Ei-iE

Education International’s 10th World Congress, meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 29 July to 2 August 2024, notes that:

1. On 22 July 2024, 83% of the Gaza Strip has now been declared by Israel as “No-Go zones” for Palestinians, but the remaining areas are being bombed (UNOCHA OPT);
2. The Israeli offensive in Rafah captured the border on 7 May 2024, leading to an average number of aid trucks entering Gaza (in July) dropping to 42 per day, less than 10% of pre-war imports to Gaza Strip (UNOCHA OPT);
3. As of 23 July 2024, 8,719 students and 397 teachers have been killed, 497 of 563 schools damaged or destroyed, 12 universities destroyed (UNOCHA OPT). 15,000 students and 200 teachers have left Gaza to Egypt due to the catastrophic situation;
4. The International Court of Justice decision of 19 July 2024 deemed settlements in the Occupied Territories illegal, building on its earlier findings on plausible genocide in Gaza.

Congress further notes:

5. More than 400,000 people across Gaza – more than a fifth of the population – are facing the most severe starvation; the death of more Palestinian children due to hunger dehydration and malnutrition leaves no doubt the famine has spread across the entire Gaza Strip;
6. A UN-backed assessment says almost half a million Palestinians across Gaza are still facing “catastrophic levels” of hunger and that a “high risk” of famine persists as long as the Israel-Hamas war continues and humanitarian access is restricted;
7. The United Nations suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in May due to a lack of supplies and an untenable security situation caused by Israel’s expanding military operation.;
8. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the war on teachers, education support personnel and students as well as the destruction of education infrastructure in Gaza. The number of children reported killed in 9 months in Gaza is higher than the combined number of children killed in four years of wars around the world;
9. UNRWA-run schools, which have become shelters for hundreds of thousands of civilians who are forcibly displaced, have been and continue to be the target of intense Israeli attacks. Further on 22 July, the Israeli Knesset voted to declare UNRWA a terrorist organisation, marginalising education for Palestinian refugee children.

Congress believes:

10. That the inaction of all countries is seen as a lack of concern for the consequences for the exhausted civilian population. It is unacceptable, and immediate action must be taken to prevent further suffering;
11. The first step for all States in upholding their own legal obligations to ensure international humanitarian law is respected is to stop the invasion, open all land crossings and lift internal barriers for humanitarian access;
12. In fact, all suppliers of arms have to respect the Human Rights Council resolution voted on April 5 calling on them to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel. All states must act now to ensure an immediate and sustained ceasefire;
13. The overcrowded so-called ‘humanitarian zones,’ where many people cannot even find shelter are not safe. It is time to put maximum pressure on Israel and the international community to end the repeated forcible displacement of the people of Gaza;
14. That schools and other education institutions should be safe sanctuaries and protected from attack in accordance with the Safe Schools Declaration adopted in 2015, noting that over 625,000 students are still denied their right to an education over the course of an entire academic year.

The 10th World congress resolves to:

15. Support the call for the urgent implementation of UN security Council (UNSC) resolution demanding an immediate and lasting ceasefire, along with securing entry of aid, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and prevent forced displacement and the recognition of Palestinian people’s rights;
16. Call for the reopening of the Rafah crossing, which is the only lifeline for more than 1.5 million vulnerable people and call for a massive increase in humanitarian aid;
17. Call for a binding implementation of international law in its entirety noting the selective implementation of international law diminishes us all;
18. Call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor to expedite the investigation into all allegations of crimes against humanity;
19. Support the two-state solution promoted by the United Nations General Assembly and UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, end the occupation and address the plight of Palestinian refugees. The first step towards this goal is the recognition of Palestine as a state.

Congress calls on the Executive Board to:

20. Support educators refusing to deliver education content that incites racial and ethnic hatred;
21. Establish a peace committee to work with UN agencies, peace organisations, labour organisations and Global Unions to secure the rights of children and educators affected by conflicts;
22. Implement measures to ensure the safety and well-being of 625,000 students and 22,500 teachers in Gaza;
23. Support social, emotional and wellbeing programmes for teachers and children in Palestine and those who left Gaza since 7 October;
24. Pressure the international community, UN Institutions, the Global Partnership for Education, the World Bank, amongst others, to prioritise the support for rebuilding the Gaza schooling system and demand the establishment of a Global Fund for Teachers’ salaries in crisis affected countries consistent with the recommendation 56 of the UN High level Panel on the Teaching Profession;
25. Urge all EI member organisations to continue their crucial support through the EI Solidarity Fund.