Signing of agreement between Government of Malta and United Nations on a virtual summer school on child protection and the prevention of grave violations against children in armed conflict

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo signed a grant agreement on a virtual summer school on child protection and the prevention of grave violations against children in armed conflict with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, during a virtual signing ceremony on Thursday, 8^thJuly 2021. The pilot phase of the virtual summer school on child protection and the prevention of grave violations against children in armed conflict, to be organised and offered in collaboration with the University of Malta, is scheduled for the summer of 2022, and aims to lay the groundwork for the establishment for a benchmark, state-of-the-art virtual summer school in Child Protection in Armed Conflict for individuals working in this field.

The Special Representative expressed her satisfaction for the collaborative and constructive discussions over several months leading to the signing of the agreement, and highlighted the international importance of this project towards increasing practical knowledge on how best to protect children in conflict zones. The Special Representative looked forward to closely cooperating with the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and the University of Malta in organising the virtual summer school.

Minister Bartolo emphasised that the signing marked yet another milestone in the relations between Malta and the United Nations. Malta is committed to safeguarding the rights of the child by mobilising the international community to prioritise child protection worldwide, and Children and Armed Conflict was in fact a priority theme for Malta’s term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the years 2023-2024. Minister Bartolo stated that he looked forward to this opportunity to support the United Nations in its sterling work in the area, and thanked the University of Malta, the representatives of which attended the signing ceremony, for their cooperation and contribution towards this initiative.

Photo: MFEA