On 9 June, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell held a phone call with Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The call focused on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children, the critical situation of children in Syria as well as the need to prioritise joint efforts on education.

In view of the 4th Brussels Conference on the future of Syria and the region on 30 June 2020, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell underlined the EU’s commitment to continue working with UNICEF to promote the rights of the child in Syria and its neighbouring countries, including access to education. The High Representative/Vice-President and the Executive Director discussed the plight of children in refugee camps and the risk of these children becoming a lost generation. High Representative/Vice-President Borrell invited UNICEF’s Executive Director Fore to participate in the 4th Brussels Conference.

The European Union will continue its close cooperation with UNICEF, working side by side to promote and protect children’s rights and to make a difference for children trapped by conflict, poverty and exclusion around the world. High Representative/Vice-President Borrell and Executive Director Fore agreed to work together to promote the education of children, including digital learning as a priority. In the words of High Representative/Vice-President Borrell, “school is the most important equality producer in the world”.

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Press release