The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC) welcomes the resolution on the peace process adopted by the Security Council on 10 March 2020 (SCR 2513) and calls for the inclusion of child protection and the specific needs and rights of children in the intra-Afghan negotiations throughout the peace process, a crucial consideration to bring sustainable peace in the country.

Afghanistan remains the deadliest conflict for children and the Special Representative welcomes the recent engagement and efforts of parties in the country toward achieving sustainable peace and emphasizes the need to end the conflict.

“The inclusion of measures to protect children at the earliest stages possible of the intra-Afghan negotiations has a strategic value for sustainable peace and stability, and the potential to improve the lives of millions of children in Afghanistan,” said Virginia Gamba.

The Practical guidance for mediators to protect children in situations of armed conflict was presented last month to the UN Security Council by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres. It is based on concrete examples of situations in which child protection elements were successfully integrated into peace processes and peace agreements and gives concrete tools to mediators to integrate such considerations at the early stages of the negotiations.

“Children in Afghanistan have been used and abused by parties to conflict for years, victims of grave violations such as the recruitment and use, sexual violence, killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals. Boys and girls below the age of 18 years should be at the heart of peacebuilding efforts and included in protection and prevention strategies supporting the country’s transition toward sustainable peace,” she said.

The Special Representative reiterates the commitment of her Office to support all parties engaged in the peace process in Afghanistan in this regard.

###

For additional information, please contact:

Fabienne Vinet, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
+1-212-963-5986 (office) / +1-917-288-5791 (mobile) / vinet@un.org

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook:
www.twitter.com/childreninwar
www.facebook.com/childrenandarmedconflict