New York, 1 December 2025 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mrs Vanessa Frazier, stressed the key collaboration between her Office and the African Union on ending and preventing grave violations against children across the continent.
During her first official trip since her appointment in October, the Special Representative visited Addis Ababa on 27 and 28 November to engage with the African Union and other regional partners.
“Protecting children affected by conflict is a joint African Union-United Nations priority. I am encouraged by my engagements in Addis Ababa and look forward to enhancing the partnership with the African Union and other regional actors on this important dossier”, the Special Representative emphasised.
During her visit, Special Representative Frazier met with the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the Head of the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the African Union, Ambassador Jiang Feng, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, and the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa.
Separately, the Special Representative also met with the Minister of Women and Social Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr Ergoge Tesfaye and with the Director of International Organisations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Lemlem Fiseha. The discussions highlighted the important efforts undertaken by the Government of Ethiopia to advance child rights and child protection and exchanged views on shared priorities and opportunities to further strengthen cooperation.
At an event hosted by Belgium, the Special Representative met with members of the diplomatic corps and supporters of the Africa Platform on Children Affected by Armed Conflicts. The Platform, co-chaired by the Republic of Uganda and the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, was created to drive and sustain advocacy at the political level for the protection of children in conflict situations in Africa.
The Special Representative commended the African Union and regional partners for their unwavering commitment to strengthening the protection of children in situations of armed conflict and to mainstreaming child protection in continental peace and security efforts. She highlighted that children and armed conflict must be at the centre of the African Union-United Nations partnership in peace and security, development and human rights.
“We are guided by the shared vision that every child in Africa deserves to be protected from conflict and enjoy a childhood in peace and dignity. I look forward to working closely with the African Union, African Union Member States and partners to make this vision a reality”.
With generous support from the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund, the Office of the Special Representative, working closely with the African Union Commission, has been able to significantly enhance its work on the strengthening of regional partnerships and is currently implementing the second iteration of a regional project, along the priority areas of early warning and prevention.
