The Federal Government has announced plans to host the fourth edition of the International Conference on Safe School Declaration (ICSSD) in Nigeria.
Being the first country to host the conference in the continent, Nigeria will be joined by other 112 member states to exchange experiences, learning, and present their strategies, progress, as well as challenges, in making the commitment to safe education a reality for all children in conflict situations.
Announcing the development in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu who was represented by the permanent secretary, Arc Sonny Echono, said the conference wil build on previous conferences by galvanizing support for the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) and monitoring UN member states’ progress in carrying out the declarations commitments to better protect learners and learning institutions.
The theme of the conference which is “Ensuring Safe Education for All: From Commitment to Practice” will hold between 25th-27th October 2021.
According to him, the conference will also serve to maintain and amplify the momentum of the SSD and its commitment to making safe education for all a reality.
He said Nigeria is co-hosting the Conference, with the African Union Commission (AUC), the governments of Argentina, Norway, and Spain, as well as the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA.)
The conference also aimed to strengthen implementation of the declaration by sharing good practice in implementing key commitments in the declaration, inspire other states to adapt the practice within their own context and forge global cooperation in the protection of education and deterring military use of schools and universities by bringing together education, defense, and foreign affairs ministries.
It will also be a forum for multilateral and civil society organizations to discuss prevention and response measures, and Identifying actions that governments can take to better achieve accountability for attacks on education and justice for the victims by building and strengthening international and national legal mechanisms.
Source: Guardian.ng
