Sierra Leone’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Samuel U.B. Saffa Esq., is set to chair a major UN working group session examining a possible new global agreement to strengthen children’s right to education.
The three-day meeting, scheduled for 31 August to 2 September 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, will bring together governments, experts, civil society organisations and child advocates from around the world.
The discussions will focus on a proposed Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which seeks to explicitly recognise early childhood care and education as part of the right to education, while requiring States to make public pre-primary and public secondary education free for all children.
The initiative is being advanced by an open-ended intergovernmental working group established by the UN Human Rights Council.
As Chair-Rapporteur, Ambassador Saffa will oversee discussions on four key areas: the scope and objectives of the proposed protocol, substantive obligations, implementation and monitoring, and possible working methods for a future drafting phase.
A major feature of the session will be the direct participation of children. Child advocates from all geographic regions will present perspectives gathered through regional consultations and contribute to discussions on the draft principles.
The session will also feature remarks from UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Awa Dabo, Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Sophie Kiladze, and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education Farida Shaheed.
The outcome of the Geneva discussions is expected to inform future deliberations by the UN Human Rights Council on strengthening access to quality education from early childhood through secondary school.
The public meetings will be webcast live in the six official UN languages.
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