Male’, Maldives – After the cabinet advised for Maldives to join the “Safe School Declaration” – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has decided to consult the Maldivian Parliament on the matter.
The President decided this after reviewing a proposal by the Ministry of Education was discussed at the cabinet meeting earlier today.
The Safe Schools Declaration is an inter-governmental political commitment that provides countries the opportunity to express political support for the protection of students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict; the importance of the continuation of education during armed conflict, and the implementation of the “Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.”
By joining the Declaration, states formally endorse the “Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict” and commit to “bring them into domestic policy and operational frameworks as far as possible and appropriate.”
Currently, 106 states have joined The Safe Schools Declaration, which describes the immediate and long-term consequences of attacks on students, teachers, schools, and universities, and the military use of schools and universities, during times of armed conflict.
The declaration was opened for endorsement by countries at an international conference held in Oslo, Norway, in May 2015. Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway is the depositary of endorsements.
