A Call to Action: Supporting the Education of Afghanistan's Children and Young People

To access the PDF version of this call to action, click here. 

Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, we have grave concerns for  the human rights of Afghan citizens, especially women, girls, people with disabilities,  and ethnic and religious minorities. 

We are particularly concerned about the right to education. 

Whilst the international community must ensure the re-establishment of the  conditions that guarantee the full rule of law and the respect of human rights and that  those in power in Afghanistan respect the right to education, permission to operate  and attend educational facilities alone will not be enough. The fundamental freedoms  of women, girls, and minority and ethnic groups must be respected and protected by  all parties, including their freedoms of movement, opinion, expression, and identity. 

Protecting the right to education of Afghanistan’s population will require a significant  increase in coordinated international support. 

Supportive of the effort by Italy, acting as G20 president, to develop a common  international strategy in response to the crisis in Afghanistan, we urge G20 member  states to ensure the strategy includes a plan for education and lifelong learning for  all. 

That plan should be based on five commitments: 

• Ensuring the right to education and lifelong learning for all, based on the  standards set by international human rights law. 
• Increasing humanitarian and development assistance, provided to the UN,  international agencies, national organizations and communities, to ensure  formal schools, community-based education programs, colleges, and universities with students of all genders, abilities, and backgrounds continue  to operate and provide quality, inclusive education. 
• Providing support to host countries for the education of both existing and  newly arriving refugee children and youth. 
• Increasing funding for tertiary study overseas, especially for women and  people with disabilities. Ensuring that a fundamental condition of any working relationship with the  regime is that it upholds the right to education. 

We urge the governments of the G20 to commission the relevant UN agencies to  develop, fund, and implement a plan to protect and promote education for Afghan  children, especially girls and people with disabilities, both in Afghanistan and those  who have fled their country seeking protection. It is critical to ensure full participation  and consultation of teachers, education support professionals, parents, and learners  themselves in developing a comprehensive education plan.

Full List of Endorsing Organizations 

1. International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd)  
2. Finn Church Aid 
3. Global Campaign for Education 
4. Global Citizen 
5. International Rescue Committee 
6. Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies 
7. Jesuit Refugee Service 
8. Malala Fund 
9. Oxfam 
10. Plan International 
11. Save the Children 
12. Theirworld 
13. World Vision International 
14. CIFA Onlus 
15. Movimento per l'Autosviluppo, l'Interscambio e la Solidarietà (M.A.I.S)
16. RE.TE ONG 
17. Send My Friend to School 
18. Campagna Globale per l'Educazione (Global Campaign for Education Italy)
19. Coalition Éducation (Global Campaign for Education France)
20. Globale Bildungskampagne (Global Campaign for Education Germany)
21. Global Camapign for Education - The Netherlands 
22. Global Campaign For Education – US (GCE-US) 
23. Educate the Children-Nepal 
24. Linda Norgrove Foundation 
25. HealthProm 
26. National Education Union 
27. NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union 
28. RESULTS Canada 
29. RESULTS UK 
30. Centre for Afghanistan Policy Studies (CAPS) 
31. 100 Million 
32.  All Africa Students' Union 
33. AWA Initiative (A Well Informed Adolescent Initiative), Nigeria
34. Commonwealth Children & Youth Disability Network 
35. Commonwealth Students' Association 
36. European Students' Union 
37. Global Student Forum 
38. Empowered African Child Initiative, Nigeria. 
39. Future Resilience and Development Foundation, Nigeria (FRAD)
40. HELP Foundation for Students, Nigeria 
41. Hope for Nigeria Education Fund 
42. I CAN South Sudan, Uganda and South Sudan 
43. iFix Initiative, South Sudan 
44. Include Me TOO, UK 
45. Kosovar Youth Council 
46. No Box Initiative, Nigeria 
47. Rescue Health Initiative Nigeria, 
48. Teach for Somalia 
49. Teach MUDA – Street2School Initiative, Nigeria 
50. Youth and Women for Opportunities, Uganda 
51. Youth Institution for Education, Côte d'Ivoire