Education and Afghanistan — International Parliamentary Network for Education

The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Afghanistan demands an urgent and united global response.

Like the whole world, we have watched in horror as the tragic scenes in Afghanistan unfolded.

Our immediate priority was to ensure at-risk Afghan citizens receive urgent assistance and safe passage if they chose to flee the country.

Both those that remain in Afghanistan or are now refugees in neighbouring countries require urgent assistance, including to access basic services, such as education.

Protecting education for Afghan children

Following the Taliban’s return to power we have grave concerns for the rights and interests of Afghan citizens, especially women, girls, and ethnic and religious minorities.

We are especially concerned about the right to education and the urgent need to ensure that existing educational services have the ability and support necessary to continue to function.

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

A common international strategy

On 12 October 2021, Italy, who then held the rotating G20 presidency, hosted an extraordinary summit of the G20 focused on agreeing a common international strategy in response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

Although the meeting recognised the importance of education, we are still calling for the international community to develop a costed plan for ensuring Afghan children can exercise their right to education.

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.

Parliamentary and civil society action for Afghan education

Parliamentarians across the world are writing to their governments to advocate for our plan, working alongside civil society to amplify the call for an international strategy for the education of Afghan children.

In 2022, Advocates for Afghan Education, a network of organisations working to advance the right to education in Afghanistan which is hosted by IPNEd was established.