Latvia's Statement at the UNSC Arria-Formula Meeting on Safeguarding Education in Sudan
Madam President,
I thank Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia for convening this meeting.
I also thank Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hannan Sulieman, Ms. Lisa Chung-Bender, and the Sudanese civil society representative for their sobering briefings.
I will make three points.
First, the war in Sudan has followed children through every stage of education - from kindergarten to higher education. Instead of children advancing through the education, the weapons of this war are advancing through their classrooms.
In Kalogi, a drone attack killed children aged five to seven inside a kindergarten. At Al-Hadra Primary School, airstrikes killed ten pupils and two teachers and injured 44. In Shukairi, drone strikes struck a secondary school and an adjacent health centre, reportedly killing at least 17 people. In Komo, a reported airstrike on a nursing school killed at least 40 people, including 24 students.
The Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and all affiliated forces must comply fully with international humanitarian law. The party behind each attack may differ. The law does not.
All parties must distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives, respect proportionality, take all feasible precautions, and end the military use of educational facilities. Allegations must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.
Second, the Council must use the tools already at its disposal - and strengthen them where necessary.
October will mark five years since the unanimous adoption of resolution 2601. It must be fully implemented in Sudan through concrete commitments by the parties and sustained follow-up through the Children and Armed Conflict framework. We call on all parties to conflict to engage with the UN to adopt an action plan to end and prevent grave violations against children, including attacks on schools, from happening in the first place.
The 1591 sanctions regime should be used where the applicable listing criteria are met, including against those responsible for attacks on children and educational facilities.
Drones were linked to nearly 80 per cent of reported child casualties during the first four months of 2026. We call on external supporters to halt the supply of drones and other sophisticated military materiel that enable attacks against children and education. Where existing measures prove insufficient, the Council should be prepared to consider further steps.
Third, children must be able to continue learning throughout the conflict.
We cannot assume that education will simply resume when the fighting stops. Children need safe learning opportunities now, supported by teachers, alternative arrangements and sustained mental-health and psychosocial assistance. For children, schools are spaces of safety, stability and routine, while also reducing exposure to the dangers of gender-based violence and recruitment and use.
Sudan’s common national education system must also be preserved. Nationally recognized examinations, certificates and educational records should remain accessible through safe and neutral arrangements across lines of control and in refugee-hosting countries.
A child’s future must not depend on who controls the territory where that child lives. Every child matters - and every child deserves a future.
I thank you.