Statement by the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict

June 26, 2024 – New York, New York - Global Affairs Canada

Madam/Mister President,

I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict.^{Footnote 1}

We welcome today’s Open Debate convened by the Republic of Korea and thank the briefers for their remarks.

We express our deep appreciation for the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and her Office, UNICEF, the Department of Peace Operations, and all child protection actors from the UN and civil society.

Madam/Mister President,

The Group of Friends is gravely concerned by the scale and scope of grave violations against children presented in the Secretary-General’s annual report.

We are alarmed by the increase in grave violations against children in 2023. The total number of grave violations presented in the report is the highest number ever recorded by the United Nations.

The staggering increases of verified grave violations in some of the situations of concern included in the report are deeply troubling, and we are appalled by the devastating impact on children across all situations covered in the report.

We take note of the listing decisions in the annexes of the report, as well as the criteria for these decisions articulated by the Secretary-General.

The Group of Friends calls upon all parties listed in the annexes to immediately develop and implement action plans and other concrete, time-bound measures to enhance the protection of children in armed conflict.

Where such measures are already in place, we call for their full and effective implementation by listed parties.

Over time, the implementation of concrete and time-bound measures has reduced grave violations against children in many different situations of concern, and resulted in concrete, positive change in children’s lives.

This is a testament to the positive impact of this agenda when there is commitment to its implementation.

Madam/Mister President,

To strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict, the Group of Friends would like to make the following five recommendations:

First, we urge all parties to armed conflict to fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law, and with international norms and standards for the protection of children.  

Second, we call for full accountability for all grave violations through national and international justice mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court.

Third, we encourage all UN Member States to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and to consider endorsing and implementing practical child protection instruments, such as the Safe Schools Declaration, the Paris Principles and Commitments, and the Vancouver Principles.

Fourth, we stress the importance of adequate resourcing for child protection specialists and activities across UN mechanisms and operations. We call for greater support for the full and effective implementation of child protection mandates by UN peace operations, including in contexts where they may be in transition.

Fifth, we encourage Security Council members to systematically follow up on the conclusions adopted by the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We thank Malta for its efforts as Chair and we stand ready to support the Working Group in this effort.

To conclude, Madam/Mister President,

The Group of Friends would like to reiterate its commitment to the full implementation of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate and agenda, as well as our full support for the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism.

We call upon the Secretary-General and the Special Representative to continue to uphold the independence, impartiality, and credibility of the tools at their disposal to protect children in armed conflict.

The system we have built together to better protect children in armed conflict is strong. The Group of Friends stands ready to ensure it stays as robust as possible moving forward.

Thank you, Madam/Mister President.