March 13, 2025
United Nations Office in Geneva, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Watch the recording here.

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The 2025 Annual Day on the Rights of the Child of the Human Rights Council focused on early childhood development and was a crucial platform for advancing discussions on the protection of education from attack and the rights of younger children. As panelist of the session on early childhood development in emergencies, GCPEA’s Senior Advocacy and Policy Adviser, Ilaria Paolazzi, spoke up against the devastating impact of attacks and military use of pre-primary and primary education facilities on younger children, highlighting alarming trends and threats to the realization of children’s right to life, survival, and early development. Formally addressing the Human Rights Council for the first time ever, GCPEA urged States to uphold their child rights obligations and take urgent action to protect education during armed conflict and prevent violations of children’s human rights. 

Key Highlights

“There is no doubt that the adverse impacts of armed conflict, attacks on education, and military use of schools are especially salient during the early years of life, when a child’s rapidly developing brain is exceptionally sensitive to trauma and environmental influence. Significantly, attacks on education and military use of schools may result in breaches of Article 6 of the UNCRC. Attacks on education and military use of schools must end.” – Ilaria Paolazzi, GCPEA’s Senior Advocacy and Policy Adviser

Ms. Paolazzi raised the alarm about the rise in attacks on education and military use of schools, reported by Education under Attack 2024 and the 2024 Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict – as well as the global reduction in humanitarian, development, and child protection funding which threatens to erase decades of progress. 

Ms. Paolazzi expressed concern that monitoring and reporting systems remain weak, absent, and increasingly under-funded and stressed the need for more systematic and effective data collection on the age-disaggregated trends and impacts of attacks. The lack of such data undermines efforts to understand the drivers and full scope of the damage and hampers prospects for accountability.

She called for states to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration during its 10th anniversary year and participate in the 5th International Conference, which will be hosted by Kenya later in 2025. She also urged States to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration and Security-Council resolution 2601 with a child-rights based approach, taking into account younger children’s unique views, vulnerabilities, and evolving capacities. Ms. Paolazzi highlighted the SSD Implementation Network as a unique opportunity for States to receive the necessary technical assistance. 

Ms. Paolazzi concluded by calling on the Human Rights Council to reaffirm the obligation of states to ensure that all children, including the youngest, can exercise their right to safe, accessible and quality education during armed conflict, and to recognize that early childhood education is one of the most effective strategies for achieving peace, security, and sustainable development.

Watch her full speech here. 

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“Every child captured in the chaos of conflict and crisis is much more than a statistic—they are our hope for a better future. When society fails to protect them, we forgo our best bet to deliver on our common humanity.” – Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

Ms. Nada Al-Nashif emphasized the devastating impact of war, disasters, and crises on young children, highlighting that nearly half of all deaths among children under five occur in conflict-affected or fragile environments. She called for urgent action to protect children’s rights, provide essential early childhood development services, and break cycles of poverty and violence to build a more peaceful and resilient future.

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“We, as kids, need to go to school, to play, to have food and water, and most importantly, to not live in fear… Please stop all the wars so we can live happily and safely as kids.” Joyce, Child Rights Advocate from the Syrian Arab Republic

At just 10 years old, Joyce highlighted the hardships faced by children displaced by conflict. Speaking from Portugal, she expressed her longing for her home in Syria and called on world leaders to end wars so that children everywhere can grow up in safety and peace.

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“It is essential to ensure that all children, regardless of gender, ability, or displacement, have access to quality early childhood development.” – Amina Shishany, Senior Project Manager at Plan International Jordan

Ms. Amina Shishany highlighted the urgent need for gender-responsive and inclusive early childhood development (ECD) programs for Syrian and Palestinian children affected by conflict. She emphasized that only 10% of required ECD in emergency funding in Syria was met under the 2018 humanitarian response plan, with ECD receiving less than 2% of total humanitarian aid. Ms. Shishany called on states and humanitarian actors to increase funding, implement inclusive policies, and strengthen local educational capacities to ensure no child is left behind.

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“Yes, let them be children—let us fulfill the wishes of every family and parent so that they can raise children of peace and reconciliation. The time is now—we are stronger together.” – Rima Salah, Chair of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium

Ms. Rima Salah emphasized the urgent need for increased investment in early childhood development (ECD) in humanitarian settings, highlighting that one in six children globally live in conflict zones or displacement. She stressed the lasting negative effects of toxic stress on young children and the transformative power of nurturing care and early intervention. Ms. Salah urged the international community to engage with governments, uphold the rights of young children, and ensure ECD programs are recognized as lifesaving during crises, fostering a path toward peace.

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Speaking from the floor, a youth delegate from Belgium highlighted that “the Safe Schools Declaration is a concrete example of child-rights based approach” and stressed the importance of implementing the Guidelines on Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, echoing GCPEA’s call on parties to conflicts to end the use of schools for military purposes. Through video statements facilitated by their government, two girls from Colombia and Armenia stressed the importance of prioritizing early education during armed conflict and urged States to stop politicizing protection of education in conflict zones. Additionally, a significant number of State representatives from different regions expressed political support for early learning in emergencies. 

Philip Jaffé, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and moderator of the panel, concluded by expressing the alarm and acknowledging the intolerable situations many children face worldwide. He stated:

“Alarm bells are ringing loudly… so many situations that were described are intolerable. Millions of children’s health, education, and well-being—essential early childhood development—are not being given sufficient attention, or are actively being interfered with or trampled upon.“