A/HRC/43/63 education, including through the Education Cannot Wait fund. States must deliver the education commitments in the global compact on refugees, including through a needs-based global plan for refugee education, and implement the Safe Schools Declaration and the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. 29. During the interactive dialogue, representatives of France, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, and of the State of Palestine, as well as of Action of Human Movement, the Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace and the Reliable Future Social Initiatives Public Union, took the floor. Participants described barriers to and initiatives for safe access to education in armed conflicts and under occupation, especially for refugees and internally displaced children. Protracted crisis and occupation presented specific challenges around the world, including in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. Participants described relief work of international organizations, such as UNHCR and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and of official agencies and public foundations. One delegation asked panellists for optimal and durable solutions for education in emergencies, considering donor fatigue in protracted contexts. Some participants emphasized social and economic empowerment, especially of families and children that had been marginalized due to ethnicity or caste. 30. In response, Ms. Micha said that many signatories to the Safe Schools Declaration did not apply appropriate measures for the protection and non-military use of schools. Endorsing the Declaration and adopting sustainable political commitments were essential. Ms. Zulfiqar confirmed that appropriate quality education could help children recover from trauma and to reinstate hope. Evidence showed that children who felt safe learned better. Ms. Telford hoped that children’s passion for education would inspire the international community to act. The global compact for refugees provided guidance on supporting receiving countries and communities so that they could share the responsibility for durable solutions. Ms. Joyner emphasized the importance of investing in teachers so they could support learners, listening to learners and their communities, and of multi-stakeholder action to implement the Minimum Standards for Education. Ms. Nocum called for more infrastructure and resources for schools, curricula to teach relevant skills for employment, and empathy. In conflicts, counselling and therapy should be available to children. Education should empower, and help learners empower others’ lives. D. An education fit for the future: opening of day 2 31. In a video message, the Envoy of the Secretary-General on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake, stated that education was a birthright established in international law. Lack of access to quality education meant that children and youth could not exercise other rights. Universal education must become a reality, including by removing barriers for those most vulnerable or at risk of being left behind. Human rights education empowered youth to act and participate in democratic decision-making processes, and protected them from extremist ideologies. The United Nations Youth Strategy committed the United Nations system to substantially increase education commitments. Ms. Wickramanayake called for multi-stakeholder partnerships focused on revolutionizing education and making it accessible for all. 32. Vartan Melkonian, a guest conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and patron of the Consortium for Street Children, presented his experiences as a street child. He described multiple challenges that children in street situations faced: displacement, constant movement, lack of security and stability, living in constant fear, and experiencing pain and lack of love. He had a lifelong desire to attend school and never did. Mr. Melkonian urged all stakeholders to ensure education for all children, particularly those living in street situations. He called on all present to put aside political, religious and cultural differences and to invest in and prioritize street children and their education, which was crucial for future opportunities and development. 9