Bhutan

In its 2017 concluding observations on Bhutan’s report under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, this Committee “recommend[ed] that [Bhutan] endorses the [Safe Schools] Declaration as a commitment to protect students, educational staff and infrastructure during armed conflict, particularly relevant in the context of the State party’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations.”0F The Safe Schools Declaration is an inter-governmental political commitment that provides countries the opportunity to express political support for the protection of students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict1F ; the importance of the continuation of education during armed conflict; and the implementation of the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. As of June 2021, 109 countries have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. Bhutan has yet to endorse this important declaration.

As recognized by this Committee in its General Recommendation No. 30, attacks on students and schools, and the use of schools for military purposes, disproportionately affect girls, who are sometimes the focus of targeted attacks and are more likely to be kept out of school due to security concerns.