Bulgaria

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

October 2016: Ambassador in Geneva asked Ambassador of Norway for ideas of how she could support the process.

January – March 2017: Member of Core Group in Geneva but did not attend meetings. Responded to some emails and actively co-sponsorsed statement by endorsing states at HRC interactive dialogue on CAAC.

March 2017: Attended Buenos Aires Conference on Safe Schools.

September 2017: GCPEA sent a letter to ask to raise the issue of military use and draw attention to the Declarationa and Guidelines during the Open Debate on children and armed conflict.

February 2018: During OPAC Turns 18, at the UN in New York, organized by Child Soldiers International, highlighted the Declaration in their statement.

July 2018: Joined Argentina’s joint statement to the UN SC during the open debate on children and armed conflict. Co-sponsored resolution 2427 (2018).

March 2019: attended GCPEA side-event on “Better Protecting Women and Girls from Attacks on Education” in Geneva. Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the SRSG CAAC Virginia Gamba, HRC Geneva: joined Norway’s joint statement on the Safe Schools Declaration.

January 2020: GCPEA had met with the Ambassador in Geneva to discuss how Bulgaria could bring the Guidelines into domestic policy and operational frameworks. Following the meeting, the Ambassador shared with capital GCPEA letter addressed to the Bulgarian Minister of Defense, which made a proposal to the Ministry to include the implementation of the Guidelines in the “review of Bulgarian legislation and measures for national implementation of IHL”, conducted by the National IHL Committee, and the Expert Working Group of the Defense Ministry. In addition, GCPEA encouraged Bulgaria to join the Red Cross/Red Crescent pledge on the Safe Schools Declaration, which had been presented by the governments of Norway, Argentina and Spain. The Ambassador also promised to share Bulgaria’s experience on the Declaration with other EU countries that have not yet signed the Declaration, namely Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

March 2020: The National IHL Committee in Bulgaria held its first meeting to discuss implementation of the Guidelines following GCPEA letter and advocacy. The Ministry of Education and Defense requested from GCPEA more information about the examples of good practice in other European Union and NATO countries.

October 2021: cosponsored UNSRC2601.

December 2021: Positive statement at the Arria meeting on the protection of education during armed conflict citing SSD. “Highly alarmed by the increased of attacks on education infrastructure and personnel”; “We are glad to see that the resolution has an explicit reference to the Safe Schools Declaration”.

July 2022: At the UNSC CAAC debate :
– Deeply alarmed that attacks on schools have increased worldwide
– Call on all states to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration

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.