25 March 2015
UN Security Council – Open debate: Children and armed conflict
SC/11832

Former Child Soldier Describes Forced Recruitment during Security Council Debate, Urges International Community to Aid Other Children Released by Armed Groups
7414th Meeting (AM)
UN Security Council
Citing ‘New and Grave’ Threats, Speakers Spotlight Strategies to Tackle Abuse, Chart Progress of Protection Campaigns

Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict: Statement Delivered by Leila Zerrougui
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict 25 Mar 2015
Statement delivered in French

At Security Council Debate on Children, Armed Conflict, Secretary General Says ‘Children of the World Should Be Students, Not Soldiers’
25 March 2015
SG/SM/16617-SC/11833
[Excerpts]
I thank the Permanent Representative of France for organizing this important and timely debate. The world’s children are increasingly under threat in theatres of war. Last year was considered one of the worst ever for children in areas affected by conflict.

An estimated 230 million children live in countries and areas where armed groups are fighting. Up to 15 million children were directly affected by the violence. The perpetrators of violations against children in armed conflict are increasingly diverse and brutal…

…Globally, in conflict situations, the main perpetrators of grave violations against children are armed groups. These groups constitute the vast majority of parties listed in the annexes of my annual report on children and armed conflict.

Since I last addressed the Council on this issue one year ago, hundreds of thousands more children have been confronted with the emergence or intensification of conflict, and have endured new and grave threats posed by armed groups. Sadly, this includes some of the worst human rights violations a child can experience — including death, injury, imprisonment and torture, sexual abuse, forced recruitment and abduction. There is rarely anyone to hear their protests or advocate for their rights.

The rise of violent extremism in conflict areas is particularly disturbing. The tactics of groups such as Da’esh and Boko Haram make little distinction between civilians and combatants. These groups not only constitute a threat to international peace and security, but often target girls and boys. No cause can justify such acts.

Children have the right to be protected in their schools, in their homes, in their communities. Increasingly, children are snatched from a normal life of school and family, abducted by armed groups and thrown into a life of violence and horror. From north-eastern Nigeria to Iraq, from South Sudan to Syria, we have witnessed a wave of such abductions used to terrorize and humiliate entire communities…

…We agree that we cannot tolerate a world in which children are killed and maimed, where they are abducted, subject to sexual violence, forced to become soldiers, and where schools and hospitals are attacked. That is why we engage not just with Governments, but also armed groups to stop grave violations against children. My Special Representative has worked with many such groups, and will work with more, to ensure we are doing our utmost to protect children in these most difficult environments.

The resolutions adopted by the Council over the past 16 years have built a solid framework and given us tools to better engage with Governments and non-State actors not only to end, but also to prevent, these violations.

We have seen concrete outcomes of our efforts that have translated into thousands of children now going to school instead of battle, and playing in fields instead of fighting on them. By protecting children, we contribute to building durable peace and to helping countries reach their full potential.

But, we must act collectively and expeditiously. I call on the international community to continue supporting this work and this mandate, and to always ensure that the children’s best interests are at the heart of any response we undertake.

Allow me to end on a positive note. I would like to take this opportunity to commend my Special Representative and UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] for their campaign “Children Not Soldiers”, which they launched a year ago to end the recruitment and use of children by Government forces by 2016….

The progress they have accomplished to date is encouraging. With the support of the United Nations, Chad completed all the requirements to make its army child-free. Six of the seven countries involved in the campaign are now engaged with the UN to end and prevent the recruitment of children in their security forces, and some of them are making commendable progress.

…The children of the world should be students, not soldiers. They deserve to grow up in communities that offer them safety and the chance to reach their full potential. These are fundament rights of all children — not aspirations. Member States have the obligation to take all necessary measures to fulfil them.