Sheikha Moza launches legal handbook to better help protect education

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has launched an important new legal handbook aimed to better help protect education in times of conflict or insecurity. The launch of the handbook, the first of its kind, comes during Her Highness' visit to New York for the 67th UN General Assembly in her capacity as a global education advocate where she will be taking part in a number of high level events to focus the world's attention on the importance of education, particularly for the 61 million primary age children who are out of school. Nearly half of the 61 million children live in areas affected by conflict, Her Highness said. "Depriving children of the right to education is not only a human tragedy, it is an obstacle to recovery and building a better future. As countries recover from conflict, education is a vital building block for improvements in health, peace-building and economic growth. The indifference we have seen to this issue is almost as bad as the problem itself." The publication, 'Protecting Education in Insecurity and Armed Conflict: An International Law Handbook' was commissioned by Education Above All (EAA), the Qatar-based policy and advocacy organisation chaired by Her Highness, and authored by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL). It examines the intersection of international human rights, humanitarian, and criminal law as it relates to violations of the right to education and associated rights during insecurity and armed conflict. It focuses on the international legal protection of students, education staff and education facilities and offers recommendations as to how this protection can, and should, be strengthened. In so doing, the handbook also introduces international and regional legal mechanisms that can be used to obtain relevant and appropriate reparation.