Afghanistan, UNESCO calls for right to education for all and protection of cultural heritage

Amid the fast-moving events in Afghanistan, Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, said that “the fundamental right to education for all, particularly girls and women, must continue unhindered.” UNESCO will support all Afghans to ensure their right to education.

“Education is a fundamental human right that is indispensable for the exercise of other human rights and the development of Afghanistan. UNESCO calls on everyone to guarantee the right to education without any discrimination. Students, teachers and educational staff must have access to safe educational environments, including girls and women, who must continue to teach and learn without any restrictions,” the director-general added. “The tremendous progress made in the country in the field of education as well should not be lost. Education must continue for girls and women. The future of Afghanistan depends on them.”

UNESCO has provided technical assistance to strengthen education in Afghanistan since 1948. Through its office in Kabul, UNESCO has invested in education policy, particularly for girls’ education, with the largest literacy campaign in the Organization’s history reaching 1.2 million Afghans, including 800,000 women.

UNESCO also calls for the protection of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage in its diversity. Any damage or loss of cultural heritage will only have negative consequences on the prospects for lasting peace and humanitarian aid for the Afghan people.

The heritage includes sites such as the Old City of Herat, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Minaret and Jam archaeological remains, and the cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley, where UNESCO has been working for several decades, as well as museums including the National Museum in Kabul.

Afghanistan, UNESCO calls for right to education for all and protection of cultural heritage

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