PROMOTING education and sustainable development, particularly in underdeveloped countries, has been an important part of Qatar’s foreign policy. Qatar’s Education Above All Foundation, led by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, has led numerous global initiatives in partnership with UN agencies and international organisations to further the cause of education around the globe. On Wednesday, Her Highness joined global leaders to mark the inaugural UN International Day to Protect Education from Attack, calling for a unified, global advocacy to establish effective mechanisms to monitor violations of international law and ensure that perpetrators of attacks on education are held to account. Her Highness emphasised that the International Day to Protect Education from Attack cannot be another ceremonial day on the UN calendar, but must become an annual benchmark to review progress, new data and take concerted action, saying: “Protecting the lives, education, and future of those children is a responsibility that the international community cannot afford to ignore; a test that it cannot fail.” The day was adopted after the UN General Assembly passed a unanimous resolution introduced by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser as part of a decades-long commitment to protecting education in conflict and insecurity and ensuring children in developing countries can realise their fundamental right to education. Ensuring every child’s right to education has become even more important given the disruption of education systems caused by the coronavirus pandemic globally. Expressing pride that Qatar --- in partnership with Unesco, Unicef, and EAA Foundation --- has hosted this high-level event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, underlined the importance of holding this event amidst the exceptional circumstances resulting from the pandemic, which affects more than 75 million children and young people in urgent need to receive educational support in 35 countries affected by crises. H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the State of Qatar was committed to working with global community to achieve peace, development, and protection of human rights around the world, and was keen on cooperating and working with partners within the framework of the United Nations and beyond to provide appropriate environment to enable children and youth to obtain quality education. His Excellency said Qatar would spare no effort to settle disputes by peaceful means, in order to avoid the destructive effects of those conflicts on various aspects of life, especially children and youth and their right to education.
