Qatar's First Lady, UN seek to protect children in conflicts

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Qatari First Lady Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser on Thursday called for stepped-up action against attackers of schools and hospitals during armed conflicts and to even subject them to sanctions. The calls came during a panel discussion on "Children and armed conflict: attacks on schools and hospitals in armed conflict" organized by Radhika Coomaraswamy - the UN Special Envoy for Children and Armed Conflict, and Peter Wittig - Germany's UN Ambassador, ahead of next month's thematic debate on the issue in the Security Council under Germany's presidency. Wittig visited schools and hospitals in Afghanistan lately and was inspired to suggest the topic to the Council. Addressing the Panel, Ban reiterated his concern over the growing number of attacks on schools and hospitals and threats to children in armed conflicts around the world, stating that the United Nations is considering targeted measures against those who commit such crimes. "Beyond naming and shaming,-- the threat of targeted measures against repeat violators - especially non-State actors - is credible and effective," he said, adding that the protection of schools and hospitals is "central" to the UN's work to protect children from those who seek to deny them education and health care. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Consort of the Emir of Qatar and UNESCO's Special Envoy on basic and higher education, gave the keynote speech. She told the Panel that the protection of the right to education in times of conflict is "one of my highest priorities. I believe that education is not a luxury. The right to an education is the right to a future. Education ought to be protected as a fundamental human right for every child in this world." "While the work of the Council has been critical in addressing these problems," she stressed, "it is now time for the Security Council to take further steps -- We need to send a clear message to everyone -- that we are serious about protecting the right to an education -- Because it is a crime to deny a child the opportunity of an education." The panelists at today's discussion included Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Martin Mogwanja, the Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).