By decision of the Director-General of UNESCO, and following a highly competitive international selection process, Dr. Sanaa Al Sarghali — UNESCO Chairholder for Human Rights, Democracy, and Peace and Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at An-Najah National University — has been appointed to UNESCO’s Expert Group on the Preventive Action Plan for the Protection of Education from Attacks (PEFA), representing the Arab Group.

Her appointment comes within the framework of one of the most significant global initiatives dedicated to safeguarding education in contexts of conflict and crisis, and to developing practical preventive strategies to address attacks targeting educational institutions and their personnel. The selection reflects strong international recognition of Dr. Al Sarghali’s academic expertise and longstanding contributions to human rights advocacy.

Dr. Al Sarghali previously served as the Arab Group’s representative to UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report for two years, where she played an active role in shaping international dialogue and policy on the right to education. In her address to UNESCO in Addis Ababa in 2024, she called for the development of a new international charter to protect scientists and academics, drawing attention to serious violations affecting educational institutions and scholars in Gaza and the West Bank.

An-Najah National University expressed pride in this distinguished achievement by a Palestinian scholar with a prominent international presence, affirming that her appointment underscores the important role of Palestinian and Arab expertise in influencing global policies on the protection of education and science. The University also acknowledged the efforts of the Palestinian National Commission, the Palestinian Mission to UNESCO, and the support of Arab states in advancing and securing this nomination.