By Claudia Parsons

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - A symbol akin to the red cross should be created to protect schools, which are increasingly being targeted by politically motivated violence, the author of a U.N. education agency report said on Thursday.

"The rights of children to education are being denied by violence," UNESCO official Mark Richmond told reporters at U.N. headquarters after a panel discussion aimed at building support for recommendations in a UNESCO report "Education under Attack."

The report published by UNESCO earlier this year said there had been a dramatic increase in attacks on teachers, students and education facilities in the past three years. Among the worst-affected areas were Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Nepal, Thailand, Zimbabwe and the Palestinian territories.

Brendan O'Malley, the author of the report, said international human rights law and institutions were already in place to address attacks on education targets, but too often they were not used and impunity was the norm.

"If every time there is an attack there is no investigation, nobody is arrested and no one charged, people will give up hope that the violence will ever end," O'Malley said, pointing to the case of Iraq.

Since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, at least 280 academics have been killed, universities and schools have frequently been attacked by bombs and many education professionals have fled the country.

O'Malley called on the United Nations and member states to do more to end impunity, for example by supporting the International Criminal Court in bringing cases to trial.

He said in some cases around the world schools were targeted because they were viewed as symbols of a regime or because they were used by authorities for sectarian or propaganda purposes. He said it was vital to ensure education was perceived as neutral.

O'Malley said that just as churches and other religious buildings have been seen as places of sanctuary, schools could be internationally recognized as safe havens.

"One suggestion has been that we create a symbol rather like the red cross to denote recognition of this status." (Editing by Jackie Frank)

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