Sierra Leone’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, H.E. Samuel U.B. Saffa, Esq., has been re-elected by acclamation to lead a key United Nations intergovernmental working group focused on expanding children’s right to free public education.
Member States on Wednesday reaffirmed Ambassador Saffa’s leadership of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group, which is tasked with developing a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on free public preschool and secondary education.
Introducing Ambassador Saffa, Ambassador Ivan Emilio de Jesús Ogando Lora, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic and Coordinator of the Core Group, praised his “profound wealth of legal and administrative experience,” particularly his longstanding work in children’s education and rights.
Ambassador Ogando Lora also highlighted Saffa’s leadership qualities, describing his approach as transparent, inclusive and efficient qualities that Member States endorsed through the unanimous acclamation.
The Working Group is currently holding its second session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, where delegates are advancing discussions towards the preparation of the first draft of the proposed Optional Protocol.
A notable moment came when Ambassador Saffa’s daughter, Cathuel Saffa, delivered Sierra Leone’s national statement during the proceedings.
In her statement, Cathuel acknowledged the leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, while highlighting Sierra Leone’s flagship Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme as an important national initiative that has gained international relevance through the UN process.
Ambassador Saffa’s re-election places Sierra Leone at the centre of ongoing international efforts to strengthen the legal framework protecting children’s access to quality and affordable education.
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