A/66/269 B. Protecting education from attack 69. Attacks against schools and institutions of higher education violate human rights and humanitarian law. 48 Nonetheless, as recently reported by the Secretary-General, attacks against schools are a significant concern and a growing trend. 49 Insecurity still prevails in many education institutions located in conflict zones, with long-lasting consequences for education systems and students. 70. Studies indicate a continued increase in the reported number of attacks on education in situations of conflict and widespread violence over the past three years. 50 Such episodes include harming or killing students and school personnel, damaging or destroying education facilities and ultimately preventing thousands of students from attending school or university owing to closures. The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund 51 reports that applications from threatened scholars doubled during the period 2008-2011 as compared to the previous period. In certain situations, the use of schools by armed elements has compromised the civilian nature of schools and put students and teachers at risk. 52 71. Despite deficiencies in monitoring mechanisms, increased attention on the part of the international community to situations of attack against education in emergencies can be noted. In 2010, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack was established by international and non-governmental organizations to jointly promote efforts to prevent, respond to and monitor attacks against education. The Secretary-General included information on such situations in his most recent report on children in armed conflict. 53 The same was done by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, who recalled the importance of protecting schools against attacks and underlined that “enhancing accountability mechanisms for such crimes is key to ensuring that schools remain safe havens and zones of peace”. 54 72. The Special Rapporteur considers that enhancing the capacity of mechanisms monitoring situations where education systems are targeted by those involved in armed conflict is essential to end invisibility and impunity. In that regard, he welcomes the recent adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1998 (2011), in which, expressing deep concern about attacks against schools, the Council requested the Secretary-General to include in the annexes to his reports on children and armed __________________ 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 11-44589 The right to education during conflict is protected by the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949. Under international humanitarian law, schools and educational institutions are civilian objects that are protected from deliberate attack unless and only for such time as they are being used by belligerent forces for a military purpose. See article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. A/65/820-S/2011/250, para. 211. N. Boothby, A. Ager and R. Quinn, “Feasibility study for a global monitoring system for attacks on education: definitions and typology”, CPC Learning Network, Doha; Education Above All, New York, 2011. The Institute of International Education (IIE), an independent non-profit organization, has participated in the rescue of persecuted scholars since its founding in 1919. In 2002, IIE launched the Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) as a formalized response to this ongoing international dilemma. SRF cooperates closely with the Scholars at Risk Network, the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics and similar organizations. A/65/820-S/2011/250, para. 211. Ibid. A/64/254, para. 25. 17