India at UN seeks accountability for attacks on schools in conflict

Unitednations,UPDATED: Jun 26, 2026 06:48 IST

India has called for those targeting schools and children in conflict to be held accountable, saying protection without accountability is incomplete. Speaking at a UN Security Council open debate on strengthening the prevention of and protection of education for children affected by armed conflict, India said education must remain protected even during war.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said, "Education is a right that should endure in times of conflict. It is a right whose fulfilment is among the most powerful contributions to lasting peace. India remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting children in armed conflict and to upholding their right to learn, to grow, and to realise their full potential."

Addressing the debate at the United Nations on Wednesday, Parvathaneni stressed that, "protection without accountability is incomplete. Those who target schools and children with impunity must be held to account." India also pointed to the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, which it said presented alarming statistics, including a 44 per cent rise in attacks on schools in a single year.

The Secretary-General’s latest report said violations against children in armed conflict reached "shocking levels" in 2025, with an unprecedented number of children affected. The United Nations verified 38,558 grave violations affecting 24,174 children in 2025, including 15,493 boys, 7,990 girls and 691 whose sex was unknown. The number of children subjected to multiple grave violations rose from 3,137 in 2024 to 3,176 in 2025.

The report said parties to conflict failed to uphold, or actively undermined, their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and continued to commit grave violations with near-total impunity. It added that government forces were responsible for a majority of grave violations and were the main perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.

Parvathaneni said nearly 473 million children, or more than one in six globally, live in or are fleeing conflict zones, and more than 85 million among them have no access to education. "These figures are a damning verdict on humanity’s collective failure to translate commitments into reality on the ground," he said. He added that protecting a child’s education meant protecting a nation’s future, and that governments bear the primary responsibility to protect and promote children’s rights.

He said the Right to Education in India is a fundamental right under the Constitution, guaranteeing free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years. To expand access to quality education, he said, India launched DIKSHA, the national digital platform for school education, which has widened access to learning through interactive content and AI-powered tools in multiple languages. He added that India’s domestic efforts to ensure affordable and quality education also shape its international engagement on the issue.

Parvathaneni said India has used digital technology as an important tool to support access to education, especially where physical schooling is disrupted, including during the Covid pandemic. "Our experience has convinced us that access to digital learning can be the bridge that helps children access education during conflicts," he said.

He also said investment in education for those bearing the heaviest burden of war is essential. "India has made sustained investments in facilitating education for refugees and displaced communities from across our neighbourhood, recognising that continuity of learning is among the most powerful tools for resilience and recovery." He added that India has also invested in rebuilding education infrastructure, including schools and vocational training centres, in different countries, including in its neighbourhood.

India’s intervention at the UN brought together its call for accountability, concern over rising attacks on schools, and its emphasis on education as a right that must be protected for children affected by armed conflict.

With PTI Inputs

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