Safeguarding Education in Sudan: Investing in Peace, Recovery and Stability - Security Council, Arria-formula

Good morning, Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear colleagues. It's my distinct honor and pleasure to welcome you to this AREA Formula meeting entitled Safeguarding Education in Sudan, Investing in Peace and Recovery. We thank our E3+ partners co-members and the DRC and Liberia for their co-sponsorship and steadfast commitment to this agenda. This meeting comes at a time when Sudan's education system faces unprecedented challenges. Since April 2023, conflict has uprooted millions of children from their classrooms and attacks on educational infrastructure has surged. In this crisis, Education must remain a neutral, protected space, guided by always by the best interests of the child. Education is not a right, but a lifeline and a cornerstone of Sudan's recovery. Today, we look forward to shedding light and on discussing concrete steps to ensure safe, inclusive and continuous learning for every Sudanese child, even mine, even amid conflict. Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear colleagues, we welcome the Deputy Secretary-General, Her Excellency Ms. Amina Mohamed, and our distinguished briefers to this meeting. I am pleased to give the floor to Madam Amina Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General. You have the floor.

Thank you, Your Excellency, Mr. Abakar Dahir Osman, the Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the UN. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends, my deep appreciation to you, Ambassador Osman, and to Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia for bringing this issue before the Council. 1,210 days, that's how long this war has gone on for. Long enough for 33 million people, more than half of Sudan, to need humanitarian aid to survive. Long enough for famine to take hold and four million women and children to face acute malnourishment this year. Long enough for Sudan to become the largest displacement crisis in the world, nearly nine million people driven from their homes inside the country and millions more forced to cross its borders. Long enough for cholera, measles, dengue and hepatitis E to move through camps where families have already fled two, three, four times over. Long enough for the atrocities of sexual violence to be used again and again and again as a horrific weapon against women and girls. Long enough for more than 17 million Sudanese children to need humanitarian assistance. Long enough for mass killings and sexual violence in villages, of rape and gang rape, of abduction and trafficking of children recruited and detained. This war has to end and it has to end now. Those who committed these crimes must answer for them and the rule of law must prevail in Sudan. States beyond Sudan's borders continue to fuel the fire of this conflict by facilitating the flow of deadly weapons. Their actions are deepening and prolonging the suffering of the people, mothers, young girls and children of Sudan. This must cease immediately. The United Nations will put the full weight of its capacity behind every pathway to peace. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, among everything this war is taking, one of the most significant is the future of Sudan depriving the education of its children. Today, at least eight million school-age children remain out of school, with a disproportionate impact on millions of displaced children, especially those seeking refuge outside of Sudan. Darfur alone has seen nearly three-quarters of its schools damaged, destroyed, or otherwise rendered non-functional since the onset of the conflict. Five children in every six are out of school, and many parents will tell you they would rather keep their children at home than send them to a classroom. because home for them is the only place left where they can keep them safe. Since 2024, the United Nations has verified more than 67 attacks on schools across Sudan, while over 154 instances of military use of schools have been reported. These figures represent only documented incidents, while the true scale of attacks on schools is undoubtedly much greater. Shelling and airstrikes continue to damage schools and endanger children, while incidents of looting and arson of schools, as well as threats against educational personnel, have been extensively reported. Attacks against schools are frontal assaults on children's safety, their dignity. They lose protective spaces, opportunities to develop socially with their peers, and access to essential services such as the school feeding programs, health care, and mental health support. As we have seen time and time again, how prolonged disruptions in education disproportionately affect girls and young women. More than half of Sudan's teachers have gone unpaid, yet many of them are still teaching against all odds. The national examinations are now out of reach for students across large parts of Darfur and Kordofan. Parallel exams are being planned in the five Darfur states, raising real concerns about whether those certificates would be recognized. It is essential that all children, whether in areas affected by conflict, displacement settings, or more stable locations, have access to the same nationally recognized examinations, the same quality education. A unified exam helps ensure fairness, protects the value of students' qualifications, Without one, a generation of Sudanese youth leave schools with no open doors, no university placing, no training, no job. Those are the children at risk that armed groups recruit and become our child soldiers. I could read numbers to you for the whole of the five minutes I've been given and still fall short of what has been done to Sudan's children, especially its girls. Sudan has already lost a generation to earlier wars and is losing another one now. This year, with our partners, we have brought more than a million Sudanese children back into some form of learning, but it's simply just not enough. This is a war that men have started, but it is being paid for on the backs of women and on the backs of children who have no say in any of it, but suffer the worst consequences. It is time to stop the war and to pull Sudan back from the brink of losing another generation of its children. Excellencies, colleagues and friends, The members of the Security Council must do their utmost to bring this conflict to an end, to create the conditions for peace and the enabling environment for Sudan's children to return to learning. I urge you to do everything within your power to do so, for the young Sudanese living through this war today, and for future generations who will inherit whatever is left of their country. Education is both life-saving, it's life-changing. It protects children today and lays the foundation for peace, recovery and stability tomorrow. Education is hope, hope in a future that may seem impossibly distant. Just as in Gaza, parents know that they may not live to see peace in their country, but one day their child just might do so. And that education is what will let them rebuild peace, prosperity in their country so that they may have the right to thrive in it. Sudan's children have waited 1,210 days for the war to end. They should not have to wait any longer. Thank you.

I thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her remarks. I now invite Ms. Hanan Suleiman, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, to provide her briefing.

Excellencies, thank you to Ambassador Bakarr Dahir Ousman for convening today's Arya Formula meeting, and to Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for co-sponsoring this very important discussion. Excellencies, we meet today against the backdrop of a devastating conflict that has now entered its fourth year, a conflict where children's education continues to be under attack. In my remarks today, I will focus on three things. the challenges of children and education in Sudan, how progress is possible when resources and political will are available, and what you as member states can do to protect children and education in Sudan. Since the Security Council adopted Resolution 2736 in 2024, calling among others for the protection of civilians and for compliance by all parties to conflict with international law, The United Nations has verified across Sudan more than 67 attacks on schools, while over 154 instances of military use of schools in Sudan have been reported, as just communicated by our Deputy Secretary General. These figures represent only documented incidences, while the true scale of attacks on schools is undoubtedly much greater. Darfur alone has seen nearly three quarters, 73%, of its schools damaged, destroyed, or otherwise rendered nonfunctional since the onset of the conflict in April 2023. The use of explosive weapons by parties to the conflict in populated areas remains a leading cause of damage to and destruction of schools. In Sudan, armed drones have emerged as a major means of deploying explosive weapons, causing extensive damage to schools and inflicting grave harm to children. During the first four months alone of this year, nearly 80% of reported child casualties were attributed to attacks involving armed drones. At the same time, shelling and airstrikes continue to damage schools and endanger children. while incidents of looting and arson of schools, as well as threats against education personnel have been extensively reported. Since the outbreak of the war, Sudan consistently ranks as the country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. Today, at least 8 million school-age children remain out of school, including approximately 4.1 million girls. with a disproportionate impact on millions of displaced children, notably those seeking refuge outside of Sudan. Further, nearly half of Sudan's school buildings can no longer function as classrooms. In addition to the widespread displacement of education personnel, the conflict has halted the salaries of many teachers, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, thereby severely affecting their livelihood and the continuity of learning. Children's access to education is not only threatened by direct attack on schools or education personnel, but by the secondary impact on education from the collapse of the infrastructure that keeps schools running. For instance, a school relies on access to electricity, water, sanitation, and hygiene to function. Last year, a strike on energy infrastructure in the White Nile state cut off the electricity needed to operate a major water treatment facility. As a result, schools lost access to both energy and water, forcing their closure, with tens of thousands of students losing access to education. Attacks against schools are not only grave violations against children, they are frontal assaults on children's safety, dignity, and future. When schools are attacked, occupied, or rendered unsafe, children lose far more than learning opportunities. They lose protective spaces, opportunities to develop socially with their peers, and access to essential services such as school feeding, health care, and mental health support. Their vulnerabilities also surge when they miss out on life-saving information taught within the classroom. For example, in Sudan, learning about the risks posed by explosive remnants of war are a lifeline that teachers provide. Children who are out of school also face significantly heightened protection risks, including exploitation, child labor, child marriage, trafficking, and recruitment into armed forces and armed groups. Excellencies, education is both life-saving and life-changing. Despite the challenges outlined above, progress is still possible with political will and adequate resources. UNICEF continues to work with partners nationwide to restore safe learning environments, distribute education supplies, and advocate for unified, accessible national examinations for all students regardless of locations. Three illustrative initiatives include, In May 2026, UNICEF and Save the Children, with support from the Global Partnership for Education, launched the Building Resilience to Improve Development and Growth in Education in Sudan, bridges. The new program will help more than 328,000 conflict-affected children to return to learning across Sudan by restoring access to education in some of the hardest-hit areas, and in supporting longer term recovery of the national education system. Investment in the national system is an absolute must. Approximately 850 schools are expected to reopen through this initiative across seven conflict affected states. Secondly, last year, hundreds of primary schools across Brunei state benefited from a UNICEF and partner led enrollment campaign that also provided essential teaching materials to enhance lesson delivery and improve learning for displaced and vulnerable children. Guided by the principle of leaving no child behind, the all inclusive approach With the support of the European Union and other partners, more than 170,000 children across all 418 schools in Blue Nile alone had access to safe and quality education. The program succeeded in a major increase in enrollment of displaced children, including refugees, and ensured that they learned side by side with children from host communities, fostering social cohesion and healing. Third, prolonged disruptions in education have disproportionately affected girls and young women, with many facing barriers to accessing employment. As a result, in White Nile, the Prospects Partnership, a program implemented by ILO, UNHCR, and UNICEF, is expanding access to technical and vocational training, apprenticeship and youth engagement programs, and equipping young people with market-relevant skills to shape their futures. Beyond vocational training, the program also strengthens access to rights, supporting inclusive national systems, and helping young people move into education and employment pathways while fostering social cohesion. Today, El Sefira village in White Nile is home to hundreds of skilled young people, electricians, tailors, technicians, and mechanics, who are now earning an income and contributing to their communities. These are important examples, but much more must be done to reach the millions of children whose rights to education have been denied. This is just a small drop. Excellencies, I would like to leave you with four requests. First, UNICEF is urging all member states to demand an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, that all parties to the conflict in Sudan respect international humanitarian law and end and prevent grave violations against children. This also includes signing and fully implementing the United Nations Children and Armed Conflict Action Plans. Member States should also support Sudan to implement the Safe Schools Declaration, including the adoption of policies that protect schools, learners and educators, while ensuring accountability for grave rights violations. Education should and must be systematically integrated into national action plans on children in armed conflict to reduce the exposure of vulnerable children and to reintegrate affected children during post-conflict recovery. Secondly, member states should also provide sustained and flexible financing to guarantee safe, inclusive, and quality education in Sudan. This supports children affected by armed conflict to continue learning as quickly as possible. Third, Sudanese stakeholders, member states, including members of this esteemed council, and all concerned stakeholders should take action to ensure that education in Sudan remains a neutral space that is protected from politicization and division. It is essential that all children, whether in areas affected by conflict, displacement settings, or more stable locations, have access to the same nationally recognized examinations. A unified exam helps ensure fairness, protects the value of student qualifications, and avoids divisions that could limit their future opportunities. Excellencies, education protects children today and helps build the foundations for peace tomorrow. With that in mind, I would like to close by urging you to unequivocally denounce attacks on education across Sudan, to reaffirm that military use of schools are never acceptable and must never be normalized, to consistently call for accountability when attacks take place, and to use the influence you hold with parties to armed conflict to help protect the children of Sudan and their education. We urgently need your action to end this conflict. Without a political resolution and lasting peace, humanitarian, including educational needs, will continue to outpace the response by far, and children's suffering will deepen. Safe education is more than an investment in the prosperous future of Sudan. It is a vital protection measure and a cornerstone of sustainable peace. It is a fundamental right that every child in Sudan must enjoy. The choices made by this council can help ensure that children carry books instead of burdens and hope instead of harm. Thank you very much.

I thank Ms. Sulaiman for her briefings and now invite Ms. Lisa Chang-Bender, Executive Director of Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, to provide her briefings.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I thank Somalia for convening this meeting and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for co-sponsoring it. As noted, Sudan remains the country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. However, new figures are even more troubling. Education Cannot Wait released in June figures that put the number at 12.3 million children out of school. My organization, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, welcomed Sudan as one of the earliest endorsers of the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, and we stand ready to support Sudan, this Council, and all present because Sudan cannot build without a commitment to education. GCPA has tracked attacks on education for 15 years. In our last report, we found 88 countries were affected by attacks on education. This is a global problem. And let me emphasize what we have learned over the years. Attacks on schools are not just the heartbreaking deaths of children in places where they should be safest. It is not just the destruction of one of the largest infrastructure investments that countries can make, or the killing, maiming, and terrorizing of teachers who are the largest civil servant cadre in countries. The attacks have lasting harm that go beyond these immediate devastations. To name just a few, they suppress enrollment, they contribute to child marriage. These are not trends that are easily changed and disproportionately affect girls. They also create lasting toxic stress, which have horrible negative consequences for children throughout their lives and development. We must be committed to their safety and well-being. GCPA's independent monitoring identifies Sudan as one of the most heavily affected countries in the world by attacks on education. And in our analysis, we found two patterns. First, schools sheltering the displaced are being struck again and again. In 2025 alone, Balak Girls School, just an hour before classes started, was bombed in March. Drone strikes hit two sheltering schools in Kordofan on consecutive days in June. And in December, a drone struck a kindergarten in Kalouji, killing 32 children, and then targeted the paramedics that arrived to help. The second pattern, educators are being targeted. not just for where they work, but for who they serve. In June 2025, mass graves contained tortured students and teachers was discovered in Wad Madani. Through August and September, GCPEA documented teachers arrested in Darfur over alleged ties to the Port Sudan government. These same teachers that we've already acknowledged are going without pay and are doing so much to help the children of Sudan. However, sharing this evidence only matters if it leads to action. Accountability is protection. It is a critical form of deterrence. Every investigation, every sanction that names education as a protected infrastructure, every case brought before this council makes Sudan's schools safer not only today, but tomorrow. The case to act now is also a peace and recovery case. Education inequality groups I'm sorry, education inequality between groups roughly doubles the risk of conflict, while greater gender equality in education lowers it by as much as 37%. This is why GCPEA is gravely concerned about the exam crisis. This April, over 280,000 students, and you can only imagine what they've been through, went to travel to take their exams. 60% of them were girls and were not able to access exam sites. Subsequently, a parallel process has been announced for exams in RSF controlled areas. I'd like to draw your attention to two recent studies, UNDP ISS Africa's Beyond the Conflict and the Government of Sudan and UNESCO's Sudan Price of Inaction Report. Both of these reports agree that disrupted schooling carries a steep economic cost, degrading the workforce and entrenching generational poverty. If conflict persists, By 2043, GDP will be $34.5 billion lower. But if the war ends and education is protected, GDP could instead reach $58.2 billion, even outperforming some of its African income peers. Failure to invest in education will perpetuate a vicious cycle, more conflict, more poverty. Protecting and investing in education will promote a virtuous cycle, more peace, more prosperity. So let me close with some practical recommendations. First, on a political level, education and protection appeals must be funded immediately. The 84% funding gap is shameful. Second, we echo and build on UNICEF's call to integrate education into Sudan's national action plan and also urge the group of friends on children in armed conflict in Sudan be reestablished with an explicit focus on attacks on education. On a technical level, verification bodies and accountability mechanisms must capture data on attacks on education as distinct category of harm. Finally, we echo the call for a single national guaranteed mechanism for Sudanese examinations and certification so that today's students are not divided by where the front line falls. Excellencies, Sudan's children have not stopped asking for the chance to learn, even as their schools are struck, their teachers killed, their futures deferred. This council can answer that request with protection because where education is protected, children are safer and peace has room to grow. Thank you so much.

I thank Ms. Bender for her briefings. Colleagues, before we proceed, I should mention that the DSG, Deputy Secretary General, Her Excellency Ms. Amina Mohamed has other commitments. We express our gratitude for her participation and invaluable contribution. I propose we allow her to depart now to attend other meetings. Thank you. Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished guests and colleagues, education is often described as foundation of development. Today, we gather to recognize another equally important truth. Education is also foundation for peace. At the heart of every society that has rebuilt from conflict lies the same enduring force, education. Education has enabled communities to recover, rebuild public institutions, and prepare new generations to lead their nations towards stability and prosperity. For decades, Sudan stood as one of Africa's and the Arab region's leading center of learning, with reputation that extended well beyond its borders. Its schools and universities educated generations of students from across Africa and beyond, many of whom returned to their countries to contribute to national development, institution building, and public services. In doing so, Sudan's education system made a lasting contribution not only to the development of its own people, but also to the institution building, human capital development, and regional cooperation across Africa and the wider region. Today, however, the conflict has interrupted Sudan's ability to carry that legacy forward. The conflict has disrupted the educations of millions of children. Schools have been damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible, teachers have been displaced, many young people have seen their education interrupted at the defining moment in their lives. The consequence extend far beyond classroom. Every year of lost learning weakens human capital, increases children's vulnerability to recruitment and exploitation, and narrows the opportunity for recovery when peace returns. At the same time, this conflict has raised another important challenge, preserving the integrity of Sudan's national education system. A unified national education system is more than curriculum, examinations, or certificates. It's an institution that binds a nation together. It provides continuity, reinforces national identity, and ensures that every child, regardless of where they live, share a common educational foundation. Its preservation will be essential to Sudan's future recovery and national cohesion. This is why safeguarding education must go beyond protecting school buildings. It must also include protecting students, teachers, and educational personnel, ensuring safe and continuous access to learning, preserving the integrity of Sudan's national recognized education system, and preventing fragmentation through parallel educational structures that risk undermining national cohesion and the credibility of the educational qualification for future generations. We support the Secretary General as a personal envoy, Haristo's effort in this regard. When we protect education, we do more than safeguard the rights of children, we safeguard the future of societies. Excellencies, colleagues, The Security Council has consistently recognized the importance of protecting children affected by armed conflict, civilians, and infrastructures. Today's discussion invites us to consider how education contributes not only to the child protection, but also the resilience, institution building, and sustainable development and sustainable peace. In this context, ensuring accountability for crimes and upholding obligations to international humanitarian law are essential. We must also address the actions of external actors who fuel the war, including the implementation of arms embargo to stem the flow of weapons and increment drones that threatens the safety of the schools and communities. It's equally important to engage fully in the political process for a ceasefire, own ceasefire and support the government in its Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned political process. Only by advancing those efforts can we create the conditions necessary for education to thrive. It's also encourages us to reflect on practical ways in which the international community can support these efforts through stronger protection of schools, sustained support for Sudanese education sector, assistance to displaced learners, and cooperation aimed at preserving the country's national education system for future generations. Ultimately, the question before us is not simply to restore education after conflict, it's how to ensure that education continues despite conflict so that when peace comes, Sudan will have a generation prepared not only to shape the country's future, but to rebuild it. It's our hope that today's discussion will generate practical ideas, strengthen international cooperation, and reaffirm our shared commitment to ensuring that every Sudanese child retain the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to contribute to a peaceful and prosperous Sudan. I thank you again. I now give the floor to the council members. And I'll begin giving the floor to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr. President, the Democratic Republic of the Congo would like to congratulate Somalia for organizing this area formula. which we were honored to co-sponsor alongside Liberia. We would also like to thank Madam Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, the Executive Director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack as well. The conflict raging in Sudan since April 2023 continues to place a heavy burden on civilians, and the most vulnerable of them are children. While the human losses, forced displacement and humanitarian needs indeed garner all the attention of the international community, attacks on the education system is also a major threat for the future of the country whose day-to-day life can hear is marked by the sound of weapons going off. Schools are being closed. and learning has been interrupted. This is depriving millions of Sudanese children not only of their fundamental right to education but also of a safe space, a space of stability and hope. Indeed, the history of conflict shows sufficiently that when a school closes, it is not simply learning that is interrupted, it is also a barrier against recruitment, exploitation and other violations that we can stop if stopping a school from closing. The conflict in Sudan and the ongoing violence. pose a great risk to this plural society that has already been sorely tested. Beyond the immediate urgency, this crisis could also leave an imprint on the social fabric of Sudan, and this is something that we should bear in mind. For the younger generations who are growing up in this context, the consequences of this war will not only be measured in the number of schools destroyed or school years lost. It will also be measured in the lasting trace that this will lead on a whole generation of young Sudanese people who will then need to ensure the recovery of their country. They will continue to be deprived of education and they will not have any prospects for empowerment, jobs, participation in public life. This will all be compromised. Beyond the human tragedy that this represents. Being out of school for a long time erodes human capital inevitably, and this human capital is needed to rebuild institutions, rebuild social coherence, and it is needed to consolidate lasting peace. Although they're on the front line of this war, Sudanese children are also its greatest hope, and therefore the way in which they'll be protected taught and supported today will determine the capacity of Sudan to recover and to build lasting peace. Preserving education for these children is therefore an imperative for the international community. Indeed, preserving, protecting education and safeguarding education in Sudan is protecting, safeguarding women and men who have the responsibility to build a more prosperous, peaceful future for their country. President, the experience of the DRC shows that protecting and safeguarding education is not something that should happen after a conflict is resolved. It is one of the conditions for the resolution to a conflict. This is why my government My government of my country rolled out a law in 2009 protecting children and we also have a framework law from 2014 for national education system. This legislation creates our national strategy for education in emergencies. This legal arsenal aims to ensure continuity and the protection of learning whether this be formal or informal. It also seeks to guarantee the safety of students and staff and provide psycho social support in response to conflicts and disasters. Our approach therefore brings together continuity of learning, institutional resilience and peace building. This choice stems from a simple conviction: crises should never condemn an entire generation to have its education interrupted. Preserving the education system is preserving and maintaining the capacity of a nation to train its citizens of tomorrow. It will strengthen its institutions and it will consolidate lasting peace. In this connection, the DRC welcomes the efforts made by the African Union for to protect education in situations of crisis, particularly through initiatives from the Peace and Security Council and also the African Union Center for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa. These initiatives show the will of our continent to make education not only a fundamental right, but also a tool for resilience, recovery and peace building. Thus, it merits to be fully supported and strengthened. However, As determining as national policies are for ensuring continuity of education, they cannot replace lasting protection for children. And that this cessation of hostilities is key here. While that has not happened, schools will be exposed, teachers will be displaced, and thousands of children will be deprived of their right to learn. This is why the DRC reiterates its appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities. safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access, as well as a political dialogue that is sincere and inclusive between parties. Only a political solution will create the conditions that are necessary to rebuild the education system, to support national recovery and will allow for lasting peace. With this in mind, we encourage the international community, alongside regional actors, to strengthen their support to the Sudanese authorities to protect the entire national education system to ensure continuous learning and protect schools against any use that is not compatible with their civilian vocation, and also to support teachers. whose commitment remains essential to preserve the human capital of Sudan. These efforts must be part of a global approach bringing together humanitarian action, development and peace building, so that education remains a real tool for resilience and stability. President, in conclusion, for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the question that brings us together today goes beyond simply access to education. It invites us to think about what trace this war will leave on future generations and what actions we can take collectively to protect it. We have the collective responsibility to ensure that Sudanese children don't become a generation defined by the conflict, but a generation that is prepared to lead the recovery of their country. And this is why investing today in education is investing in peace, recovery and stability of the Sudan of tomorrow. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Democratic Republic of Congo. for her remarks. And before I give the floor to Liberia, I want to recognize both Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia as the co-sponsors of this AREA formula. I thank you again on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia, and now give the floor to the representative of Liberia.

Liberia's history makes it imperative and dutiful for Liberia to join its E3 colleagues, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia to co-host this Area Formula meeting on safeguarding education in Sudan, investing in peace, recovery and stability. Liberia thanks the briefers. Hana Suleiman, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, and Lisa Chung-Bender, Executive Director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, who briefed us. We also want to thank in absentia the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Anna J. Mohammed, for honoring this occasion. The adverse effects of war do not dissipate when guns fall silent. Its deepest wounds are carried by a child, and that wound, left untreated, bleeds across generations. You have heard the grim statistics 17 million children affected by this war and some 8 million are out of school. Schools have been bombed, occupied, and abandoned. Teachers unpaid, examinations disrupted. Sudan is not only losing ground to a war, it is losing a generation and may lose generations if this war does not come to an end. The law is clear. Schools are protected civilian objects. Resolution 2601 condemns attacks on education and demands an end to the military use of schools. Liberia calls on all parties to honor these obligations, implement the Safe Schools Declaration, and cooperate fully with the UN's monitoring and reporting mechanism. A school is a sanctuary. Never a barrack and never a target. Mr. Chair, Liberia knows the cost from lived experience. Our civil conflict did not only destroy buildings. It drove our teachers, doctors, engineers, and professionals into exile. for many, many years. When peace returned, we confronted a painful truth. An entire generation had come of age without formal education or vocational training. They became parents without the tools to educate their own children, passing deprivation forward. An uneducated electorate then voted as their conditions shaped them, evaluating leaders ill-equipped to govern. Unskilled and underemployed youth became the most vulnerable class in the nation, easily recruited by armed groups and criminal networks, not for lack of virtue. But because despite the orders, but because desperation is the oldest recruitment tool in history, we are still healing from these wounds. Our recovery taught us a hard truth. Rebuilding a nation does not begin at the ballot box. It begins at the blackboard. Where classrooms close, demagogues recruit. Every child kept in school is one less child available to an armed group and one more citizen capable of building peace. Liberia therefore calls for action on three fronts. First, protect schools. endorse the Safe School Declaration and embed in it domestic law, military doctrine, and rules of engagement. Second, keep children learning, preserve examinations and certification, expand offline and accelerated learning, guarantee girls equal access, Provide psychological support. Displacement must never mean disconnection from a future. Third, Liberia acts. That education be funded as the foundation of recovery. Scale up financing through education cannot wait. And Sudan's humanitarian response plan. Pay teachers living salaries. Invest in skills and livelihoods for adolescents who have already lost years. The cost of education is always less than the cost of the war that follows its absence. Liberia says accountability must follow. Attacks on schools, students, and teachers may constitute war crimes. There can be no impunity from those who make war on children's future. Mr. Chair, working with the African Union, IGAC, and the United Nations, Liberia will keep education at the center of students' path to peace. Peace is measured not only by silent guns, but by children learning in safety, teachers teaching without fear, and young people entering adulthood with the capacity to build rather than the vulnerability to destroy. The generation Sudan saves today will determine the Sudan that governs tomorrow. Every child kept in a classroom is a vote cast for peace across every election, every generation, and every decade to come. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Liberia for his statement and now give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to thank Somalia for convening today's ARYA Formula meeting, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for co-sponsoring this important initiative. We also thank Her Excellency Ms. Amina Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General, for her remarks, and the distinguished briefers for their valuable presentations. Today's discussion is both timely and critical. Safeguarding education is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is also a prerequisite for sustainable peace, recovery and long-term stability. When schools are destroyed, occupied or forced to close, children lose opportunities for learning and communities lose one of the strongest foundations for resilience and lasting peace. Nowhere is this more evident than in Sudan, where children continue to bear a disproportionate share of the conflict's devastating consequences. According to the Secretary-General's latest report on children and armed conflict, the United Nations verified 1,889 grave violations affecting 1,681 children in 2025. More than 1,300 children were killed or maimed, while others were subjected to sexual violence, abduction, and recruitment by armed groups. Particularly alarming are credible reports of child recruitment through digital platforms, especially social media. Attacks against schools increased by an alarming 57% compared to the previous reporting period, while schools continue to be used for military purposes. More broadly, Sudan's education system has been severely disrupted. More than 17 million children have experienced serious disruption to their education. Nearly 8 million remain out of school. Almost half of school buildings are no longer functional and more than 7,000 schools are located in active conflict areas. Without safe access to education, children become increasingly vulnerable to recruitment, exploitation, child labor, trafficking, forced displacement, and conflict-related sexual violence. Protecting education is therefore both not only a humanitarian obligation, but also an essential protection measure for children and an investment in Sudan's future. We are also concerned about the detention of 212 children for the alleged association with parties to the conflict. Greece welcomes the recent release of 71 children by the Sudanese armed forces and echoes the Secretary-General's call for the immediate release of all children associated with armed.

Groups.

At the same time, we welcome initiatives enabling students, including those in conflict affected areas, to sit for the Sudan school certificate examinations. Such efforts help preserve educational continuity, restore hope to families, and reinforce the unity of Sudan's national education system. Mr. Chair, protecting education must form an integral part of a broader effort to restore peace and stability in Sudan. Schools must never become military targets or be used for military purposes. Against this backdrop, we recall Security Council Resolution 2601, which underscores the need to safeguard the right to education during armed conflict. Students, teachers and educational personnel must be protected and all parties must fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Education cannot be restored without safe and sustained humanitarian access. Greece therefore calls on all parties to cease attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and to ensure safe, rapid and sustained unhindered humanitarian access, including across borders. Humanitarian personnel, medical workers, schools and hospitals must never be targeted and those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law must be held accountable. In closing, Mr. Chair, Greece reaffirms its commitment to protecting children, safeguarding education, strengthening accountability, and supporting a peaceful Sudanese-led political solution that allows every child to learn in safety and dignity. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Greece for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Chair, we welcome the initiative of Somalia to convene a meeting of the African Union. this informal discussion and we're also to the delegation of DRC and Liberia who co-sponsored it. We're grateful for the views shared by the DSG Amina Mohamed, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Hannah Suleiman as well. The problem of education is A far-reaching and pertinent one, and it is directly related to the armed conflict in Sudan. Its legitimate government has been countering insurgents for years now. According to UNICEF data, in the first half of 2016 alone, no less than 330 children were killed or injured. It's clear that the rapid support forces are sowing horrors and devastation wherever they operate. What kind of access to education can those living in Al-Fashir talk about when from the 25th to 26th of October, more than 6,000 people died? The same kind of situation could happen in Al-Ubeidiyah. It is no secret to anyone here that human rights, including the right to education, are only protected in the territories controlled by the Sudanese Government. In the most recent Secretary-General's report on children in armed conflict, it is noted that the RSF are responsible for more than 63% of attacks on schools and hospitals. Indeed, in the same report, It notes that the RSF has abducted 137 children. The vast majority of IDPs in Sudan are trying to get to territories controlled by the legitimate authorities. Insurgents are systematically persecuting African ethnicities, Massalits, Zagawa and Fours, who cannot cross the front line. or who are fleeing to neighboring Chad. Some of them then try to get to Port Sudan or what happens is according to Human Coordinator Brown, they by hook or by crook try to get into an area protected by humanitarian workers in Jebel Mara. Schools of all levels in Greater Darfur and Western Kordofan have been closed since 2023. Since the end of 2025, the RSF has been carrying out acts of intimidation of teachers and educators in big cities in the west of Sudan, particularly of those suspected of receiving from Khartoum the three years of pay, of salaries that they haven't. Tassisti only partially paid for 2025, teachers only partly paid for 25, and they've been made a PR campaign out of it. On the other hand, in the capital, where according to government data, there have been around 5 million people living since the start of 2026, in-person teaching has started in universities of Nyala, El Fashar, and El Ganini. Moreover, the law provides for Darfurian applicants to higher education institutions in central states of Sudan. They have significant preferences and quotas for application. In this connection, the recognition of TASSIS certificates and diplomas from universities that no one really knows who organises, leads to only a violent fragmentation of the single national education system in Sudan and denies a whole generation of access to comprehensive education. The main aim of this is a try to, under noble pretexts, hold onto those who fled from regions controlled by fighters and also take another step to recognising the so-called government in Nyala. Another side of the question is the resources for the government of Sudan to improve access to education for their citizens. For this, Khartoum needs support from the international community and also the creation of an environment for productive economic activity. As we know, the state budget's expenditure, including on education, can only be possible if they have enough income. We also noted unilateral sanctions from the USA that entered into force on the 20th of July. Washington will oppose any loans or technical assistance to Sudan via international financial institutions. At the same time, on the 13th of July, the Council of the European Union put restrictions on trade with Sudanese gold. It's clear that these measures against the government undermine its capacity to support its citizens and ensure access to education. The Russian Federation has always opposed any unilateral restrictive measures. We believe them to be unlawful. On our side, we support efforts of the Government of Sudan to ensure uninterrupted education in Tiralim. We are doing this through sending young Sudanese people to study in Russia. As part of our state quotas and state stipends, we provided stipends to 100 students who are currently studying in Russia. We will continue to provide the Government of Sudan with necessary assistance in this area. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Panama.

Thank you, President. Panama wishes to begin by thanking Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for convening this important meeting. We also wish to thank the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, Ms. Hanan Sulaiman, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, and Ms. Lisa Chung Bender, Executive Director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. as a civil society representative. We thank them all for their invaluable briefings. After more than three years of conflict, the international discussions around Sudan must focus on military developments on the ground. The devastating humanitarian situation must also be a focus, as must attacks against civilian infrastructure or, as we have most recently seen, the growing use of drones and military technology. However, all too often, we Attach only secondary importance to the impact that this war is having on those that will endure its consequences for decades to come, the girls and boys of Sudan. The devastation of the educational system is one of the most concerning manifestations of this reality. We're talking here about schools destroyed, years of learning lost. and of the gradual erosion of one of the primary mechanisms for the protection of children, as well as one of the most important public institutions in terms of the country's recovery. As was indicated by UNICEF in its most recent report on the situation in Sudan, children continue to be increasingly exposed to malnutrition, disease, exploitation and extended disruption of their education. This statement reflects an indisputable reality, that is that the loss of access to education rarely occurs in isolation, rather it is part of a much broader pattern, that is the erosion of the child protection environment. Where schools disappear we also see an increase in displacement, the separation of families, sexual violence, exploitation, child marriage, and an increase in the risk of recruitment and use by armed groups. Consequently, Panama is of the view that education must not be understood solely as a development priority in context of armed conflict. It is an essential civilian protection tool and as such it is a vital component of international peace and security. To keep a school open is to continue to provide hope, it is to preserve a relatively safe arena and to maintain a tie between children and their communities. It is also to offer an alternative to multiple conflict-related risks. President, this conviction guided Panama's work in the Security Council as a former vice chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in 2025. We sponsored an area formula on safe education as a tool to prevent the recruitment and use of children. Moreover, during that term, we convened an expert meeting on the use of emerging technologies for child recruitment. We did so cognizant of the fact that threats evolve and that our prevention mechanisms needed to evolve at the same pace. Sudan also reminds us that protecting education demands much more than simply rebuilding schools. It demands preserving the integrity of a national education system. It involves ensuring that teachers are able to continue to carry out their work, and it involves guaranteeing that academic qualifications continue to be recognized across the full extent of the country. It is particularly concerning to note that The protracted conflict is eroding these institutional pillars. This through the mass closure of schools, the lack of salaries provided to teachers, and the risk of the fragmentation of the national qualification system. At the same time, experience has shown that even in context of conflict, it is possible to preserve some opportunities for learning. UNICEF and local organizations have succeeded in ensuring that hundreds of thousands of children this year have accessed learning via formal and informal channels, as well as through alternative learning fora and digital platforms. These efforts demonstrate that the continuation of education is possible when humanitarian access exists alongside political will and predictable funding. Finally, Panama is of the view that protecting education should be the linchpin of any strategy for peace and recovery in Sudan or in any other conflict. Rebuilding a country does not begin when war ends, it begins when we preserve institutions that allow a society to recover. Among these institutions, few are as crucial as education. To invest today in the education of Sudanese boys and girls is to invest in institutional resilience in the future, as well as in the social cohesion and sustainable peace of Sudan. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Panama for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of China.

Chair, I thank Somalia, DRC and Liberia for jointly organizing this AREA Formula meeting. I thank Deputy Secretary-General Amina, Deputy Executive Director Suleiman and Executive Director Banda for their briefings. Amid continued armed conflict and worsening humanitarian crisis, education in Sudan has been severely affected. The conflict has left nearly eight million children out of school and reduced a large number of schools to rubble. Ruthlessly altering the life trajectories of an entire generation, the international community should work together to help Sudan mitigate the negative impact of the conflict on children's education. I would like to make three points. First, strengthen safeguards for child protection and uphold strict accountability for violations. According to Secretary General's annual report on children and armed conflict, last year the number of school attacks by parties to the conflict increased by nearly 60% year on year, which is indeed shocking. The recruitment of child soldiers and attacks on schools are recognized by the United Nations as grave violations against children. All parties to the conflict must strictly comply with international humanitarian law and take all necessary measures to protect civilians. particularly children and educational facilities. Those responsible for such violations must be held strictly accountable in accordance with the law and their acts must not go unpunished. The international community should support agencies such as UNICEF in scaling up humanitarian operations in Sudan to provide timely assistance to affected children. Second, increase investment in children's education in order to lay a solid foundation for reconstruction and recovery. China welcomes the Sudanese government's efforts in overcoming difficulties to organize entrance exams at all levels to safeguard children's right to education. The international community should increase investment in Sudan's education through efforts to help repair damaged school buildings, train more teachers, ensure the supply of educational materials and utilize information technology to enrich educational resources thereby providing learning opportunities to more students. Over the long run though, it is also necessary to coordinate development in other areas that affect people's livelihood such as infrastructure, employment and healthcare so as to systematically break the vicious cycle of conflict, poverty and loss of education. Third, adhere to the path of a political solution and address the root causes of conflict. Without a stable political environment, no educational activities can be sustained. China calls on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities as soon as possible and return to the track of political negotiations at an early date. We support the UN together with the AU and IGAD in strengthening mediation and coordination to promote de-escalation and promote inclusive political dialogue while fully respecting Sudan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. We oppose external interference in Sudan's internal affairs under the pretext of humanitarian issues such as education. Children are the bedrock of societal continuity and the very hope of national development. China is willing to continue its work with the international community to promote peace so as to create a safe environment in Sudan where children can learn, grow and flourish. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the representative of China for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the United Kingdom.

And I would also like to thank Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia for convening this timely discussion.

And I'd also like to thank the briefers. After more than three years of conflict, Sudan is enduring a devastating humanitarian crisis. This year alone, 34 million people are expected to need humanitarian assistance. And as the briefers have made clear, children are paying a particularly heavy price, with more than 8 million out of school. The collapse of Sudan's education system is not only one consequence of this war, it will shape Sudan's future long after the fighting ends.

Against that backdrop, I will make three points.

First, schools.

Students and teachers must be protected.

The Secretary General's latest report on children in armed conflict verified 1,889 grave violations against children.

That included killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, recruitment and abduction.

These figures are likely to be only a fraction of the true scale.

At the end of 2025, we saw reports that attacks on Al-Hanan Kindergarten in Kalougi and on Kumo School.

Killed over 140 civilians, including at least 43 children who had simply come to learn.

We call on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid.

Support Forces to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. We also call on them to vacate occupied schools and to refrain from further attacks on educational facilities. Second, every Sudanese child should be able to access education safely. In too many parts of the country, young people are cut off from school or forced to travel via.

Dangerous routes to reach one.

The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces should ensure children can safely access schools and sit necessary examinations.

Regardless of where they live.

A politicised examination system must not become another barrier to a child's future. Without urgent action, an entire generation risks.

Losing access to education, leaving them vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups, exploitation and child marriage.

Finally, the international community should continue to invest in Sudan's children.

They are also Sudan's future. The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting education in Sudan through the Education Cannot Wait, to which we've.

Provided $107 million for education in emergencies globally.

Support will reach around 200,000 children in South Kordofan, West Darfur and Gedaref with life-saving educational support. The United Kingdom's also contributed 479 million dollars to the Global Partnership for Education programs worldwide.

Whose work in Sudan has helped more than 285,000 Sudanese children continue to learn during this crisis.

Chair, we call on the parties to urgently end this conflict but while it continues children should not lose the chance to learn, to sit exams and imagine a future beyond war.

Many thanks.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank Somalia for convening and DRC and Liberia for co-sponsoring this important meeting. I thank DSG Amina Mohamed, Ms. Hanan Suleiman, and Ms. Lisa Chung for their sobering briefings. Chair, the crisis in Sudan is not only a humanitarian and security catastrophe, it is also a crisis that risks depriving an entire generation of Sudanese children of education, opportunity, and hope. For more than three years, since April 2023, millions of Sudanese children have been uprooted, traumatized, and deprived of their stability, safety, and learning that every children deserves. Pakistan strongly condemns attacks against schools, students, teachers, and educational personnel. Schools must never be attacked or used for purposes that expose children to harm.

Under international humanitarian law and the relevant Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict.

Educational facilities must be protected and children's right to education must be preserved. even in emergencies. Chair, safeguarding education in Sudan is not a secondary consideration. It is central to protection of civilians, national recovery, and sustainable peace. Children who lose years of schooling today will be the doctors, teachers, engineers, and civil servants, community leaders Sudan will need tomorrow. If their education is abandoned, Sudan's recovery will be delayed for decades.

Three priorities are essential.

First, all parties must respect international humanitarian law, protect schools, and ensure safe access for children, teachers, and humanitarian actors. Second, the international efforts must prioritize education, emergency learning, school rehabilitation, and teacher support for displaced and refugee children. Third, Sudan's nationally recognized education system must be preserved, including examinations, certification, and recognition of qualifications. This is vital for national cohesion and for ensuring that displaced children are not permanently excluded from future opportunities. Top priority and ultimate objective must be to bring a swift end to this conflict. Pakistan reiterates its firm support for Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. We reject any parallel governing structures, aim at fragmenting Sudan, and destroying the future of its youth. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Pakistan for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Chair. We appreciate the co sponsorship of Somalia, DRC and Liberia for this very important initiative today. It was significant that we were joined by the Deputy Secretary General, Madam Mohammed.

And I applaud the esteemed briefers.

Thank you for sharing your important insights today. Colleagues, we can all see that Sudan's children are bearing the brunt of this horrible conflict, sadly. Sudan Sudan is one of the worst places in the world to be a child. Over 13 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. And the experts today have explained to us that 12.3 million children are out of school. Not only do these children struggle to access adequate nutrition, water or education, but also many have been conscripted and forced to participate in the conflict. As many people have acknowledged today, denying children access to school and education deprives them of their future. And as we all know, the result can be a cycle of poverty and instability that spans generations, fueling further conflict and undermining stability and economic prosperity.

For these children who still do not have access to education.

Or I'm sorry, for those that do have access to education, school is simply not a safe place. In the worst case scenario, drone strikes along with the occupation of schools by military personnel have resulted in the deaths of both students and teachers. The United States condemns in the strongest terms these attacks against schools, against children, and calls on the rapid support forces and Sudanese armed forces.

Both to immediately end the violence.

The parties must protect civilians. Each has this obligation. All precautions must be taken to spare children from the violence of this brutal conflict and to protect the infrastructure they depend on. That includes, but is not limited to schools, hospitals and food assistance centers. Sudan's children deserve a peaceful future. We remain committed to working with all of you to end this conflict and give the children of Sudan the future that they deserve. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States. I give the floor to the representative of Latvia.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank Somalia for convening this meeting, and I also thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for co-sponsoring it. I also thank Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohamed, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hana Sulaiman, and Ms. Liza Chung-Bender for the sobering briefings. I will make three points. First, the war in Sudan has followed children through every stage of education, from kindergarten to higher education. Instead of children advancing through education, the weapons of this war are advancing through their classrooms. A drone attack killed children age five to seven inside the kindergarten. At Al Hadra Primary School, airstrikes killed 10 pupils and two teachers and injured 44. In Shukairi, drone strikes struck a secondary school and a health center, reportedly killing at least 17 people. In Komo, a reported airstrike on a nursing school killed at least 40 people, including 24 students. The Sudanese armed forces, the rapid support forces, and all affiliated forces must comply fully with international humanitarian law. The party behind each attack may differ, the law does not. All parties must distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives. Respect proportionality, take all feasible precautions, and end the military use of educational facilities. Allegations must be investigated and those responsible held accountable. Second, the Council must use the tools already at its disposal and strengthen them where necessary. October will mark five years since the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2601. It must be fully implemented in Sudan through concrete commitments by the parties and sustained follow-up through the Children and Armed Conflict Framework. We call on all parties to conflict to engage with the UN to adopt an action plan to end and prevent grave violations against children, including attacks on schools, from happening in the first place. The 1591 sanctions regime should be used where the applicable listing criteria are met, including against those responsible for attacks on children and educational facilities. Drones were linked to nearly 80% of reported child casualties during the first four months of this year. We call on external supporters to halt the supply of drones and other sophisticated military material that enable attacks against children and education. Where existing measures prove insufficient, the Council should be prepared to consider further steps. Third, children must be able to continue learning throughout the conflict. We cannot assume that education will simply resume when the fighting stops. Children need safe learning opportunities now, supported by teachers, alternative arrangements, and sustained mental health and psychosocial assistance. For children, schools are spaces of safety, stability, and routine, while also reducing exposures to the dangers of gender-based violence, recruitment, and use. Sudan's common national education system must also be preserved. Nationally recognized examination certificates and educational records should remain accessible through safe and neutral arrangements across lines of control and in refugee hosting countries. A child's future must not depend on who controls the territory where the child lives. Every child matters and every child deserves a future. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Latvia for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of France.

Thank you very much, Chair. I'd like to thank your country, Somalia, Liberia, and also the DRC for convening this ARIA formula. I'd also like to thank the briefers, Ms. Amina Mohamed, Hannah Suleiman, and Lisa Jung Minda. I'll make three points. Firstly, France deplores the mass consequences of this conflict in Sudan and the impacts on education. France condemns grave violations against children in Sudan. Seventeen million children have been deprived of education, which is one of the greatest educational crises in the world. France condemns attacks on schools and access to education, which is undermining the future of an entire generation. France calls on the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and to protect education infrastructure so that Sudanese children can return to school. In this context, and this is my second point, a general strengthening of the humanitarian response is essential. France welcomes the work done by UNICEF, as well as that by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attacks and the work of all humanitarian personnel in Sudan. They are working to protect children and Sudanese young people, often risking their lives. We recall that all warring parties have the duty to protect them under international humanitarian law France advocates for unhindered humanitarian access. The Berlin conference on 15 April allowed us to raise EUR 1.5 billion for Sudanese people and we are working with the United Nations to ensure that this money is used effectively. and 44 million euros mobilised by France in our national capacity. Thirdly, only a ceasefire between the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces and the launch of a political process led by civilians will create the necessary conditions to put a stop to the humanitarian disaster underway in Sudan once and for all. This Council has called on the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF to reach a ceasefire on many occasions. Unfortunately, parties have ignored these appeals. As much as they have ignored the different diplomatic efforts that have been carried out for more than three years, let's bear in mind no military solution is possible in Sudan. It is urgent that parties bear this in mind and engage in negotiations in good faith for a ceasefire. Ultimately, a political transition is necessary. requires an independent, inclusive and transparent dialogue led by civilians at a national level, which will allow for a civilian governance to be rebuilt. France recalls that it is a tireless defender of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan. President, the responsibility of this Council is to foster a return to peace via action. France calls for the extension and strengthening of the arms embargo and sanctions regime to avoid the proliferation of weapons and to punish the perpetrators of grave violations of international or wherever they may be. That is what we will be working on in the weeks to come.

I thank the representative of France for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Bahrain.

We thank Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia for organizing this important discussion. We also express our gratitude to the briefers, the Deputy Secretary General, the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, and the Executive Director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. Mr. President, The briefings delivered today have highlighted the scale of the challenges facing children in the Republic of the Sudan. Millions of children remain deprived of their right to education as a result of the ongoing conflict, school closures, large-scale displacement, damage to educational infrastructure, as well as security constraints and funding shortages. These challenges disproportionately affect displaced children and the most vulnerable groups. threatening to widen the education gap and deprive an entire generation of opportunities for learning and development. The Kingdom of Bahrain emphasizes that protecting education is not merely a humanitarian response; it is also an investment in national recovery and the building of sustainable peace in the sisterly Republic of Sudan. Mr. President, in accordance with international humanitarian law and relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2601, Bahrain stresses that educational facilities must remain under all circumstances safe civilian institutions dedicated to education. They must not be used for military purposes nor become targets of attack. Furthermore, the sustainable recovery of the education sector can only be achieved through the provision of a safe, stable and sustainable environment, the rehabilitation of schools, support for educational personnel, and the expansion of opportunities for both formal and non-formal education, including digital learning solutions, alongside the provision of psychological support to children in cooperation with relevant partners. In this regard, Mr. President, the Kingdom of Bahrain commends the progress achieved in the more stable areas, which have witnessed the resumption of education despite these challenges, thanks to the support of local and international partners. Bahrain further underscores that fundamental and sustainable solutions to ensure the continuity of education and strengthen the resilience of local communities must be locally driven and reflective of the actual needs and priorities of affected populations. Bahrain supports the Secretary-General's call on the Sudanese parties to complete the implementation of the National Action Plans concerning the protection of children in armed conflict through a comprehensive approach that combines education, protection and peacebuilding in order to reduce child recruitment. We also call on all parties to fully comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law and to strengthen cooperation with the monitoring and reporting mechanism established under resolution 1612 to address the protection of children affected by armed conflict. In conclusion, Bahrain stresses that protecting education constitutes an essential component of any pathway toward recovery, the rebuilding of state institutions, and the achievement of sustainable peace in Sudan. Bahrain reaffirms its support for the efforts of the personal envoy of the Secretary-General and the mediation efforts led by the Quad Initiative, the Quint Mechanism, and other international initiatives, including the Berlin Conference, aimed at reaching a sustainable settlement that preserves Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and fulfills the aspirations of the Sudanese people for security, stability, and prosperity. Thank you.

Representative of Denmark.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and let me also thank Somalia.

For convening and DRC and Liberia for sponsoring today's Area Formula meeting.

And the briefers for their presentations, as well as the Deputy Secretary General for her.

Remarks and presence at the opening of this meeting.

Mr. Chair, the numbers speak for themselves.

As the war in Sudan continues to rage, children continue to pay a heavy price. Today, eight million children in Sudan are out of school. Nearly half of all school buildings are either destroyed, damaged or repurposed as shelters. The Secretary General's latest report on children and armed conflict recorded a sharp increase in attacks on schools between 2024 and 2025.

This is not only.

Devastating for the children of Sudan, but also for Sudan's future, which is in the hands of the next generation.

In El Fasher in particular.

Children have suffered unimaginable horrors as both victims and witnesses of extreme violence and mass atrocities.

All of these facts points to a deeply.

Troubling pattern of disregard for children's rights and the Safe School Declaration that Sudan has signed. Mr. Chair, this erosion of Sudan's educational system is deeply concerning, but it is not accidental.

It is a direct.

Consequence of the warring parties' choices to continue the meaningless war, to fight in populated areas, to occupy and attack.

Schools, to treat civilian infrastructure as expendable.

In El Obeid, reports of drone strikes on schools represent clear violations of international humanitarian law.

Those responsible should be named and held accountable.

Mr. Chair, education can be an instrument for protection, cohesion and recovery.

It should be treated with urgency and seriousness in any ceasefire talks or political negotiations.

However, we must also be clear, no education strategy nor development plan, however well designed, can be a substitute for ending the war. In a protracted conflict of this scale.

There can be no genuine recovery without parties engaging in dialogue rather than military force.

Only a sustainable peace will allow all children in Sudan to return to functioning classrooms. Civilian protection and parties' obligations cannot remain rhetorical.

The Council must ensure sustained pressure on the parties to meet their obligations.

Including protection of civilian infrastructure like schools, and to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access. Accountability for violations must also be pursued, including through an expansion of the mandate of the International Criminal Court for the entire Sudan. In closing.

Mr. Chair, we must move the children of Sudan out of the conflict zone and back into safe learning opportunities.

That starts with a cessation of hostilities.

And a scaling up of humanitarian assistance.

Denmark remains fully prepared to support any and all initiatives to this end.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

Thank you very much, Chair. Columbia wishes to thank Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for drawing the Council's attention to this issue. We also thank the briefers for their statements. The situation in Sudan is one of the most serious crises facing children and education as things stand. After more than three years of conflict, millions of girls and boys have seen their access to education disrupted because thousands of schools have been destroyed or damaged to the extent that they are now non-functional, or they are located in combat zones. At the same time, mass displacement and violence continue to affect access to basic services. Those that should enjoy the greatest degree of protection are, on the contrary, the victims of the most grave violations. Protecting children in any and all conflict situations is an inalienable principle. Colombia urges all parties to the conflict in Sudan to uphold provisions enshrined in international humanitarian law, as well as in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its additional protocol on children and armed conflict, and the provisions contained in the relevant resolutions of this Security Council in this area. Columbia has acceded to the Safe Schools Declaration and that was born of the commitment to ensure that educational educational facilities would be protected from any attack and would never become military targets or be used to wage war. This must be a universal commitment that must be upheld by all without excuses. A classroom in and of itself is no different to any building with four walls and a roof, but in terms of providing holistic protection to children, schools should stand as spaces for protection, learning and a meeting of minds. Places in which bonds of trust are built and in which the social fabric can be repaired and strengthened, as well as places in which we see the cultivation of values that underpin peaceful coexistence. Education is a vital component of lasting peace and a powerful tool to bring about that peace. When a conflict deprives children of the right to education, the effects of that play out over time. We see a reduction in opportunities for personal, social and economic development, and exclusion, inequality and discrimination increase. All of these phenomena fuel instability. Consequently, the lack of access to education is not simply a consequence of conflict, rather it fuels inequalities itself and serves to foster the recurrence of conflict. At the same time, it limits a country's ability to rebuild its own social fabric and institutions and in the long term reduces the likelihood of a lasting solution to a conflict being found. Chair, I have no doubt that today we will hear countless appeals for the protection of children and for the safeguarding of schools. Colombia is a staunch advocate of such goals. However, No number of statements can suffice if these good intentions do not go hand in hand with real progress in various mediation and negotiation processes. Initiatives spearheaded by regional and international stakeholders must focus on achieving lasting truces and verifiable humanitarian agreements, which make it possible to protect the civilian population, as well as to guarantee access to humanitarian assistance and to create conditions to facilitate the continuation of education, including in conflict situations. To conclude, I refer to the fact, and indeed reiterate, that protecting education cannot wait until the end of a conflict. It must be an immediate priority in all discussions aimed at bringing about a cessation of hostilities and aimed at ensuring the construction of a stable and lasting peace. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Colombia for the statement. We now open the floor to non-council members. We have a long list of speakers today. To ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute, I kindly ask all speakers to keep their remarks within three minutes. This will allow us to hear from all voices and foster a rich and inclusive discussion. I will now give the floor to the representative of Sudan.

In the name of God, most compassionate, most merciful. Chair, we commend the convening of this meeting to discuss education in Sudan through investment and peace and recovery and support for the efforts by the Sudanese government. We extend our thanks to Somalia for convening this meeting. We also thank the delegations of the DRC and Liberia for co-sponsoring this meeting. We also thank Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, as well as the Executive Director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attacks for their briefings. Chair, you all know all too well the importance of higher education institutions in the Sudan, namely in ensuring humanitarian development in addition to the professional training of students in various fields, including scientific research. Higher education institutions and scientific research institutions have been subject to systematic plundering and destruction by the rebel militias due to the war of aggression against Sudan, its people, and its future. Education infrastructure has been damaged in Al Khartoum, Al Jazeera, Darfur, and Western Kordofan states. education assets have been plundered and destroyed including research firms, student dorms, as well as research laboratories. The cost of the damage to public universities has been estimated to more than 1,499,153,698.33 US dollars. And this does not encompass the damage to Darfur and Western Kordofan universities, since accurate information on the scale of damage has not been provided. Private universities and institutions have also been damaged. 17 million children and youth have had their education disrupted due to the war as well as the inoperability of schools in addition to their displacement. 16,231 schools have been rendered inoperable in the first two years of the war. 5,534 schools have been partially or fully destroyed. chair the government has undertaken a number of urgent and medium-term initiatives to alleviate the impact of the war on education namely the 2025-2027 transitional plan for the education sector as well as the finalization of the strategy for the period 2026-2030 education was resumed in safe States more than 26,692 schools have been reopened in various states. More than five million children have gone back to school. We have also improved the situation of educators and teachers and we've established an agency for digital education and transformation and we've established alternative education centers benefiting 55,000 students. Despite the challenges, we've managed to hold the secondary school certificate examinations for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 within and without Sudan for more than one million students, including the sons and daughters of members and leaders of rebel militias. We've also continued our engagement with the government of Chad, the UNHCR, as well as UNICEF to ensure the successful holding of the secondary school certificate for Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad, estimated at 6,000 students. In this regard, the Government of Sudan looks forward to the quick approval of arrangements for the holding of the certification in Chad in the month of August to ensure the preservation of the future of their education. We thank the Government of Chad for the facilitations provided last year to ensure the holding of certification examinations. In conclusion, we would be remiss not to highlight the main challenges as well as the requirements of the education sector in the Sudan, namely the rehabilitation of schools, universities and institutes which have been damaged in addition to the provision of assistive material, equipment, curricula and books for schools and institutions supporting the establishment of the National Fund for Education. Third, increased international funding for the education program, as well as the national recovery plan for the education sector. We stress that continuity of education is part and parcel of protection provided to civilians. We also call upon the Council to put pressure to bear upon the rebel militia to cease the targeting of teachers and the education sector, which constitutes a crime by virtue of international humanitarian law. I thank you.

I give the floor to the representative of Zimbabwe.

Thank you, Chair. Zimbabwe commends Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia for co-hosting this meeting. We thank the Deputy Secretary-General and the other briefers for highlighting the centrality of education to Sudan's peace and recovery. Sudan's education emergency is a humanitarian crisis and a grave threat to its future. More than 17 million children have suffered severe disruption to their education, while approximately 8 million remain out of learning. Nearly half of Sudan's school buildings can no longer function as classrooms, and over 7,000 schools are in active conflict areas. These figures tell a deeply human story. Behind each child, behind each one is a child whose future diminishes every day outside the classroom. In the African spirit of Ubuntu, your neighbor's child is your own, and a child belongs to the whole village. No conflict should be allowed to steal a child's future. Chair, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child affirm every child's right to education. Security Council resolutions 1998, 2601, and 2736 reinforce the protection of children in schools during armed conflict. The priority now is implementation. Zimbabwe calls for four measures. First, all parties must cease attacks on schools, students, teachers, and education personnel. prevent the military use of schools, end child recruitment, and ensure access to education, food, health, and services. Second, learning must continue across conflict lines and borders. Examinations, curricula, and certification should be preserved, with particular support for displaced and unaccompanied children. Conflict must not deprive any child of the right to learn. Third, Education requires adequate and predictable financing. We welcome the launch by UNICEF and Save the Children with support from the Global Partnership for Education of the Building Resilience to Improve Development and Growth in Education in Sudan program, bridges. As the Deputy Executive Director has already highlighted, bridges aims to return more than 328,000 children to learning reopened approximately 850 schools, support over 9,000 teachers, and established nearly 1,800 safe learning spaces. Such efforts should be sustained, adequately resourced, and expanded. Fourth, safeguarding education requires peace. Zimbabwe reiterates its call for a cessation of hostilities and an inclusive Sudanese-owned political process that creates the conditions for recovery. Education is both protection and prevention. A child in school is less vulnerable to recruitment, exploitation and despair. It is not merely a dividend of peace, but one of its foundations. Protecting education today will help Sudan's young people become agents of recovery and reconciliation. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Zimbabwe for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Sierra Leone.

Thank you, Chair.

Sierra Leone commends Somalia for convening this timely ARRC meeting and thanks Democratic.

Republic of Congo and Liberia for co-sponsoring this important initiative.

We thank the Deputy Secretary General, Madam Amina Mohamed, and the two other briefers.

For their insightful presentations.

Behind every statistic we have heard today is a child whose dream has been interrupted.

A child who should be sitting in a classroom instead of fleeing violence, living in displacement, struggling simply to survive.

When a school.

When a school closes because of conflict, education is not the only casualty. Hope is diminished, futures become unsettling, and peace itself becomes more difficult to sustain.

The scale of the crisis in Sudan is deeply alarming.

Millions of children have been denied the right to education. while attacks on schools and teachers continue to aggravate.

These are not merely disruptions to learning, they represent profound setback to the country's human capital, social cohesion, and long-term recovery. Chair, Sierra Leone believes that education is not a luxury to be restored after peace is achieved.

It is an essential investment in building peace itself. Classrooms can provide children with safety, dignity, routine, and hope during the darkest moment of conflict.

They also reduce children's vulnerability to recruitment by armed groups, child labor, early marriage, and other egregious violations. Safeguarding education in Sudan therefore requires concrete action. Firstly, all parties to the conflict in Sudan must fully respect international law and ensure that schools, students, teachers and educational facilities are never targets of attack or used for military purposes.

Education must remain a protected civilian space.

Second, the international community should strengthen support for emergency education programs in Sudan. This includes providing safe temporary learning spaces, training and supporting teachers, expanding psychosocial services, and utilizing digital and community-based learning.

Where conventional schooling is not possible.

Education should be recognized as a life-saving component of humanitarian response and funded accordingly. Third, preserving Sudan's nationally recognized education system is critical. Ensuring that examinations, certifications, and learning standards remain credible and accessible, even for displaced children and refugees, will help prevent the emergence of a lost generation and lay the foundation for future reconstruction. Finally, lasting solutions require stronger partnership among the United Nations, regional organizations, humanitarian actors, development partners, and the Sudanese communities themselves.

The voices of teachers, parents, youth, local civil society must be at the center of.

Designing and implementing the education responses. Mr. Chairman, Sierra Leone's own experience has taught us that recovery from conflict is not measured solely by infrastructure that has been rebuilt, but by restoring opportunities for children.

Education helps heal communities, rebuild trust, and prepare future generations to choose dialogue over violence.

Let us therefore reaffirm our collective responsibility and commitment to ensure that.

Every Sudanese child has the opportunity not only to survive the conflict, but to learn, to grow, and to contribute to a peaceful and prosperous Sudan. I thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Sierra Leone for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Angola.

Mr. Chair, Excellencies, we thank Somalia and the co-sponsors, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia, for convening this timely meeting, and the DSG Amina Mohamed and the briefers for their insightful remarks. The situation in Sudan remains a source of grave concern and demands renewed, sustained, and coordinated action and attention from the international community. The destruction and occupation of schools, displacement of teachers, and prolonged interruption of learning have transformed Sudan's education crisis into a humanitarian protection and peacebuilding emergency. Millions of children remain outside the classroom, especially girls, displaced children, and children with disabilities. The consequences extend beyond learning loss. Exclusion from education increased children's exposure to recruitment by armed groups, sexual violence, exploitation, child labor, and early marriage. It also weakens the human capital required to rebuild institutions, restore services, and promote national cohesion. Angola wishes to emphasize four priorities. First, all parties must respect international humanitarian and human rights law. Attacks against schools, students, teachers and educational personnel must cease. Schools must retain their civilian character and must not be used for military purpose or weapon storage. We call for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2601 and the Safe School Declaration. Violation must be independently documented, investigated and addressed through credible accountability mechanisms. Second, education must be treated as a life-saving component of humanitarian response. International partners should provide sustained financing to rehabilitate the schools, support teachers, establish temporary learning space, and provide materials, sanitation, school meals, and psychosocial assistance. Particular assistance must be given to girls, displaced and refugee children, children with disabilities, and communities in Darfur and Kordofan, where educational disruption remains especially severe. Third, Sudan's nationally recognized educational system must be preserved. National authorities, supported by United Nations and neighboring countries, should establish flexible mechanisms for examination, certification and recognition of qualifications, enable displaced and refugee students to continue learning. Teachers must receive protection, regular remuneration, training and adequate resources. Fourth, education must be integrated to ceasefire arrangements, mediation initiatives, humanitarian access agreements and recovery plans. It should reinforce Sudanese ownership, strengthen education institution and advance the transitional education plan 2025-2027. Curricula and schools should promote tolerance, citizenship, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. The United Nation, African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, financial and development partners should establish a coordinated framework with measurable targets transparent financing and participation by Sudanese civil society and local communities. Angola's experience confirmed that peace is consolidated by rebuilding institutions and restoring young people's confidence in the future. We reiterate the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities, an inclusive Sudanese-led political process, and stronger international action to end the conflict. Schools can be destroyed in moments, but rebuilding them and restoring the hope they represent requires years of sustained effort. Safeguarding education is therefore an indispensable investment in lasting peace, national recovery and regional stability. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Angola for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Brazil.

Mr. President, I thank Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia for convening this Area Formula meeting, and DSG Amina Mohammed and the briefers for acutely reminding us of the realities faced by children across Sudan. The scale and gravity of the violence in Sudan are a major test for the United Nations and for our collective commitment to peace, security, human rights, and sustainable development. This conflict is one of the most severe yet overlooked humanitarian crisis in recent history. For decades now, the Sudanese people have endured the deprivation of their most basic rights. It is regrettable that a multidimensional crisis of this magnitude rarely catches sustained international attention. Brazil reiterates its call for an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities. We urge all parties to fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly those relating to protecting civilians and civilian objects, including schools, facilitating the safe, sustained, rapid, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance, and guaranteeing the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and convoys. The violence before us cannot be normalized or ignored. It is legally indefensible and morally unacceptable. We also reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Sudan. Millions of civilians continue to endure unimaginable suffering. Many are children whose lives have been shattered by conflict and whose futures are increasingly threatened by violence, displacement, hunger, and disease. We bear a collective responsibility to ensure that the language they learn is the language of education and opportunity, not that of conflict and violence. Mr. President, as the SG recently reminded us, children continue to bear the heaviest burden of wars they neither start nor sustain. In Sudan, schools have been damaged, destroyed, occupied, or rendered inaccessible. Girls and boys are being denied their fundamental rights to education. At the same time, food insecurity and impediments to humanitarian access further undermine their well-being and prospects. Brazil welcomes the efforts of the United Nations to strengthen child protection through engagement with parties to conflict. It is essential to strengthen monitoring and reporting on attacks against schools and other grave violations against children with a view to enhancing prevention, accountability and effective response. The disruption of education increases children's vulnerability to displacement, exploitation, trafficking and recruitment by armed actors. Protecting schools is therefore not only a legal obligation under international humanitarian law, but also a fundamental necessity for children's protection and for achieving lasting peace. Alarmed by widespread violations of international humanitarian law around the world, Brazil joined China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa in launching the global initiative to galvanize political commitment to international humanitarian law. The situation in Sudan reminds us why this effort is so urgent. We invite all to renew our collective commitment to ensure greater respect for international humanitarian law. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Brazil for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. President, I would like to thank the Republic of Somalia for convening this meeting and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Liberia for co-sponsoring it. I further thank the briefers for their valuable interventions. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following closely the serious developments in the Republic of the Sudan. and the extensive humanitarian repercussions of the conflict, which have impacted all aspects of life, most notably children and their right to education and protection. Protecting children and ensuring their access to education during times of conflict is a fundamental humanitarian responsibility. Given the pivotal role of education in protecting future generations, enhancing the resilience of communities, preserving community cohesion and creating the conditions necessary for recovery and stability. In this context, the Kingdom stresses the need of protecting schools, educational facilities, students, and teachers from the effects of conflict. It is essential to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law and creating the conditions that allow children to continue their education and protect them from violence, exploitation, recruitment and other violations. Mr. President, protecting education in the Sudan cannot be viewed in isolation. It is closely linked to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, alleviating the humanitarian suffering, ending the conflict and creating the necessary to restore security and stability. In this regard, the Kingdom reiterates its firm position and calls for preserving Sudan's unity and territorial integrity. and its legitimate institutions. We call for respecting Sudan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. We stress the need to protect civilians and civilian facilities from the scourge of war. And we call for the immediate cessation of the violations to which they are subjected. The Kingdom also stresses the importance of respecting the Jeddah Declaration of commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan signed on the 11th of May 2023, including commitments related to the protection of civilians and civilian subjects and respect for international humanitarian law. Since the outbreak of the crisis, the Kingdom has continued its political and humanitarian efforts guided by its brotherly and historical ties with Sudan and its people. We have been working with partners to bring the parties together and to create the conditions for a ceasefire while continuing to provide humanitarian and relief support to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people. In this context, the Kingdom announced a US$145 million contribution to the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan, reaffirming its continued commitment to meeting the needs of the brotherly Sudanese people and supporting efforts aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis. We call upon the international community to continue its efforts to protect children, to ensure their access to education and basic services, and support the resilience and recovery of affected communities, and work in a coordinated and effective manner to meet the needs of the Sudanese people and preserve their future. Mr. President, the ongoing conflict And attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure threaten the future of an entire generation of Sudan's children and undermine opportunities for recovery and stability. protecting education and investing in education is therefore essential to protect Sudan's future and to build the foundations for peace and stability the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue to support all sincere efforts that contribute to ending the crisis alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and create the conditions necessary for achieving peace, recovery, and sustainable development. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Saudi Arabia for his statement. I give the floor to the representative of Egypt.

Mr. President, I would like to thank the mission of Somalia for convening this meeting and the DRC and Liberia for co-sponsoring it. I also thank the briefers. Allow me first to share a few words from the heart that reflect how we, the Egyptian people, feel about the tragedy being experienced by our brothers and sisters in Sudan. The Egyptian and Sudanese peoples are bound together by ties of brotherhood, kinship, history, geography, and a shared destiny that transcend ordinary neighborly relations between states. Sudan and its people have always held a special place in the heart of Egyptians. The bonds of affection, communication, and human connection between our peoples have extended across generations. Therefore, What our Sudanese brothers and sisters are going through today is not, for us, a distant matter or a tragedy affecting merely a neighboring nation. It is a wound whose pain we feel and a hardship affecting a people we regard as our own, united with us by deep-rooted bonds of fraternity that know no borders. Allow me to quote words from the novel Season of Migration to the North by the great Sudanese writer Tayeb Salih. "There are many horizons yet to be explored, many fruits yet to be picked, many books yet to be read, and blank pages in the book of life in which I shall write clear sentences with a bold hand." These are the pages that we must protect for the children of Sudan. Our responsibility is not only to protect their schools from war, but also to protect their right to return to schools, to open their books instead of confronting fear, to hold pens instead of bearing the burdens of a war they did not choose, and to ensure that horizons remain before them that they can reach and dreams that they can fulfill. Ultimately, our responsibility is to ensure that war does not write the pages of Sudanese children's future on their behalf, but rather to safeguard the right to write their own pages with their own hands. Mr. President, based on the close historical and fraternal ties between the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples, and mindful of its responsibility towards its Sudanese brothers and sisters, Egypt has made intensive efforts to support the education of Sudanese students residing in Egypt and to mitigate, as much as possible, the impact of the conflict on their educational journey. In this context, Egypt has opened registration for Sudanese students in Egyptian schools and universities through flexible procedures that take into account the current humanitarian circumstances. helping them to continue their studies and avoid losing academic years as a result of conflict and displacement. Egypt has also licensed Sudanese schools teaching the Sudanese curriculum that meet the standards of the Egyptian Ministry of Education and Technical Education and the relevant safety and security requirements. This enables Sudanese students to continue studying within their national educational system and preserves their connection to Sudanese curricula and certificates. Egypt continues to coordinate between the Egyptian Ministry of Education and Technical Education and its counterpart in Sudan, including through an arrangement to establish a joint committee to discuss various areas of educational cooperation and practical mechanisms for implementation. This contributes to addressing the challenges facing Sudanese students in an institutionalized and organized manner. As a result of this cooperation, Egypt, in coordination with its Sudanese counterparts, successfully facilitated the Sudanese secondary school examination for approximately 58,000 students. We believe that ensuring the administration of examinations and preserving nationally recognized certificates is essential to maintaining students' educational pathways and enabling them to pursue higher education and continue their academic and professional lives. At the same time, Egypt coordinates with the UNHCR, international organizations, and civil society organizations to provide educational services to Sudanese students, including cash assistance, and support for school fees. Egypt stresses, in this regard, the need for adequate and sustainable international support for host countries and communities so that they may continue providing educational and other essential services to Sudanese brothers and sisters. Mr. President, the scale of the crisis requires a more coordinated and sustainable international response focused on protecting schools, students, and teachers. ensuring the continuity of education, providing the resources necessary to rehabilitate damaged educational institutions, supporting teachers, and supplying educational materials, while giving special attention to girls, displaced and refugee children, and the most vulnerable groups. Egypt further emphasizes that protecting education cannot be separated from broader efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan, protecting civilians, preserving Sudanese state institutions and safeguarding Sudan's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, schools and educational institutions must be protected from the effects of the conflict and must not be used for military purposes, in line with relevant commitments regarding the protection of children and civilian institutions during armed conflict. In conclusion, Egypt will continue to stand by the brotherly Sudanese people and support their children's right to education. We affirm that preventing the loss of an entire generation of Sudanese children and youth is a shared responsibility and that protecting the education of Sudan's children today is a direct investment in rebuilding Sudan and securing its peace, stability, unity, and future.

Thank you, Mr. President. I give the floor to the representative of Libya.

Thank you.

President. At the outset, we wish to extend our thanks to the Republic of Somalia for convening this meeting. We thank the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia for co-sponsoring it, and we wish to extend our appreciation to the briefers. The state of Libya has constantly followed the devastating consequences of the conflict in brotherly Sudan in view of our historic brotherly ties and close proximity. This country has constantly been a hub for knowledge and education. Its teachers has continued to enrich the education field, and not only in Sudan but also in Libya and the entire region. It is unfortunate that we see today that this conflict has morphed into the worst displacement crisis in the world. 17 million children have had their education disrupted. Eight million children are now out of school completely. Half of the country's schools has been rendered inoperable with current ongoing military attacks as well as the use of UAVs against education installations and the use of schools as military barracks. The protection of education and its continuity in times of conflict cannot be confined to emergency humanitarian responses. It is rather the first plan of defense to safeguard the future of Sudan and ensuring the stability of the region as whole. We wish to stress the following points. First, despite the exceptional circumstances and complex crises plaguing my country, the government of Libya has undertaken unprecedented decisions to ensure equal treatment for Sudanese students fleeing the war alongside their Libyan counterparts. They have been able to enjoy free education without having having to immediately fill out complex documents and paperwork. Thousands of students have been able to sit national examinations and have been awarded accredited certifications to ensure the continuity of their education and to safeguard their future. Second, we wish to stress that the international community and donors must provide adequate and sustainable funding to support infrastructure and basic services such as education, health and water in Sudan, as well as neighboring countries shouldering daunting financial and logistic burdens which exceed their capacities. Third, we call for an immediate cessation of attacks against civilian objects and schools. The protection of children requires a decisive international stance to put an end to destructive foreign interferences as well as illicit arm flows which continue to feed the conflict and stoke atrocities in Darfur, Kordofan and all Sudanese territories. In conclusion, we stress that the protection of Sudanese children and the upholding of their right to education cannot be delayed. It is a moral and political duty which requires an immediate full-fledged ceasefire as well as unhindered access to humanitarian assistance. Children must be able to have access to education. Saving schools today is the only means to save the future of Sudan tomorrow. I thank you, President.

I thank the representative of Libya for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Austria.

Mr. President, let me express my gratitude to Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia for convening this meeting. I thank the briefers for their insightful, yet sobering, briefings. Austria closely follows the devastating impact of violence in Sudan, including on the education sector. Sudan's children neither chose this conflict nor take sides in it.

They were born into it.

Yet they are the ones most vulnerable. To ease the suffering of over 33 million people in Sudan in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, Austria has provided 16 million euros in aid since 2023. Moreover, we strongly advocate for rapid, safe, unimpeded, principled, and sustained humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan.

Allow me to highlight three points.

First, we must recognize that investing in education is a crucial investment in peace.

Due to restricted access to.

Education, recruitment by armed groups has become a means of survival rather than a choice for many Sudanese children. Lasting recovery will depend on restoring access to education, thereby reducing children's vulnerability to recruitment and equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to rebuild.

Their communities and the country's institutions.

Second, access to education in Sudan must be depoliticized. International humanitarian law clearly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including schools. Respect for these rules is not a political choice, but a legal obligation. In this context, we recall the Safe Schools Declaration endorsed by 123 states, including Sudan and Austria, and its guidelines on preventing the military.

Use of schools.

The international community must consistently and impartially call for and promote compliance with international.

Humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. Third, strengthening the protection of schools must be a priority. Last November, Austria hosted a technical workshop to strengthen the monitoring and reporting mechanism, MRM, on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict.

It underscored the MRM's potential as a preventive tool.

In Sudan, where attacks on schools, displacement, and child recruitment often occur in the same areas, MRM data can help identify emerging hotspots and allow us to act before violations occur.

Ultimately, children will only be.

Able to fully pursue their education if a lasting political solution to the conflict is achieved. Austria fully supports all mediation efforts and stands ready to contribute to meaningful negotiations aimed at securing a sustainable peace. Mr. President, education in Sudan is not a standalone issue, but a matter of overall peace and security. Let us contribute to restoring access to education, thereby investing in Sudan's long-term recovery. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Austria for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Thank you, Chair, and I thank in particular Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia for convening this important discussion.

More than.

Three years of conflict in Sudan have devastated civilian lives, shattered essential services, and left millions of children without safe access to education. We've witnessed a complete breakdown in protection.

Australia therefore welcomes the focus of today's meeting. We've long championed the protection of civilians, particularly children.

And we know that when respect for international norms erodes, it's always the most vulnerable who suffer first.

That's why the international community must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Chair, the international community has developed a strong framework for protecting education during armed conflict, including through the Geneva Conventions. the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Security Council resolutions and the Safe Schools Declaration. But implementation is lacking and we must step up.

Australia proposes three key areas for the focus of international efforts.

First, all parties must comply with international law, including international humanitarian law.

Schools, students, teachers.

Education personnel and humanitarian workers must be protected and perpetrators must be held accountable.

The commitments outlined in the Safe Schools Declaration should be fully upheld.

Second, humanitarian access must be full, safe, rapid and unimpeded.

This is essential not only for protecting children, but also for safeguarding the teachers.

Education workers and humanitarian personnel who enable learning to continue in the most difficult of circumstances. Australia's leadership of the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel reflects our longstanding commitment to this issue.

Third, the only sustainable solution is an end to the conflict.

We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and a Sudanese-led political process aimed at implementing civilian-led democratic governance. We are deeply concerned by the recent escalation, including in the Kordofans and Darfur.

Colleagues.

Protecting education is not only about preserving learning today, it is an investment in Sudan's recovery, stability, and future peace.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of Australia for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Japan.

I thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia for bringing attention to this important issue and the briefers for their insights. After more than three years of conflict, The humanitarian crisis in Sudan remains among the largest in the world. The reported targets attacks on multiple locations in El Obeid, including educational institutions, are gravely concerning. These attacks further exacerbate an already severe humanitarian crisis in which nearly 34 million people a staggering 65% of the population are in dire need of humanitarian support with more than 7,000 schools located in active conflict areas Mr. chair the impact of the conflict on education is particularly grave many millions of children in Sudan continue to face severe disruptions to their education as the conflict persists This learning loss threatens both human security of individual students and students long-term recovery and resilience. Access to education is a fundamental human rights and powerful tool to prevent and mitigate conflict. It also contributes to protection against grave violations. such as child recruitment, and often provides access to other essential services, including healthcare and safe water. We therefore call upon all member states to uphold and implement Security Council Resolution 2601, maintaining international attention on the protection of education in Sudan and take concrete measures to address the country's escalating education crisis. Turning this commitment into action, Japan is supporting a $5 million project to restore learning opportunities for more than 83,600 conflict-affected children across five states in Sudan. Through Education Cannot Wait, Japan is also supporting Sudanese refugee children and their host communities in neighboring countries. Lastly, to prevent further deterioration of Sudan's humanitarian situation and education crisis, we call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and urge all parties to uphold their obligations under international law. including by facilitating rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access and protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, from attack. Japan will continue striving to protect children and education facilities affected by armed conflict through a holistic human security approach. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Japan for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the African Union.

Thank you so much, Excellency Chairperson, Excellencies. The African Union thanks Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia for convening this important timely meeting, and thanks the Deputy Secretary-General and the briefers for their insightful accounts. Sudan is a founding member of our union. Its children are Africa's children, and what happens to their education is a continental concern. The AU reaffirms its unwavering respect for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Sudan and its settled position that this conflict admits of no military solution no partition of the country, and no external interference. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union most recently at ministerial level meeting last February condemned the atrocities committed in El Fasher, demanded unconditional cessation of hostilities, and welcomed the Sudanese National Initiative for Peace presented before this council last December. The figures before us today describe the dismantling of a generation's future. More than 17 million children have had their schooling disrupted. Roughly eight million receive no education at all. Nearly half of Sudan's school buildings can no longer serve as classrooms. and over 7,000 sit in active conflict zones. The Secretary-General's latest report on children and armed conflict records an increase of more than 57% in attacks on schools and protected personnel between 2024 and 2025. In North Darfur, by the education cluster count, 97% of schools no longer function. A closed school is rarely just a closed school. It is where recruitment begins, where girls' childhood ends in early marriage, where the skilled workforce Sudan will need for reconstruction quietly disappears. The AU wishes to draw particular attention to the integrity of Sudan's national education system. In April, some 5,064, 564,000, 564,000 candidates sat the Sudanese secondary certificate across more than 3,000 centers inside the country and in Chad, Libya, and South Sudan. The third examination cycle organized since the war began. That so many sat at all, this defies to the determination of Sudanese families and teachers. Hundreds of thousands of others could not reach a center. The AU therefore echoes UNICEF's call for a single nationally recognized examination accessible to every Sudanese child. wherever the war has scattered them and for the parties to agree on practical modalities to that end. Fragmented certification would harden the country's division and outlast the fighting itself. The AU's rejection of parallel administrations extends to parallel school systems. The normative framework is not in doubt. Sudan endorsed the Safe School Declaration in 2015 and its armed forces circulated a command order in 2017 barring the military use of schools. The African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child as interpreted by the African Committee of Experts in its 2020 general comment prohibits attacks on schools and their use for military purposes. The AU applies the same standard to its own peace operations, requiring troop contributors to keep schools out of military use. What remains is compliance and accountability where compliance fails. The EU accordingly calls on the parties to end the military use of schools and protect them from attack to guarantee safe passage for students, teachers and examination materials and to permit unimpeded humanitarian access. We call on all concerned parties and partners to fund education response, including teacher salaries and the reopening of schools under the bridge program with the same urgency accorded to food and medicine. Education is life-saving and it is the most valuable and cost-effective investment in Sudan's peace and future. This council is urgently called upon for swift proper action. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of the African Union for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of India.

Mr. Chair, I thank the permanent missions of Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia.

For their leadership in convening today's meeting. We also thank the Deputy Secretary General and the other briefers for their valuable insights. The conflict that has ravaged Sudan over the past three years has devastated lives of millions of people with children bearing its biggest brunt. We join the voices in this room in condemning attacks on civilians, particularly children, and on educational infrastructure. The scale of the crisis is alarming. More than 17 million children are out of school. UN Secretary General has highlighted that attacks on schools have increased by 57%. Protecting children.

And the right to education must therefore remain a key priority.

All through the conflict, India has stood with the people of Sudan. Earlier this year, we organized a prosthetic limb camp for 600 beneficiaries in Sudan, which included a number of children. It was very satisfying to see these children run and jump.

We hope the walk back to their schools would also happen soon.

Mr. Chair, education is both a fundamental right and an investment in Sudan's future. Lasting peace and stability are indispensable for ensuring safe access to education and rebuilding the institutions of learning and education.

At the same time, restoring education requires a holistic approach. Children cannot learn in the face of hunger, displacement, and poor health. Ensuring the rehabilitation and reintegration of conflict-affected children are equally important.

We acknowledge the important work of UNICEF and other humanitarian partners in this context. Technology can help bridge educational gaps where physical infrastructure has been damaged. Our experience with Diksha, digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing demonstrates how digital public infrastructure can expand access to quality learning resources, especially in remote areas. Such solutions complemented by sustained investment in education can help strengthen resilience of Sudanese institutions and support its long-term recovery. Finally, protection without accountability is ineffective. Parties that target schools with impunity must be held accountable. Mr. Chair, in closing, India reaffirms its ongoing commitment to protecting children and their right to education, particularly in situations of armed conflict.

It is our collective.

Responsibility to ensure that the ongoing conflict does not deprive Sudan's children of the opportunity to learn and realize their full potential.

I thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the representative of India for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mexico acknowledges and appreciates the timely convening of this Area Formula meeting by the three African elected members, DRC, Liberia, and Somalia, on the devastating impact of the conflict in Sudan.

On education.

Sudan's education system has collapsed, facing one of the world's most severe crises.

Today, as has been said by previous speakers, more than 8 million children and youth, representing over half of the school-age population, remain out of school. Out of school rates are the highest in regions such as Darfur, where the crisis is more severe.

Mexico reaffirms its commitment to supporting African led efforts to restore peace, protect civilians and safeguard children's rights, and recognizes UNESCO's efforts to reconstruct the Sudan school system.

My country.

As co-chair of the Group of Friends of the African Union, participated in the most recent session of the African.

Union Peace and Security Council on education in conflict.

Contexts, and shared the importance of understanding education as a preventive measure with direct implications for stability and peace building. Education is not only a fundamental human right, but also one of the strongest foundations for conflict prevention.

Peacebuilding and sustainable development.

However, the continuous destruction and occupation of the education facilities, forced internal displacement, and the widespread insecurity generated by the conflict have complicated national and regional efforts to resume educational activities and secure safe learning environments.

Without urgent action, there is a latent.

But real risk of losing an entire generation of students. The UN Secretary General latest report on children and armed conflict paints a deeply alarming picture. During 2025 alone, the UN verified 1,889 grave violations affecting children in Sudan, including the direct attack on 115 schools. Mexico condemns all attacks against schools, students, teachers, and educational infrastructure. As a signatory to the Safe School Declaration, we reiterate that schools must remain places of learning, protection, and hope, never military objectives or theaters of conflict. The recruitment and use of children by armed groups, together with forced internal displacement, deprive children of the right to education. expose them to further grave violations and seriously undermine the prospects for sustained peace in Sudan. Mexico recalls the UN Security Resolution 2601, which recognizes that protecting education during armed conflict is essential for the protection of children and for sustaining peace. In this regard, we believe that international response must go beyond protecting school buildings.

It should.

Also ensure that continuity of students, nationals recognizing educational system by supporting teachers, preserving examinations and certifications, restoring educational infrastructure, and guaranteeing humanitarian access to education for all children. We join the UN Secretary-General call for the parties to the conflict to formulate an action plan on children in armed conflict. The designation of focal points is an important first step toward this objective. Finally, protecting education in Sudan is not only a legal obligation of international humanitarian law, it is an investment in sustainable and long-lasting peace. Every child who remains in school represents another step toward breaking cycles of violence and building a more peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Sudan. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I thank the representative of Mexico for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the European Union.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states.

I thank Somalia for convening this important meeting and the DRC and Liberia for co-sponsoring it. I also thank the briefers and commend UNICEF and the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack for their tireless work in Sudan, alongside the courage of Sudanese teachers, students, and civil.

Society who continue to keep education alive under extraordinary difficult circumstances. As it was already mentioned by some, by the briefers, Sudan's education system lies in ruins. Eight million children no longer have access to education, and in total, 17 million have had their access to learning severely disrupted.

Nearly half of Sudan's schools buildings can no longer function.

As classrooms and attacks on schools and protected personnel rose by 57% between 2024 and 2025. Denying safe and continuous access to.

Education deepens children's vulnerability to recruitment, exploitation and other grave violations and risks leaving an entire generation without the skills needed to eventually rebuild their country. Education is not a peripheral.

Peripheral concern.

It is a child protection issue, a recovery issue, and a peace and security issue.

Schools, students, and teachers must not be attacked and should be respected and protected in all circumstances, in accordance with international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Security Council Resolution 1998.

We call on all parties to uphold the commitments of the Safe Schools Declaration endorsed by the vast majority of EU Member States. The EU is also gravely concerned by the military use of schools, which puts.

Civilians, including students and teachers, at risk.

We strongly call on the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately cease all attacks on education facilities and personnel. halt their military use and grant safe, sustained and unhindered access for education and protection actors.

Violations against children and against education must be documented, investigated and lead to accountability, including through cooperation with relevant UN mechanisms. Education in emergencies is a priority for Europe's humanitarian action. As one of Sudan's largest humanitarian and development donors, the EU and its member.

States support continuity of learning through UN agencies, NGOs and local actors, including emergency response rooms. In 2026, the EU allocated 276.3 million euros in its humanitarian response in Sudan and neighboring countries. On education, the EU allocated 93.85 million euros.

Targeted at safe, inclusive primary education amid the ongoing conflict. We attach particular importance to preserving the integrity of Sudan's nationally recognized education system.

Including examinations and certification under the transitional education plan 2025-2027, so that displaced and refugee children are not further disadvantaged. Colleagues, as a follow-up to the ministerial conference on Sudan in Berlin last April, which sent a clear signal about the international community's commitment to put an end to the atrocities in Sudan, the EU reiterates four core asks. First, a genuine and lasting ceasefire.

Second, rapid, safe, and independent humanitarian access and the protection of civilians.

Third, a return to inclusive civilian governments, and fourth, justice and accountability and respect for the rule of law. The EU rejects any partition of Sudan and continues to apply targeted restrictive measures against those obstructing peace.

Coordination with all partners and stakeholders is paramount and we stand ready to contribute to any effort gearing towards peace.

Since November 2025, the EU has worked.

Within the framework of the Quintet to facilitate an inclusive, Sudanese-owned and civilian-led political transition, And since July 2026, the EU has joined the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice for Sudan. The EU will continue to work with international accountability mechanisms to bring perpetrators to justice.

The EU has also been working on a technical de-escalation track dedicated to the protection of critical civilian infrastructure. Discussion on this initiative with both SAF and RSF continue.

Together with the UN, the EU is also engaging in the early preparations for a ceasefire verification and monitoring mechanism. To conclude, our objective is clear, to generate small confidence building levers that support broader political efforts and ultimately improve the situation for all Sudanese people.

The dramatic impact of the conflict on children and education is tremendous and serves as a stark reminder of the imperious need for the international community, in particular the Security Council.

To respond to the situation with the urgency it demands.

I thank the representative of the European Union for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Spain.

Thank you very much, Chair. Mr. President, I thank you for convening this important meeting. Spain echoes the statement that has just been made by the European Union. In our national capacity, we wish to make some additional comments. Education is not solely a fundamental right, it is also a strategic investment in peace and stability. Consequently, protecting education during conflict is not solely a humanitarian and legal obligation, it is also a prerequisite for sustainable recovery and for the development of a lasting peace. Chair, Spain appeals for the full implementation of the Safe Schools Declarations and its guidelines. This is an issue that has been underscored by many delegations over the course of this morning. We must promote community based early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, risk management plans led by educational communities and specific training should be given to teachers in child protection and psychosocial support. It's also vital to guarantee that there are temporary education facilities and flexible distance learning. There should also be the recognition of studies completed by displaced persons and other such measures to avoid having a lost generation. Spain was one of the first countries to accede to the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015. Since then, we have actively championed its implementation. Indeed, between 2017 and 2025, we contributed more than 61 million euros to education in emergencies, and we have taken on the commitment to devote at least 10% of our humanitarian financing to this sector in accordance with international standards. Moreover, we will continue to promote partnerships, technical cooperation, and capacity building to protect education in times of conflict. Chair, protecting education today is to protect the future of Sudan and the future of all societies affected by conflict. Spain reiterates its commitment to continue working with the United Nations and with all international partners to ensure that education remains a protected right, including in the most difficult contexts. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Spain for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Allow me to thank you for organizing this meeting, as well as the permanent missions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for the co-sponsorship. I also wish to thank the briefers for their remarks. Mr. Chair, Conflicts expose children and young people to grave risks. In many cases, students lose access to education, while teachers are unable to fulfill their professional responsibilities. Families are compelled to flee their homes. This further disrupts the learning process. It undermines the well-being and future prospects of children. Developments that deprive children of their fundamental right to education adversely affect the long-term social and economic development of a society. Chair, since the outbreak of the unfortunate conflict, Sudan has faced serious humanitarian and security challenges. The impact on education infrastructure and facilities has been immense. Ethiopia recognizes the efforts undertaken by the government of Sudan to rehabilitate educational institutions, and restore essential public services in areas where conditions allow. These efforts constitute an important step towards restoring a conducive environment for the return of students and teachers to schools. In this regard, enhanced support from the international community is essential. Rehabilitating schools and ensuring safe access to education should continue to be a priority. Students should be able to return to their classrooms. Teachers should be able to perform their duties without fear. Educational institutions should be restored and strengthened. The people of Sudan have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of immense challenges. They deserve every support in their effort to restore peace and rebuild their country. Ethiopia therefore reaffirms its commitment to supporting all efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability and restoration of institutions, including educational facilities in Sudan. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Ethiopia for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Thank you to Somalia and DLC, the co-sponsors, and Liberia also for having raised this very crucial issue. We would like to thank the UN and also the speakers for the efforts that they are making to safeguard education in Sudan. We are deeply concerned by the breadth of suffering in Sudan since the start of the conflict in April 2023. The vulnerabilities, social, economic, have just increased with grave consequences for civilians, particularly children. 33 million people need humanitarian assistance to meet their fundamental needs. Around 19 and a half million people are still facing high levels of food insecurity. With more than 12 million people who are displaced, Sudan is facing the greatest displacement crisis in the world. Sudan is also facing an unprecedented educational emergency. Since the start of the conflict, the clashes have led to the closure of schools. 8 million children of school age are not in school. There's no classrooms that can be opened. A third of schools remain closed and others have been repurposed into refugee camps for IDPs or they've been occupied by armed groups. Hundreds of thousands of students have not been able to sit their national exams because of the conflict. Also, many of them have had to cross active front lines and risk their lives to reach exam centres, putting their life and dreams on pause indefinitely. Sudan risks losing a generation of knowledge, with far-reaching consequences on future peace and stability. A prolonged absence of safe schooling significantly increases the risk for children, for example, of sexual violence, the risk of early marriage, child labor, the risk of radicalization and recruitment by armed forces. In this context, re-establishing access to education is of primary importance for their protection.

Access to education and the continued exposure of children to violence stand in direct contradiction to the principles and obligations set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right of every child to education and to protections from violence, exploitation, and abuse. Both the SAF and RSF, as well as affiliated militias, continued to be listed in the Secretary-General's annual report on children in armed conflict for unlawfully recruiting and using children and for unlawfully attacking schools and hospitals. The UN verified attacks against 115 schools last year. We urge Sudan to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration, which it signed in 2015. We call on all parties to the conflict in Sudan who are listed in this annual report to engage meaningfully with the UN to develop and implement action plans to protect children. We also urge all actors to redouble efforts to prevent and halt grave violations against children while ensuring and promoting accountability. We stand ready to work with education partners, including the UN, by NGOs and Sudanese civil society to advance safe and equitable access to education across all parts of Sudan. Canada recently launched an $18 million, five-year education initiative in Sudan, implemented by Save the Children Canada, that will deliver crisis-resilient education and child protection mechanisms to more than 60,000 boys and girls across the country. This initiative builds on Canada's $22 million in education commitments in Sudan since 2023 and to promote children's safe return to learning and resilience building as the conflict continues. These efforts form part of the $120 million in new international assistance funding for Sudan and neighboring countries announced earlier this year at the Sudan International Conference in Berlin. Canada's assistance in Sudan reflects our commitment to safeguarding human rights while reaching the most vulnerable amid the crisis. This includes helping people meet their basic needs by improving food security, restoring essential health services, and ensuring access to safe, quality education. Thank you, President.

I thank the representative of Canada for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of the Netherlands.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank Somalia, Liberia, and the DRC for convening today's meeting. And also, I would like to thank the esteemed briefers for their contributions. We value this opportunity to bring attention to a crisis that is too often neglected. More than three years of conflict has inflicted immense suffering on Sudan's children. An entire generation is growing up surrounded by violence. with many knowing nothing but conflict. Against this backdrop, today's discussion is particularly relevant. Mr. Chair, millions of Sudanese children have been stripped of their rights and safety while atrocities against civilians and conflict related sexual and gender based violence, including against children, continue on a shocking scale. Children have been forced to flee their homes in unprecedented numbers, creating the world's largest child displacement crisis. As the war continues, children are growing up without education and basic services, undermining Sudan's future capacity to rebuild its institutions and support its own recovery. Mr. Chair, we would like to briefly highlight four points. First, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is particularly concerned by the continued targeting of civilian objects, including schools, and by the use of schools for military purposes. Such actions violate international humanitarian law and deprive children of far more than just education. The Security Council should be clear on this. Second, The continued denial of humanitarian access is unacceptable. The Kingdom of the Netherlands calls on all parties to allow and facilitate timely and unimpeded humanitarian access in accordance with international humanitarian law. Third, protecting civilians must remain the guiding priority of our international response. An immediate humanitarian truce is a crucial first step towards a permanent ceasefire. The Kingdom of the Netherlands continues to contribute to the delivery of humanitarian support to alleviate the suffering in Sudan. We encourage other countries to stay the course as well. Finally, Mr. Chair, the importance of accountability. Peace and justice are inseparable. The Kingdom of the Netherlands continues to support initiatives that contribute to accountability for violations of international law in Sudan, including the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the fact-finding mission for Sudan. The Kingdom of the Netherlands welcomes the outcome of the Berlin conference as important steps towards realizing peace and supporting a transition to inclusive civilian governance. In this context, it is important to recall that accountability for the Sudanese people is also an essential foundation for a just and durable peace. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the representative of the Netherlands for the statement. I give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Thank you, Chair. We thank Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia for convening this important meeting and the briefers for their valuable contributions today. The humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan continues to have devastating implications for civilians, especially for children. Across the country, schools have been attacked, millions of children have been deprived of their right to education. This is a direct threat to the future of Sudan. Chair, education is a fundamental prerequisite for peace. When schools are safe, they often they offer protective environments that shield children from exploitation, from recruitment and from abuse. Preventing recruitment begins with safeguarding access to quality education. Also, children who have already been recruited or exploited must be reintegrated into the education systems. This is essential for sustainable recovery and long-term peace. Germany remains committed to supporting efforts to protect education in conflict. We continue to support the important work of UNICEF and other partners in this regard. Like some previous speakers, including from the European Union and I heard the Netherlands and Canada, I would also like to recall the third International Sudan Conference that has taken place in Berlin on 15 April this year. In light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the Berlin Principles for Sudan have become more relevant than ever. They clearly state that civilian infrastructure must never be a legitimate target. And they strongly condemn attacks on educational facilities. In addition, war crimes and crimes against humanity must be investigated and prosecuted. Survivors must be supported. These calls to protect schools, hospitals and humanitarian compounds must be translated into action. Mr. Chair, we call on all parties to the conflict to return to negotiations for a lasting ceasefire, to ensure rapid, safe, unimpeded, and sustained humanitarian access, to support a Sudanese-led civilian political process leading to the restoration of civilian governance, and to restore and to uphold accountability and respect for international law. We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and to protect schools, teachers, students, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access as enshrined in the Safe Schools Declaration. There can be no sustainable peace without education. I thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Germany for the statement. There are no more names inscribed in the list of speakers. I thank you all, and in particular to our briefers, for your invaluable contribution and participation in our rich discussion on education in Sudan. I also thank the conference management team, including our interpreters, I thank you all and have a good weekend. Thank you.