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 61st Session of the Human Rights Council, Interactive Dialogue

Presentation of the Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to the Human Rights Council

 Mister/Madam President,

Distinguished Members of the Human Rights Council,

Dear Colleagues,

It is an honour to address the Human Rights Council for the first time in my capacity as Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and to present my annual report on the situation of children and armed conflict, covering the period from December 2024 to December 2025.

I do so at a crucial moment for my mandate. In 2026, we mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the mandate on children and armed conflict. For three decades, this mandate has served as a critical tool to protect children from the horrors of war, to engage with parties to conflict and foster compliance with International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, International Jurisprudence, and United Nations Security Council Resolutions on children and armed conflict. In 2024, for the third consecutive year, grave violations against children reached unprecedented levels. The United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations committed against 22,495 children, a 25 per cent increase compared to 2023. The most prevalent violations verified in 2024 were the killing and maiming of children, followed by the denial of humanitarian access, the recruitment and use, and the abduction of children.

While I cannot yet speak to the exact data from the upcoming Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, it is already apparent that the negative trend has not reversed in 2025 and that grave violations against children continued at shocking levels. From our data analysis so far, it looks like killing and maiming of children, the abduction of children, the denial of humanitarian access, and recruitment and use are particularly distressing. Meanwhile, rape and other forms of sexual violence remained chronically underreported. The situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan remained particularly grim.

Mister/Madam President,

At a time when violations are rising, resources are shrinking. The global decrease in humanitarian funding and the drawdown of United Nations peace operations have a direct impact on the implementation of the children and armed conflict agenda, with devastating consequences for children. Resource constraints and reduced child protection limit the ability of the United Nations to monitor, verify, and respond to grave violations against children. The effective functioning of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism requires sustained and adequate resources.

Despite the negative trends, sustained engagement with parties to the conflict has continued to yield tangible results, including the release of thousands of children from armed forces and armed groups. In Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Sudan, and Syria, the United Nations continued to engage with parties to the conflict to secure the release of children.

In Haiti, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, capacity-building initiatives supported national armed and security forces to prevent grave violations against children and to implement handover protocols for children associated with armed forces and armed groups.

In Ukraine, the Government extended the joint prevention plan with the United Nations until August 2026.

In Somalia, continued implementation of action plans and the 2019 road map led to the delisting of the Somali National Army and the Somali Police Force for recruitment and use of children. In addition, a new road map to strengthen child protection was recently signed by the Federal Government. In Iraq, the continued decrease in grave violations and the measures adopted by the Government to protect children, led to the removal of Iraq from the Secretary-General’s report. Similar preventive engagement resulted in the removal of Pakistan and the Philippines from the report.

Mister/Madam President,

The inherent right to life of every child is protected by International Human Rights Law. However, this fundamental right continues to be systematically violated and abused. Children are still being killed and maimed at alarmingly high rates, often due to indiscriminate attacks, crossfire between opposing sides, and the use of explosive ordnance and improvised explosive devices. In Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Ukraine, explosive ordnance has had a devastating and long-lasting impact on children. In some contexts, including the Gaza Strip and Sudan, children also died from starvation.

The urbanization of conflict, attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, and emerging technologies, including autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence, have further heightened children’s exposure to harm.

In this regard, political commitments such as the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas complement the existing legal framework by strengthening the protection of civilians, including children.

Beyond the immediate loss of life, children who survive incidents of maiming often suffer lifelong physical disabilities and profound psychological trauma, with lasting consequences for future generations.

Mister/Madam President,

Promoting and supporting behaviour change and accountability at the national level are central to the children and armed conflict mandate. Engaging with conflict parties, including through action plans, provides a strong framework for progress. To date, the United Nations has signed over 40 action plans with conflict parties and made hundreds of commitments to end and prevent grave violations against children.

Consistent engagement and advocacy with State actors have resulted in the partial or full criminalization of the six grave violations within domestic law, including in the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, the Philippines, and South Sudan.

Progress was made in various contexts, including in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Accountability is possible, even in complex conflict settings, when survivor-centered trauma-informed approaches are adopted by the criminal justice system. system, and sustained support and political will are present.

Mister/Madam President,

Regarding my engagement with the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, my Office provided information for 19 thematic and country resolutions, contributed to 5 universal periodic reviews, and worked closely with special procedures mandate-holders. We strengthened cooperation with treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and collaborated closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including on the report “Rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts.”

Furthermore, I am committed to continuing my partnership with regional organizations. I collaborated with the League of Arab States on addressing issues linked to online child exploitation and recruitment in armed conflict. I engaged with the African Union Commission leadership, including the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and I launched a one-year project on prevention and early warning. And I feel particularly encouraged by the recent appointment of the first African Union Special Envoy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict, with whom I will be honored to partner. Through my Europe Liaison Office, I also strengthened my engagement with the European Union through high-level meetings, awareness raising initiatives, briefings, and capacity-building activities to EU staff members at headquarters and field level as well as representatives of EU member states.

In response to emerging trends, my Office continued to provide guidance, build capacities, and raise awareness on the children and armed conflict agenda. In January 2025, my office launched a guidance note for teachers and educators, and in June 2025, a Guidance Note on the Denial of Humanitarian Access to Children.

In July 2025, my office facilitated the expansion of access to the Children and Armed Conflict Primer by translating the free online course into French and Arabic. In December 2025, the second edition of the advanced training was successfully concluded, reaching more than 574 participants.

In March 2025, my Office launched the advocacy campaign “Prove It Matters,” aimed at empowering children to advocate for their own rights while encouraging States to reaffirm their commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child through tangible actions. To date, more than 38 States, including six countries on the children and armed conflict agenda, have reaffirmed their commitment, and the Office has received over 1,000 origami doves with messages from children.

Mister/Madam President,

As we mark the 30th anniversary of the children and armed conflict mandate, my message is clear: The extent and seriousness of grave child rights violations are shocking and require urgent action. The tools are available. What I am calling for is political will, sufficient resources, and ongoing engagement.

I am concluding my report to the Human Rights Council with a call to action, quoting a child who contributed to our Prove it Matters Campaign: “There are approximately 2.4 billion children in the world.” Every single one of them has the right to grow up in safety. You must ensure that each of them can dream of a future and don’t have to fear war, hunger, or violence. Children’s rights must not only exist on paper; they must be implemented in every country. Now, not sometime in the future.

I am ending my statement with a call to the international community to prioritize the Children and Armed Conflict agenda, as it is the most effective tool to end and prevent human rights violations against children in armed conflict, but also firmly contributes to international peace and security.

 Thank you.