"Education is not a privilege, it is a human right".

To focus on this crucial subject, the African Union and the European Union co-organised an additional event at the Human Rights Council. The event was organised to highlight the requirement to overcome the digital divides and to make sure that everywhere & everyone can acquire the digital transformation's benefits.

The event was chaired by the Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the UN Human Rights Office Peggy Hicks. The focus of the event was on the accomplishment of the right to education and to ensure access to inclusive and quality education globally, especially on analysing challenges and opportunities. It also focused on the role of domestic organisations, to discuss the exclusion of girls and women and/ or persons with special needs through educational technologies and also to strengthen the digital competencies.

Both the organisations restated their dedication to promote and protect the right to education jointly.

Though the pandemic has expedited the digital transformation of education, benefitting millions of children and youth through the access of education during lockdowns, it has also aggravated the digital divides worldwide. As per the research by ITU and UNICEF, 87% of children and youth have a home internet connection in high-income countries whereas only 06% possess the same in low-income countries.

The digital gap in education also had a dissipated impact on the most disadvantaged sections and had adverse effects on gender equality. The girl section, more than boys, have been deprived of remote learning due to the less access to the mobile technology and internet services.

The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Ambassador Bankole Adeoye said, "The AU is committed to the promotion and protection of all Human Rights, particularly the right to education which is in great need for the African continent".

A rights-based approach has been adopted by the AU for its development agenda and it has also put focal place to the Right to Development. Ambassador Adeoye further emphasized "how the right to education worldwide through digitalization is critical especially for a continent with a very young population trying to build from the bottom up". The AU places importance on the right to education as a crucial element of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063, assuming that access to information on the internet grant chances for inclusive and affordable education worldwide.

Source: eeas.europa.eu