In 2023, United by schools reached a new milestone in its international commitment by organizing the fourth session of the Committee on School Climates at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva.
This edition aimed to bring to life the International Convention for the Improvement of School Climates, adopted in two readings during previous sessions, by proposing its conversion into an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The association highlighted that the term “school” does not appear in the original text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, even though school is the central place where these rights must be guaranteed, transmitted, and upheld.
In the presence of international associations and nearly 50 French students, participants adopted a draft Optional Protocol, inspired by a manifesto written by young people themselves and grounded in the principles of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The event also featured a ceremony honoring victims of school bullying, held in the gardens of the Palais des Nations, at the foot of “Famille” (1979), the sculpture by Edwina Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill.
A universal symbol of childhood and parenthood, the work — also installed in New York, Geneva, and Vienna — served as a poignant reminder of the humanitarian spirit behind the association’s work.
Finally, the Committee proposed that United Nations Member States recognize April 18 as the International Day of School Climates, dedicated to promoting kindness, safety, and respect in all educational environments.