Palestine

2015: Attended the state consultations on the SSD in Geneva – led by Norway.

August 2016: CAAC Open Debate: Notes attacks on schools in Palestine.

April 2017: Save the Children Palestine delivered training sessions on the SSD to child rights groups. They also supported a DCI workshop for school principals from 25 schools, and worked with the Ministry of Education to coordinate improved contingency planning for Education in Emergencies.

June 2017: Save the Children Palestine is working with the authorities in Palestine to progress implementation of the Declaration. The office finalized training guidelines for the security forces, and prepared a reporting, referral and response mechanism for attacks for use by schools, directorates, the central ministry, and various stakeholders active in the field. The office also prepared a list of stakeholders for schools in high-risk areas, including names, contact information, area of specialization, and other relevant details. Child-friendly posters and stickers were produced for use in the peer training of 120 child-led monitoring groups. The office supported the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to finalize an online module on the MRM aimed at the ministry directorates. The office also provided trainings on the MRM online system in the 22 schools in which the Schools as Zones of Peace project is being implemented, and in 44 additional schools in Hebron and Bethlehem. Save the Children Norway and Palestine prepared posters outlining positive and negative practices related to protecting education in armed conflict situations; the posters will be disseminated to schools in high-risk areas.

August 2017: In an example of fulfilling the commitment to raise awareness of the issue of attacks on schools, several endorsing states issued statements condemning the confiscation and/or destruction of educational infrastructure by Israel in the West Bank, including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Norway. Belgium demanded compensation from Israel for the attack on donor-funded infrastructure, as reported here. Save the Children Palestine issued a statement, which was reported by Maan News here, and included a call for endorsement of the Declaration and Guidelines. A joint statement was also issued by Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Action Against Hunger, and Gruppo di Volontariato Civile (but without reference to the Declaration).

September 2017: In an example of fullfilling the example the commitment to raise awareness of the issue of attacks on schools, several endorsing states issued statements condemning the confiscation and or destruction of educational infrastructure by Israel in the West Bank including Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Norway. Belgium demanded compensation from Israel for the attack on donor funded infrastructure. Save Palestine issued a statement, which was reported by Maan News and included a call for endorsement of the Declaration and Guidelines. A joint statement was alos issued by Save, the NRC, Action Againts Hunger, and Gruppo di Volontariato Civile. 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. January 2018: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Settlers-attack-West-Bank-Palestinian-high-school-saying-students-threw-rocks-at-them-520313 Residents of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar broke into a high school in the West Bank Palestinian village of Burin after Palestinian youths threw rocks at Israeli cars.

February 2018: Save the Children Palestine with input from GCPEA provided feedback in relation to the legal framework in Palestine as it pertains to attacks on education.

March 2018: GCPEA met with Save the Children Palestine in Ramallah to discuss their work with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education on improving protection for schools.

July 2018: Abeer and Save the Children Palestine team just met with MEHE to move forward the SSD Action plan, so this is definitely in motion now here.

July 2018: Joined Argentina’s joint statement to the UN SC during the open debate on children and armed conflict.
Mentioned and welcomed the Safe Schools Declaration during the statement to the SC.

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 Ms. Virginia Gamba, HRC Geneva:referred to the issue of attacks on/or and military use of schools. Also joined Norway’s joint statement on the Safe Schools Declaration.

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

February 2020: The CRC Committee considered the initial report of the State of Palestine on 28 – 29 January 2020, and adopted its concluding observations on 7 February 2020. Among them, the Committee calls for Palestine to “take all possible measures to protect students and teachers from the negative impact of the armed conflict on education, including preventive measures by the Palestinian security forces when undertaking law enforcement operations around schools, and by implementing its pledges under the Safe Schools Declaration, and ensure that non-State armed groups operating in the State party respect international humanitarian and human rights law and respect schools as protected objects”.

April 2020: Save the Children research revealed that the most common types of attack as reported by students in the West Bank are the use of tear gas and military raids. The main findings of the research, which consulted more than 400 children in the West Bank, highlight that three-quarters of children fear encountering military personnel or settlers on their way to school.

May 2020: Save the Children launched the report – Danger is Our Reality – about attacks on education in oPt, and the impact that they have on children’s ability to learn and their mental and psychosocial health. A press release was issued highlighting the key findings. Over 100 participants joined the global launch of the report, including key decision and policy makers from the UK, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Spain, and oPt. The launch included a presentation of the report, interventions from the Minister of Education of Palestine, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Palestine, and Kevin Watkins, SC UK CEO. Palestinian children, shared their own personal experiences of attacks on education and the impact it has on them and their friends.

December 2021: Meeting with Save the Children on the Arab League engagement. On 09/12, Nevena, Apolline, and Beathe met with Ms. Abdel aziz-Nourham, North Africa Advocacy Officer for Save the Children, based in Egypt and focal point for the engagement with the Arab League,.We discussed the idea of having a champion state in the Arab League on the Declaration that could drive forward this agenda and encourage greater endorsements in the region. Potential champions that were identified: Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, or Iraq. We also shared the priority countries for endorsementin the region: Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates. Nourhan mentioned the possibility of Save the Children conducting a visit to Tunisia and holding meetings with the Ministries on SSD endorsement. Save the Children might also be in a position to meet with the Egyptian MoD and discuss their concerns on the Guidelines. GCPEA expressed willingness to support them in securing the meetings and providing talking points. Nevena also shared the official statement to strengthen the protection of children and education signed by the Libyan government and their Inter-Ministerial IHL Committee in Libya. The statement includes concrete measures that authorities can undertake, including “to invite Libya to endorse SSD and ensure the Guidelines are used and reflected in domestic policy and operational frameworks”.

July 2022: At the UNSC CAAC debate : Referred to attacks on schools by Israeli occupying forces

September 2022: Endorsed the Call to Action on Education in crisis situations (refers to EuA22 data) at the Transforming Education Summit

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.

March 2023: during ID SRSG CAAC (52 HRC) national statement: – Children continue to experience violence on the way to and from schools; schools continue to be attacked by Israeli soldiers and settlers creating an environment of fear and impeding children’s right to education
– “Israel’s attacks on schools and other education facilities, including attacks on education personnel, threat of attacks, significantly impacted Palestinian children’s right to access education.”