South Africa

Attended April 2014 all state meeting and supported the Guidelines, but emphasized preference for hard law. Attended SSD consultations in Geneva, but no statement. Meeting with Geneva expert (Anita, April 2015) indicated some division within the MFA and that endorsement would likely be discreet. Not open to a meeting in capital (March-April 2015). Was the first country to speak out against attempts to include language on the Oslo Conference or the SSD in the HRC Resolution on Right to Education in June 2015 [2015: Present at the First International Conference on the SSD in Oslo]

May 2017: Ukraine congratulated South Africa for endorsing Declaration in a statement during their Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council.

Septembe 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 and to mention the AU call to endorse during the Open Debate on children and armed conflict.

February 2018: In advance of the End Violence Solutions Summit in Stockholm on 14-15 February, GCPEA issued letter to South Africa, calling on them to highlight the Declaration during the summit.

July 2018: UNSC Open Debate on children and armed conflict: SA co-sponsored resolution 2427 (2018) and joined the statement of Canada on behalf of the GoF which mentioned the Safe Schools Declaration.

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

October 2019: The CAAC and the WPS experts were very busy, so we couldn’t meet and had to speak over the phone. I shared the findings from the research in Nigeria and the DRC and how the Declaration can be a tool to ensure implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. They said that keeping girls in school is a national priority for them. They have already circulated the concept note for the open debate but would endeavour to include our key messages in their statement to the Council. If they do not refer to our issues during the debate, they thought they could include them in the talking points for their Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will co-host the event marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the mandate on sexual violence in conflict on 30 October. Follow-up: Letter for Foreign Minister, gender recommendations, and the factsheet on the implementation of the Declaration.

October 2021: cosponsored UNSRC2601.