Afghanistan Crisis: UNESCO declares right to education will be assured for all Afghans

Paris: Amid the rapidly evolving events in Afghanistan, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has declared that "the fundamental right to education for all, in particular for girls and women, must continue unhindered".

UNESCO will spare no efforts to support all Afghans to ensure their right to education, the agency said in a statement. 

"Education is a fundamental human right indispensable for the exercise of other human rights and for the development of Afghanistan. It is even more so at this critical time. UNESCO calls on all to guarantee the right to education without any discrimination. Students, teachers and education personnel must have access to safe educational environments, including girls and women, who have to continue learning and teaching without any restrictions," said Azoulay.

"The enormous progress made in the country including in education must not be lost. Education must continue for girls and women. The future of Afghanistan depends on them", added the Director-General.

UNESCO has provided technical assistance to strengthen education in Afghanistan since 1948, according to a statement.

Through its office in Kabul, UNESCO has invested in education policy especially for girls` education, with the largest literacy campaign in the history of the Organisation which has reached 1.2 million Afghans, including 800,000 women.

More recently UNESCO has been supporting efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping the education system to promote a safe return to school, especially for girls.

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