Delivered by Ambassador of Norway to the OSCE, Anne-Kirsti
Karlsen, on behalf of 47 OSCE participating States at the
Permanent Council on 28 January 2021.
"Madame Chair,
I am pleased to give this statement on behalf of Albania,
Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova,
Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom,
USA and my own country Norway.
The International Day of Education was proclaimed by the UN
General Assembly in 2019, as a reminder of education’s
foundational role for peace and development. On this
occasion, two years on, we commemorate the tireless efforts
of teachers, school administrators, government officials
and other dedicated individuals who have made possible that
children and youth continue to learn even against the
largest disruption of our education systems due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The closure of schools has affected the lives of 1.6
billion students in more than 190 countries. Education is a
human right, independently of any crisis and must therefore
be an important part of the response to the covid-19
pandemic. School closures have in many cases stripped
children of the opportunity to learn, a safe space and even
meals. For girls, the probability of early marriage and
early pregnancies has increased. Research also indicates
that education inequalities have increased, as schools
increasingly have needed to rely on distance education.
Access to internet, computers, TV and radios, or a quiet
room to study in, is not equal. Children with disabilities
are often affected harder than their peers.
COVID-19 has exacerbated further the difficulties faced by
those living in crisis-affected regions, where education is
one of the first to be impacted by violence and conflict.
Today more than ever, we must ensure that schools remain
safe places, free of conflict and violence and protected
from attack.
Education contributes to the maintenance of peace and
security, as it provides stability and hope for a better
future for children in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Several of our field missions support education as a part
of the comprehensive approach to security – and in Central
Asia the OSCE Academy delivers high quality higher
education to people of the region. The pandemic has also
shown us that education systems worldwide need to have the
tools and resources suitable for the 21st century. Bridging
the digital divide will however be a long-term endeavour.
Low-tech and no-tech solutions for distance learning will
continue to be important to ensure that the poorest and
most marginalised learners remain connected to the
education system.
The crisis should also be seen as an opportunity. Increased
competence in distance education and new digital solutions
may provide exciting opportunities also after the pandemic,
and our preparedness is increase should we experience a
similar crisis in the future.
Madame Chair,
As Participating States are focusing on the immediate
public health, economic and social welfare responses in
tackling the impact of the pandemic, it will be important
to ensure that learning continues in an equitable way. This
is a prerequisite for the long-term stability."
