2023 marked a diplomatic and educational turning point for United by schools.
The association expanded its work in Geneva through the fourth session of the Committee on School Climates, which proposed complementing the Convention for the Improvement of School Climates with a draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically dedicated to school climates. This initiative aimed to fill a legal gap by explicitly integrating the concept of “school” into the core human rights instruments protecting children.
A moving ceremony was also held in the gardens of the Palais des Nations at the United Nations Office in Geneva, paying tribute to the victims of school bullying.
At the national level, United by schools engaged in active dialogue with French institutions, including the State Secretariat for Children and the Parliamentary Delegation for Children’s Rights, while also participating in France’s review by UN experts.
The association also launched a human rights education program for students, aimed at training young human rights defenders capable of advocacy and civic leadership.
The year concluded with a tangible success on the ground: the inauguration of the first fully implemented color-coded playground, recognized by APEL for its positive impact on school life.
Thus, 2023 illustrated the maturity of an association now active both in the field and on the diplomatic stage, working tirelessly to make schools universal spaces of respect, justice, and humanity.