New York, 6 August 2026 – The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG CAAC) welcomes the Government of Colombia's submission to her Office of a set of concrete political commitments under the global“Prove It Matters”campaign, marking the first time a Member State has translated its support for the campaign into action through a comprehensive package of specific national actions for children affected by armed conflict.
Launched by the SRSG-CAAC in March 2025, Prove It Matters is a global campaign calling on Member States, partners and children themselves to reaffirm the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and demonstrate, through tangible action, that the rights, protection and participation of children remain a global priority. At the heart of the campaign is a simple message: children have rights, children want peace, and it is time to prove it matters.
A landmark step in translating support for children's rights into measurable action
Colombia's commitments represent a significant milestone for the campaign and set an important example for other Member States. By outlining concrete measures across prevention, protection, education, participation, truth and memory, the Government has demonstrated how political support for children's rights can be transformed into practical action that improves the lives of children affected by conflict.
"One of the central objectives of Prove It Matters is to encourage meaningful action on behalf of children affected by armed conflict," said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Under-Secretary-General Vanessa Frazier. "Colombia has shown important leadership, first by championing the campaign and now by becoming the first country to articulate a comprehensive set of concrete commitments under it. These measures demonstrate how States can transform principles into practice and ensure that children's rights remain at the center of peace, protection, and recovery efforts."
Colombia's commitments focus on strengthening cooperation with the United Nations on child protection. The Government also pledged to continue implementing its Safe Schools Declaration National Action Plan and to develop the next plan for 2027-2030, while preventing civic-military activities involving children in and around schools, advancing measures to prevent the military use of schools and universities, and strengthening protection and reintegration efforts in conflict-affected communities. Colombia further pledged to advance truth, memory and non-repetition initiatives for children affected by armed conflict and to ensure the meaningful participation of children in decision-making processes, peacebuilding efforts and national policies affecting them, including through the Prove It Matters origami peace dove initiative.
The Prove It Matters campaign invites children around the world to create origami doves carrying messages of peace, hope, and solidarity. These doves are being collected globally and will be brought together in a large-scale art installation at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 15 February to 12 March in 2027, symbolizing a collective call for the protection of children and the realization of their rights.
As the campaign continues to grow through partnerships with Member States, UN entities, civil society organizations, educational institutions and children themselves, the Office of the Special Representative encourages other governments to follow Colombia's example by translating commitments into concrete action and demonstrating that the rights and voices of children truly matter.
For more information about the campaign, visit www.proveitmattersnow.com.