A/HRC/34/30
7.
Impact on the right to education and the right to participate in cultural life
44.
The enjoyment of the right to education in Nigeria has been impacted significantly
by internal displacement resulting from attacks by Boko Haram. Displaced children have
been unable to access education, while those who have remained in their communities often
receive poor quality education owing to insecurity, the lack of teachers — as many have
fled — and the destruction of schools. 72 Several cases of attacks against girls accessing
education have highlighted the fragile nature of achievements in increasing the
accessibility, availability, adaptability, acceptability and quality of education for all. These
events include the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria;
the killing of more than 100 children in an attack by the Taliban at an army school in
Peshawar, Pakistan; the shooting of education activist, Malala Yousafzai, by members of
the Taliban in Pakistan; the reported forced removal of girls from schools in Somalia to
become “wives” of Al-Shabaab fighters; the abduction and rape of girls at a Christian
school in India; as well as several incidents of poisoning and acid attacks against
schoolgirls in Afghanistan.73 One contribution to the report noted that, in Afghanistan, the
Taliban had closed or burned some 245 schools in two Afghan provinces in 2015 and that
25 schoolteachers and students had been killed by anti-government elements.74
45.
The negative impact of terrorism on cultural life is evident from the attacks carried
out by Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaida, Ansar Eddine, ISIL and the Taliban against artists and
citizens attending cultural events, cinemas, concerts or theatres. One contribution to the
report noted that artists and citizens in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Somalia
and Syrian Arab Republic have been particularly severely affected by attacks committed in
the name of religion, while the attacks in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Sweden
have led to fear, self-censorship and financial loss for artists and cultural industries. 75
46.
With regard to censorship by States, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural
rights noted that, in some countries, artistic expressions criticizing the Government had
been labelled as “terrorism”. She expressed concern that many artists had been
disproportionately sentenced under charges of criminal offences such as “terrorism”,
“extremism” or “hooliganism”.76
47.
At a more general level, the reallocation of State resources towards counterterrorism measures can also have negative consequences on the right to education, for
example, when allocations are drawn away from programmes in the education sector. 77
B.
Ensuring respect for the human rights of victims
48.
In its 2016 review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the
General Assembly deeply deplored the suffering caused by terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations to the victims and to their families. It expressed its profound solidarity with
them and encouraged Member States to provide them with proper support and assistance
while taking into account, inter alia, when appropriate, considerations regarding
remembrance, dignity, respect, justice and truth, in accordance with international law. 78 In
their contributions to the present report, several States referred to the human rights of
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
See A/HRC/30/67, para. 9.
See http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/Report_attacks_on_girls_Feb2015.pdf.
See contribution from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
See contribution from Freemuse.
See A/HRC/23/34, paras. 31 and 46.
See A/HRC/12/22, para. 45.
See General Assembly resolution 70/291, para. 24.
13
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