Children in a destroyed school, Ukraine. UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Welcomes New Security Council Resolution Peace and Security
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba welcomed the unanimous adoption on Friday of a new UN Security Council resolution dedicated to the protection of children in war zones and during post-conflict reconstruction.
The document was proposed by Malta and supported by 111 co-sponsors.
Protection mechanisms
This resolution, which is the 14th Security Council resolution dedicated to children and armed conflict, emphasizes the need for sustainable child protection and post-conflict reconstruction mechanisms.
“I would like to thank the members of the Security Council for their continued commitment to supporting children affected by armed conflict,” said Virginia Gamba. According to her, 2024 has been an extremely difficult year for children in war zones.
“Today’s resolution reaffirms the important role of child protection professionals in conflict zones and provides us with new tools to respond more effectively and quickly to their needs,” Gamba added.
Resolution 2764 also calls for strengthening child protection mechanisms in regional and subregional peacekeeping operations and reaffirms the important mission of the Special Representative, particularly in facilitating cooperation and dialogue among UN partners. In addition, the document highlights the role of all UN entities in ensuring the protection of children in armed conflict and the importance of delegating key child protection responsibilities to UN teams on the ground during transition periods.
Record number of violations
According to the UN Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict, the number of recorded grave violations of children’s rights in 2023 reached an alarming level of 32,990 cases. Preliminary data for 2024 point to an even more tragic situation, with all-time highs likely to be reached.
“The adoption of this resolution sends a strong signal that, despite all the challenges, we must continue to work together and achieve unity to ensure that our actions truly benefit those we represent and who need it most – children,” the Special Representative stressed.