The Security Council today adopted a resolution highlighting the need for sustainable child protection capacities in United Nations peace operations and the importance of their smooth, responsible transfer to the Organization's country teams during mission transitions or withdrawals.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2764 (2024) (to be issued as document S/RES/2764(2024) ), the Council condemned all violations of applicable international law involving the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict, as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions and attacks against schools and hospitals.
The 15-member organ further called for "strengthened coordination" among key stakeholders to "ensure the continuity, effectiveness, and sustainability of child protection activities." These actors include the heads of UN peace operations, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Co-Chairs of the Country Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting, as well as relevant Governments and authorities.
The representative of Malta, the draft's author and Chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, noted that the text has gathered the support of more than 100 States. She emphasized that her country has placed the protection of children in armed conflict at the forefront of its agenda, noting that the resolution reaffirmed States' determination to address violations against children in conflict zones and recognized the need to sustain child protection capacities during UN mission transitions. Describing the text as "a call to action", she further underscored the critical need for the timely recruitment and deployment of Child Protection Advisers.
Ecuador's delegate, Vice-Chair of the Working Group, said that his country's joint leadership with Malta over the last two years has produced the adoption of nine consensus-based documents about children in Afghanistan, Colombia, Philippines, Iraq, Nigeria, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia and South Sudan. These conclusions stand as road maps to guide the action of States and the international community. She called on the Working Group to continue its efforts - together with the Special Representative, the monitoring and reporting mechanism, and UN personnel on the ground - in shedding light on grave violations against children.
Hailing the text's adoption, Sierra Leone's representative stressed that "more than 470 million children are affected by armed conflict globally" and that peace operations and other programmatic interventions play a critical role in protecting civilians and stabilizing the post-conflict situation. "It is in this spirit that we hope that this resolution will ensure the prioritization of child protection capacity and mechanisms in differentiated contexts of UN mission transitions," he added.
Expressing deep concern that grave violations against children "have risen to shocking levels in recent years", the United Kingdom's delegate called on the Council and the wider UN system to "do more to protect children who are uniquely vulnerable and often the primary victims of conflict". Welcoming the resolution's focus on the crucial role of dedicated Child Protection Advisers in UN missions, he called for greater coordination on child protection across the entire system, along with an effective monitoring and reporting mechanism.
The Russian Federation's delegate welcomed a "balanced and laconic resolution" that represented the Council's constructive approach towards unity on the important mandate - "which of late has regrettably been politicized". Voicing support for the African Union's efforts on promoting the child component in its peacekeeping operations, she called for renewing the request for Secretary-General António Guterres to ensure that information communicated regarding violations against children is accurate, objective and reliable.
The representative of the United States said that "this resolution serves as a poignant reminder of the urgency and necessity of strengthening the international community's child protection capacities". She emphasized the crucial need for those States named in the Secretary-General's annual children and armed conflict report to enter action plans with the Special Representative's office to address the concerns raised. Guyana's delegate stressed that the Council must use its tools to improve the protection of children. "We have seen examples of how increased child protection capacity in countries has led to improvements in the lives of the children," she observed, pointing to the negative impacts of abrupt UN mission closures on child protection. The adopted text provides critical details for coordination and smooth and responsible mission responsibilities during transitions, she added.
"They [children] embody the seeds of hope for better future," said Algeria's delegate, stressing that the adopted text constitutes an important step towards ensuring sustainable protection of children in armed conflict. The speaker for the Republic of Korea noted today's adoption demonstrates strong global commitment to strengthening the children and armed conflict framework developed over 25 years and represents a milestone in global efforts to bridge the gap in child protection capacities.
Japan's delegate emphasized the vital importance of education in post-conflict settings - a prerequisite for lasting, sustainable peace, that must be prioritized, as the resolution pointed out. He supported the text's call for dedicated child protection capacities and reintegration assistance to end and prevent violations.
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