state consultations on the SSD in Geneva – led by Norway + 2015: Present at the First International Conference on the SSD in Oslo.

August 2016: CAAC Open Debate: “The Secretary-General’s latest report (S/2016/360) paints a harrowing picture. I wish to highlight several issues that demand urgent attention. Both schools and hospitals have special protections under international humanitarian law. Yet attacks on schools and hospitals were documented in 19 out of 20 situations of conflict in 2015. Parties to conflict continue to use schools and universities for military purposes, leaving children vulnerable to retaliatory attack. Even where no military attack occurs, the presence of armed forces within schools exposes children to increased risk of sexual violence and of recruitment by armed actors. New Zealand has endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, as have 52 other Member States. We urge others to do the same.”

January 2017: GCPEA issued a letter to the Foreign Minister of New Zealand, asking him to encourage Pacific states to endorse the Declaration, copied to the Missions in Geneva and New York.

January – March 2017: Member of Core Group in Geneva. Attended several meetings and consistently supportive. Offered to do outreach to pacific states but unclear if this has happened. March 2017: Attended Buenos Aires Conference on Safe Schools.

June 2017: New Zealand introduced language on the Declaration during the negotiations of the Human Rights Council resolution on ending child, early, and forced marriage in humanitarian settings, and received support from several other states. The reference was strongly opposed by Australia, Iran, Russian Federation, and Saudi Arabia. Save the Children Geneva carried out advocacy to states and fellow NGOs for the retention of the reference but it was, unfortunately, deleted. A reference to the issue of attacks on schools was retained in PP 14. The resolution was co-sponsored by more than 80 states.“Strongly condemning attacks on and abductions of all girls, deploring all attacks, including terrorist attacks, on educational institutions, their students and staff, and urging States to protect them from attacks,”

September 2017: GCPEA sent a letter to the ambassador in New York asking to raise the issue on attacks and military use, draw attention to the Declaration and the Guidelines during the Open Debate on children and armed conflict.

March 2018: New Zealand proposed references to the Declaration in operative and preambular paragraphs of Resolution A/HRC/37/L.33

July 2018: At the UNSC Open Debate on children and armed conflict, NZ joined the statement of Canada on behalf of the GoF which mentioned the Safe Schools Declaration.

March 2019: attended GCPEA side-event on “Better Protecting Women and Girls from Attacks on Education” in Geneva.

March 2019: Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the SRSG CAAC Virginia Gamba, HRC Geneva: joined Norway’s joint statement on the Safe Schools Declaration.

May 2019: Participated in the Third International Conference in Palma.

October 2021: cosponsored UNSRC2601.

July 2022: At the UNSC CAAC debate :
– NZ has endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration and urge others to do the same
– Schools are protected civilian objects and should not be attacked

November 2022: Endorsed the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) on 18 November during an International Conference hosted by Ireland, the leader and penholder behind the Declaration.