HH Sheikha Moza speaks on central role of education in the Millennium Development Goals at special event of the MDG summit

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser gave the opening speech at a special side event of the Millennium Development Goals summit focusing on the central role of education in the MDGs and organised jointly by Qatar, UNICEF, UNESCO and Save the Children. 

At the session, attended by high level government officials and senior representatives from NGOs and UN agencies, including the Director General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, Her Highness stressed the importance of education in the achievement of all the MDGs but also highlighted the issue of education under attack in which she has a particular interest.

"There can be no peace and prosperity without education. Conflicts are a major threat to human security and to hard-won MDG goals," she said. "Countries that have lost educational infrastructure as a result of war are less likely to reach the Education for All goals for 2015."

Her Highness noted that two of the Millennium Development Goals could be met by 2015 if the same countries who spend billions of dollars a year on arms would spend that money putting every child through school and reducing child mortality. 

In concluding her speech, Her Highness stated that access alone is not enough but efforts must be made to ensure there is access to quality education, "We have to make sure that the best possible education is offered which will serve as a foundation for the future.  And we have to protect students, schools and educators... We have to protect our civilization."

The other two key note speakers, His Excellency Dr Waheed Hassan, Vice President of the Maldives and Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd also made strong cases for the central role of education in the achievement of the MDGs.