Togo

January 2017: Meeting in GVA with Vero. Both were well-briefed. One of the two is a lawyers who had studied the process. (She would like to meet with my cousin who acted as prosecutor in the Charles Taylor case and represents victims of War crimes. I offered my cousin’s contacts in exchange of their joining :-). Asked about the engagement with ANSAs, and collaboration with ICRC. Were keen to receive a letter “urging” Togo to join.

March 2017: Vero wrote to the Ambassador who attended the Paris Principles conference to encourage participation in the Buenos Aires conference.

November 2018: GCPEA met with the Ambassador of Togo, who was very engaged and enthusiastic. He spoke passionately about the need to protect children and education, and saw no reason why Togo could not endorse. He asked for GCPEA to send a letter for the Foreign Minister, and promised to send it immediately with a positive recommendation. GCPEA followed up in writing, sharing a letter for the Foreign Minister.

April 2019: GCPEA (Zama) met with the Ambassador of Togo in New York. The Ambassador is strongly personally supportive and have promised to send a positive recommendation to his capital that Togo should endorse the Declaration.

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

July 2019: GCPEA (Zama) met with the Second Secretary who was the acting Permanent Representative while the Ambassador was away. This was the third time GCPEA met with Togo, the previous two times were with the Ambassador. The secretary advised that there were no reasons why Togo would not endorse the Declaration, and promised to share an update with capital.

May 2020: GCPEA had a call with the Mission in New York. These meeting ws positive and there is a good chance that Togo can endorse the Safe Schools Declaration if we continue with advocacy at their capital. At the same time, Togo did emphasize that at the moment is the COVID-19 response.

June 2021: Michel, Director at Save Geneva, and Apolline met with the Ambassador and his expert in IHL in Geneva. The Ambassador understood the added-value of the declaration and said he would convey our messages back to his capital. The expert asked the usual questions regarding IHL (added-value, difference with Geneva conventions, judicial obligations/reporting duties of endorsing states). He inquired if certain endorsing states had since reverted out of endorsement. He also asked about potential ‘consequences’ for endorsing states where schools continued to be attacked and/or to be used by the military. We answered all of his questions, sharing the ICRC’s position, explaining that there were no ‘consequences’ as this was a non-binding political instrument, and conveying that the added value was the change in behaviour the Declaration and the Guidelines sought to instil in the long-term. Overall, the meeting was quite positive. Togo followed up by email requesting more information on the endorsement procedure.

July 2021: Togo endorsed the SSD.

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.