“Protect me from violence.1” This plea, voiced by a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, echoes the suffering of thousands of children affected by armed conflict worldwide in 2025.
A new report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to the Human Rights Council reveals that multidimensional conflicts, the emergence of new armed actors, and the use of new technologies continued to severely undermine the protection of children. For the third consecutive year, grave violations against children reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with similarly alarming patterns persisting throughout 2025. At the same time, the global decrease in humanitarian funding has negatively affected child protection and reduced the United Nations’ capacity to verify and respond to grave violations.
“Each grave violation against children is a son, a daughter, a niece, a grandson, stripped of a fundamental right,” said Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. “Children must never be targeted or abused. I call on all parties to conflict to comply with international law to ensure that all children’s rights are protected.”
The report documents continued patterns of grave violations in 2025, including killing and maiming, recruitment and use, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access. Humanitarian access to children has been severely restricted, with devastating consequences for millions of children, particularly in Haiti, Myanmar, the Sudan, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. To support the monitoring and reporting of the denial of humanitarian access, the Office of the Special Representative, in cooperation with UNICEF and in consultation with the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), developed a guidance note in June 2025 addressing this grave violation.
In 2024, the killing and maiming remained among the most prevalent violations. Children were killed and maimed by explosive weapons, but also died from starvation, including in the Gaza Strip and in the Sudan. Maiming incidents frequently resulted in severe and lifelong physical impairments. Attacks on schools and hospitals further exposed children to harm and heightened their vulnerability. The growing use of explosive weapons, emerging technologies, and the involvement of private military and security companies have further complicated efforts to protect children in armed conflict.
“I am deeply alarmed by the continued rise in the killing and maiming of children, including by explosive weapons,” said Vanessa Frazier. “I urge States to ratify and implement international legal instruments related to these weapons, including anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions, to endorse the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas and to commit to the clearance of explosive remnants of war, risk education programmes for children, victim assistance and stockpile destruction.”
Progress for children as we approach the 30th anniversary of the CAAC mandate
As we approach the 30th anniversary of the CAAC mandate, the report also highlights progress achieved through sustained United Nations engagement with parties to conflict.
Positive developments were recorded in contexts, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and Ukraine. These advances include the release and reintegration of children, the adoption of protocols for the handover of children associated with armed forces to civilian actors, and the issuance of military orders ending the military use of schools and hospitals.
The Office of the Special Representative continued to strengthen child protection through advocacy and collaboration with civil society, academia, and training institutions. New and strengthened partnerships emerged through the Prove It Matters campaign. In addition, cooperation was reinforced with regional organisations, such as the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
The Special Representative also maintained close engagement with United Nations entities, including Human Rights treaty bodies, particularly the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Despite these efforts, the Special Representative expressed grave concern about the scale and severity of grave violations committed against children in armed conflict. She urges States to fully implement international and regional legal instruments, including the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, and to endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration as well as the Paris and the Vancouver Principles.
“As we approach the 30th anniversary of the CAAC mandate, we must be resolute in changing the reality for children affected by armed conflict,” insisted Vanessa Frazier. “Protecting children’s rights requires renewed determination and collective action.”
[1] These words from a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are addressed to world leaders and were shared with us through the Prove It Matters campaign.
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For more information:
Fabienne Vinet, Political Affairs Officer / Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: vinet@un.org
