UNESCO Director General calls for unhindered right to education in Afghanistan

New Delhi: Amid the rapidly unfolding events in Afghanistan, Audrey Azoulay, the Director General of UNESCO, 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.

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. “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. 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 Organization 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.