OIDEL actively participated in the second session of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group (OE-IGWG) on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) concerning pre-primary and secondary education, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 31 August to 2 September 2026.
Together with the Permanent Missions of Chile, Argentina and Paraguay, OIDEL co-sponsored a side event on the margins of the 62nd Session of the Human Rights Council entitled “Education Systems Advancing the Aims of Education under the CRC Optional Protocol.” The event was held in preparation for the next round of negotiations on the draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, scheduled for September.
OIDEL is proud to actively contribute – together with other entities as the Institute for Education Policy de la Johns Hopkins University (EE. UU.) – to the international initiative advancing the Guiding Principles of Educational Pluralism.
On Friday and Saturday, OIDEL participated in the Apel National Congress in Nancy (France), which brought together more than 1,000 participants from across the country under the theme “My freedom is your freedom.”
Last week, OIDEL participated in the National Meeting of the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA), held in Philadelphia, represented by its Director, Ignasi Grau Callizo.
Twice a year, OIDEL participates in the General Assembly of the European Committee of Catholic Education. In April, the meeting brought together leaders of Catholic education from across Europe, including representatives from Germany, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania, Malta, UK, Ireland and several other countries.
Dublin (Ireland), 7th of May |OIDEL and the Catholic Education Partnership convened a high-level conference at Leinster House – seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland – under the title “Freedom of Education – The Irish Case.” The event brought together an important political representation, including 25 senators and four ministers, academics and international experts, to reflect on Ireland’s educational model and the future of educational pluralism in Europe and beyond.
Maynooth (Ireland), 6 May 2026 | OIDEL held last week in Saint Patrick’s College, Ireland, its 56th Executive Committee Meeting and 40th General Assembly, two key gatherings aimed at defining the organization’s strategic priorities for the coming years.
Within the framework of our 40th anniversary, we present this collective work, initiated by Alfred Fernandez in 2018 and brought to completion by collaborators and academics, which seeks to capture Alfred’s thinking on the right to education.
Geneva, 17th March | During the Human Rights Council session, OIDEL welcomed the report of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues and emphasized the importance of addressing the subtle ways in which minorities may be affected by public policies.