Special Representative of the United Nations or UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict says accountability is the best defence for deterring attacks on schools.
Leila Zerrougui told the ‘Right to Education in Emergencies’ over the weekend at UN Headquarters in New York that holding government armed forces and non-state armed groups accountable when they target schools is key to protect schools, students and teachers during emergencies and armed conflict.
She says prevention should include documenting violations, identifying perpetrators, and deterring military use of schools, pointing out that when perpetrators are prosecuted, many will ‘think twice’ before targeting schools.
Ms Zerrougui stresses the need to include the issue of children’s educational rights during emergencies in the post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations.
She explains that the peace processes should include issues of child rights, education, protecting schools and children recruitment as part of advocacy.