UNESCO will spare no efforts to support all Afghans to ensure their right to education, the agency said in a statement…reports Asian Lite News.
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.
Cultural heritage
The UN cultural agency has called for the preservation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage in its diversity and in full respect of international law.
This statement comes a few days after the Taliban blew up slain Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari’s statue in Bamiyan, a grim reminder of the destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001.
“Afghanistan is home to a wide range of rich and diverse heritage, which is an integral part of Afghan history and identity, as well as of importance for humanity as a whole, that must be safeguarded,” the UNESCO statement said.
This includes sites such as the Old City of Herat, the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam and the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, as well as museums like the National Museum in Kabul.
Amid the rapidly unfolding events, UNESCO is closely following the situation on the ground and is committed to exercising all possible efforts to safeguard the invaluable cultural heritage of the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the UN agency said that any damage or loss of cultural heritage will only have adverse consequences on the prospects for lasting peace and humanitarian relief for the people of Afghanistan.
UNESCO further underlined the need for a safe environment for the ongoing work of the country’s cultural heritage professionals and artists.
It is crucial for the future of Afghanistan to safeguard and preserve these landmarks, the statement added. (ANI)
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