Guinea

May 2017: PLAN held a country-level workshop in Guinea to sensitize and raise awareness of the Declaration and the Safe Schools process among state officials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guinea has decided to take the lead on this initiative and PLAN held a bilateral meeting with the MFA to discuss how they can support Guinea to move towards endorsement of the Declaration.

July 2017: HRW submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child calling on Guinea to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration. We will also submit a version in French, and share with their mission in Geneva (along with the French translations of the Declaration, Guidelines, Q&A). It’s coded here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/07/13/submission-human-rights-watch-committee-rights-child-guinea.

July 2017: Human Rights Watch made a submission on Guinea to the Committee on the Rights of the Child calling for their endorsement of the Declaration. The submission was picked up and publicized by All Africa.

August 2017: Plan International said that they have made some progress in their advocacy endorsement. The legal adviser of the MFA Guinea asked for an additional documentation outlining the reasons and advantages of endorsing the SSD. GCPEA provided an explainer which highlited the UNSG’s call for all Member States to endorse. The AU PSC’s repeated calls on AU members to endorse. The HRW submission to the UN CRC OPAC which urges Guinea to endorse and the implications of endorse for Guinea peacekeepers. GCPEA highlited the upcoming UN CRC review and the UNSC Open Debate on CAAC as opportunities for Guinea to announce their endorsement. Plan International could also advise the MFA legal advisor to contact the ICRC for advice on implementation. Plan International met with representatives of the police to discuss the Declaration. The military had been due to attend but cancelled at short notice. Requested answers to specific questions that came up during the discussions. Gisela to respond to questions.

November 2017: Sent an email to the mission in Geneva requesting for a meeting.

April 2019: GCPEA (Zama) met with the Minister Counsellor at the Mission in New York to encourage their endorsement and participation in the Spain conference.

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

January 2020: Human Rights Watch made a submission for the upcoming review of Guinea before the CESCR. It includes a request that the Committee recommend Guinea to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.

December 2020: Plan International held an advocacy workshop on December 9-12, 2020 in Guinea on endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration on safe schools. The meeting aimed to sensitize key players to pressure the government to endorse the Declaration The workshop brought together the Ministry of National Education and Literacy, Ministry of Security; Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and civil society organizations and discussed a road map for finalizing the endorsement process

October 2021: Guinea co-sponsored UNSC resolution 2601 (2021), the first thematic resolution on the protection of education in armed conflict and to mention the SSD (preamble).

November 2022: On 9 November, representatives from Plan International and UNICEF met with the Minister of higher education, and members from his Cabinet in Conakry. GCPEA had provided a comprehensive advocacy note on SSD in the Guinea context to help colleagues prepare for the meeting. The Judicial Consel explained that delay in endorsement had been caused by turnover of higher level staff within the ministry and a lack of follow up. He explained that the previous Minister had even addressed a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to encourage endorsement, hence stressing that his country had no concerns to endorse. The Minister clearly reiterated his support for endorsement. The Judicial Counsel has been requested to follow up on this issue.