attacks were recorded in educational institutions in 70 countries between 2013 and 2017. In 28 cases, the schools were a direct target of the attacks and the children were forced to become soldiers, abducted or subjected to sexual abuse. The worst places in the world to study are Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed closely by Afghanistan (which has lost 2,000 educational institutions in the past two years); Mali, where 28,580 minors cannot exercise their right to education; and Ukraine, where attacks on schools have quadrupled in 2019. Of particular relevance is the case of Nigeria, where the Jihadist militia, Boko Haram, has kidnapped, raped and killed hundreds of girls just because they went to school, imposing its reign of terror to the point of eradicating girls’ schools in the north of the country. In Mosul, 90 per 100 of students had to leave school during the Daesh occupation. Also in this period, armed forces and groups used educational facilities for military purposes such as bases, barracks, firing positions, arsenal or detention centres in at least 29 countries. This situation, apart from putting children’s lives at risk, means that schools become synonymous with fear, leading many parents to avoid sending their children to school when there is a risk of violence. This fear increases considerably in many countries where girls are concerned. In this regard, the UN Secretary- General, António Guterres, in the 2017 report on Women, Peace and Security, stated that girls living in a country affected by conflict are 2.5 times more likely not to attend school than those living in other countries. The Palma Conference tried to put names and faces, not only on the politicians and NGO leaders, but also on these children and their teachers, to listen to them and to allow their voices to be heard so that those capable of taking action to avoid this happening can at least see how horrific the situation is. Muzoon Almelleh is a teenager who fled Syria leaving behind her entire life; all she wanted to take with her was her school bag and her books because she knew it was the only way to keep living: «I didn’t want to stop learning». Rosa Ruiz A teacher tries to teach in the ruins of what was once a school, now destroyed, in Pakistani Kashmir, close to the border with India. Safe Schools Declaration Countries commit to comply with Guidelines that aim to prevent attacks and defend the right to education THE Safe Schools Declaration has not yet been incorporated into international law; however it does represent a clear political commitment to protect children and their teachers. It also lays the foundations for the development of future legislation. It was prepared through a consultative process led by Norway and Argentina together with the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), a body created in 2010 by the most significant organisations dedicated to childhood and education in emergency and conflict situations. From the outset it was clear that the entire international community had to be called upon and, in particular, countries suffering from such situations had to be involved while an end had to be put to the impunity of those responsible. With this aim in mind, Norway organised the First International Conference on Safe Schools in May 2015 and invited all States to endorse the Declaration (the second conference was held in Argentina in 2017). Simultaneously, Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict were drawn up, which are adopted by States upon endorsement of the Declaration and which cover areas from the collection of data on attacks and assistance and reparations for victims to ensuring the continuity of education in war zones and designing conflict-aware educational programmes. It was decided to hold other meetings on a regular basis —such as the Conferences— so that States could share experiences and lessons learned while addressing the implementation of specific measures. As well as the 90 countries that have already adopted the guidelines, support has been received from the highest levels of the UN and the Guidelines are an unquestionable part of its 2030 Agenda. The implementation of the Guidelines is facilitated by resolutions such as Resolution 1998 (2011), which consider that the perpetrators of attacks against educational institutions can be brought to justice, and Resolutions 2143 (2014) and 2427 (2018), which call for specific measures to protect education from attacks and pave the way for the Safe Schools Declaration. The Spanish government has been part of the Safe Schools Declaration and its Guidelines from the outset (May 2015) and is one of its main advocates. At the same time, it has fostered progress in this area on the various agendas for the protection of civilians —the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the Children and Armed Conflict Agenda— and has promoted emblematic resolutions in the UN Security Council and General Assembly such as Resolutions 2242 (2015), 2286 (2016) and 2331 (2016). December 2019 Revista Española de Defensa 43 Hélène Gicquel
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