Statement by Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative Richard Arbeiter at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict

19 July 2022 – UN Security Council

AS DELIVERED

I will now make brief remarks in my national capacity.

Today, there are over 40 million children displaced around the world as a result of conflict and violence.

This figure is higher than the entire population of my country, Canada. It is more than the total population of more than 157 UN Member States.

One child displaced by war is one too many. More than 40 million children displaced is a catastrophe. And this catastrophe is man-made.

While this is thematic issue and debate in the Council, violations take place in states where governments and other actors have obligations.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban are brazenly cracking down on girls’ rights, including their right to education. Last year, more Afghan boys were killed and maimed than in any other country in the world.

In Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin regions, we are seeing the sharpest rise in grave violations committed against girls.

In Syria, the Assad regime continues its assault on children, bombing schools and hospitals, and recruiting children into the ranks of its forces.

We are concerned with the decision to shift the Syrian government in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report.

This decision should only have been taken on the basis of a significant decrease in grave violations and the fulfillment of concrete and time-bound commitments.

According to the Secretary-General’s own report, the Syrian government has accomplished neither. This a worrying precedent.

In Ukraine, Russian forces have killed and maimed children. Intentional attacks on schools and hospitals can be proved on a large scale. Russia has detained and forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children. Rape and sexual violence against Ukrainian boys and girls is widespread.

These are not Canadian assertions. They are facts substantiated by the UN, the OSCE, and independent organizations.

The designation of Ukraine as a situation of concern in the Secretary-General’s report is a welcome step, as is the inclusion of Ethiopia and Mozambique in the same manner. We applaud the Secretary-General’s initiative.

In these three situations and all others, we urge the Secretary-General to ensure that the verification of information on grave violations against children leads to accurate, credible, and transparent listing decisions.

This is critical to changing behaviour and holding parties to conflict accountable.

Allow me to make three points to conclude:

First, we hear the calls for more resources for child protection. There is no substitute for dedicated expertise. And we know that the demands on the system are greater than ever before. Canada is committed to advocating for these resources, to ensure that the UN has what it needs to do this important work.

Second, it is encouraging to see the growing number of countries endorse key instruments to protect children, namely the Vancouver Principles, the Safe Schools Declaration, and the Paris Principles.

Third, and finally: for years, Canada and many other Member States have requested the Secretary-General to release this report earlier in advance of the annual Open Debate at the Council.

This is an important report, with significant decisions that can impact bilateral and multilateral policies. All Member States, regardless of their status, should have more time to consider and review its contents.

Thank you.