Security Council resolution 2225 (2015) [on children and armed conflict]
Symbol: S/RES/2225 (2015)
Date: 2015-06-18
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/70 [187] CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS
Subjects: UN. Children, Not Soldiers Campaign|UN. Security Council. Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict|CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS|RIGHTS OF THE CHILD|CHILD SOLDIERS|CHILD SAFETY|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ANGOLA
vote: yes
country: CHAD
vote: yes
country: CHILE
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JORDAN
vote: yes
country: LITHUANIA
vote: yes
country: MALAYSIA
vote: yes
country: NEW ZEALAND
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SPAIN
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF)
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                     S/RES/2225 (2015)
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General
                                                                                18 June 2015




               Resolution 2225 (2015)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7466th meeting, on
               18 June 2015

                    The Security Council,
                     Reaffirming its resolutions 1261 (1999) of 25 August 1999, 1314 (2000) of
               11 August 2000, 1379 (2001) or 20 November 2001, 1460 (2003) of 30 January
               2003, 1539 (2004) of 22 April 2004, 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, 1882 (2009) of
               4 August 2009, 1998 (2011) of 12 July 2011, 2068 (2012) of 19 September 2012,
               2143 (2014) of 7 March 2014, and all relevant Statements of its President, which
               contribute to a comprehensive framework for addressing the protection of children
               affected by armed conflict,
                    Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international
               peace and security and, in this connection, its commitment to address the
               widespread impact of armed conflict on children,
                     Acknowledging that its resolutions, their implementation and the Statements of
               its President on children and armed conflict as well as the conclusions of the
               Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict have generated
               progress in preventing and responding to violations and abuses committed against
               children, in particular in the demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration of
               thousands of children, the signing of action plans between parties to armed conflict
               and the delisting of parties to conflict from the Annexes to the Secretary -General’s
               annual report,
                    Remaining however deeply concerned over the lack of progress on the ground
               in some situations of concern, where parties to conflict continue to violate with
               impunity the relevant provisions of applicable international law relating to the rights
               and protection of children in armed conflict,
                    Recalling that all parties to armed conflict must comply strictly with the
               obligations applicable to them under international law for the protection of children
               in armed conflict, including those contained in the Convention on the Rights of the
               Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children in armed conflict, as
               well as the Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949 and the Additional Protocols
               of 1977,
                    Convinced that the protection of children in armed conflict should be an
               important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict and build peace

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               and stressing also the importance of adopting a broad strategy of conflict
               prevention, which addresses the root causes of armed conflict in a comprehe nsive
               manner in order to enhance the protection of children on a long -term basis,
                     Stressing the primary role of Governments in providing protection and relief to
               all children affected by armed conflict and recognizing the importance of
               strengthening national capacities in this regard,
                    Reiterating that all action undertaken by United Nations entities within the
               framework of the monitoring and reporting mechanism must be designed to support
               and supplement, as appropriate, the protection and rehabilitation roles of national
               Governments,
                    Recognizing also the important roles that local leaders and civil society
               networks can play in enhancing community-level protection and rehabilitation,
               including non-stigmatization, for children affected by armed conflict,
                     Recalling the responsibility of all Member States to comply with their
               respective obligations to end impunity and to investigate and prosecute those
               responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other egregious
               crimes perpetrated against children and noting that the fight against impunity for the
               most serious crimes of international concern committed against children has been
               strengthened through the work on and prosecution of these crimes by the
               International Criminal Court, ad hoc and mixed tribunals and specialized chambers
               in national tribunals,
                     Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 8 June 2015
               (S/2015/409) and stressing that the present resolution does not seek to make any
               legal determination as to whether situations which are referred to in the Secretary-General’s report are or are not armed conflicts within the context of the Geneva
               Conventions and the Additional Protocols thereto, nor does it prejudge the legal
               status of the non-State parties involved in these situations,
                     Expressing grave concern over the abduction of children in situations of armed
               conflict, the majority of which are perpetrated by non -State armed groups,
               recognizing that abductions occur in a variety of settings, including schools, further
               recognizing that abduction often precedes or follows other abuses and violations of
               applicable international law against children, including those involving recruitment
               and use, killing and maiming, as well as rape and other forms of sexual violence,
               which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity, and calling on all
               Member States to hold perpetrators of abductions accountable,
                     Gravely concerned by the human rights abuses and violations of international
               humanitarian law committed by non-state armed groups, in particular violent
               extremist groups, including mass abductions, rape and other forms of sexual
               violence such as sexual slavery, particularly targeting girls, which can cause
               displacement and affect access to education and healthcare services, a nd
               emphasizing the importance of accountability for such abuses and violations,
                     Noting that Article 35 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child calls for
               States Parties to take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to
               prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any
               form,




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                 Gravely concerned by the detrimental effects of the illicit transfer,
           destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons on children
           in armed conflict, in particular due to recruitment and use of children by parties to
           armed conflict, as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other
           sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals in violation of
           international law,
                 Stressing that the best interests of the child as well as the specific needs and
           vulnerabilities of children should be considered when planning and carrying out
           actions concerning children in situations of armed conflict,
                 Recalling the obligations of all parties to armed conflict applicable to them
           under international humanitarian law and human rights law, emphasizing that no
           child should be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily and calling on
           all Parties to conflict to cease unlawful or arbitrary detention as well as torture or
           other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment imposed on children
           during their detention,
                 Recognizing the importance of providing timely and appropriate reintegration
           and rehabilitation assistance to children affected by armed conflict, while ensuring
           that the specific needs of girls as well as children with disabilities are addressed,
           including access to health care, psychosocial support, and education programmes
           that contribute to the well-being of children and to sustainable peace and security,
                Calling on all parties to conflict to respect the civilian character of schools as
           such in accordance with international humanitarian law,
                 1.    Strongly condemns 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, attacks against schools and hospitals as well as denial of humanitarian
           access by parties to armed conflict and all other violations of international law,
           including international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law,
           committed against children in situations of armed conflict and demands that all
           relevant parties immediately put an end to such practices and take special measures
           to protect children;
                 2.   Reaffirms that the monitoring and reporting mechanism will continue to
           be implemented in situations listed in annex I and annex II (“the annexes”) to the
           reports of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, in line with the
           principles set out in paragraph 2 of its resolution 1612 (2005), and that its
           establishment and implementation shall not prejudge or imply a decision by the
           Security Council as to whether or not to include a situation on its agenda;
                3.    Recalls paragraph 16 of its resolution 1379 (2001) and requests the
           Secretary-General also to include in the annexes to his reports on children and
           armed conflict those parties to armed conflict that engage, in contravention of
           applicable international law, in patterns of abduction of children in situa tions of
           armed conflict, bearing in mind all other violations and abuses against children, and
           notes that the present paragraph will apply to situations in accordance with the
           conditions set out in paragraph 16 of its resolution 1379 (2001);
                 4.   Calls upon those parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s
           report on children and armed conflict that commit violations and abuses against
           children in contravention of applicable international law, including abductions of



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               children in situations of armed conflict, to prepare and adopt without delay, concrete
               time-bound action plans to halt those violations and abuses in collaboration with the
               United Nations;
                     5.    Urges for the immediate, safe and unconditional release of abducted
               children by all Parties to conflict and encourages Member States, United Nations
               entities, and regional and sub-regional organizations to undertake relevant efforts to
               obtain the safe release of abducted children, including through establishing standard
               operating procedures on the handover of children to relevant civilian child
               protection actors, as well as to seek to ensure their family reunification,
               rehabilitation and reintegration;
                     6.    Encourages Member States to consider non-judicial measures as
               alternatives to prosecution and detention that focus on the rehabilitation and
               reintegration for children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups
               taking into account that deprivation of liberty of children should be used only as a
               measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, as well as to
               avoid wherever possible the use of pretrial detention for children;
                    7.    Expresses deep concern that the military use of schools in contravention
               of applicable international law may render schools legitimate targets of attack, thus
               endangering the safety of children and in this regard encourages Member States to
               take concrete measures to deter such use of schools by armed forces and armed
               groups;
                     8.    Stresses the importance of regular and timely consideration of violations
               and abuses committed against children in armed conflict, in this regard welcomes
               the sustained activity of its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and
               invites the Working Group to make full use of tools within its mandate to promote
               the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including through increasing
               engagement with concerned Member States, in light of ongoing discussions on
               enhancing compliance;
                    9.    Continues to urge Member States, United Nations entities, regional and
               sub-regional organizations and other parties concerned to ensure that child protection
               provisions, including those relating to the release and reintegration of children
               formerly associated with armed forces or armed groups, are integrated into all peace
               negotiations, ceasefire and peace agreements, and in provisions for ceasefire
               monitoring;
                    10. Welcomes the progress made under the “Children, Not Soldiers”
               campaign towards ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children by
               Government armed forces in conflict by 2016, further urges concerned Governments
               to continue to undertake all efforts in order to ensure that no children are in their
               ranks in conflict, and calls on Member States, all relevant United Nations entities,
               NGOs and the donor community to support the campaign in their various capacities;
                     11. Invites the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
               and Armed Conflict to update the Security Council on the campaign “Children, Not
               Soldiers” as well as on the progress made in the signing and implementation of
               action plans or commitments by non-State armed groups, including about the
               process and progress in delisting concerned parties;
                     12. Urges all parties concerned, including Member States, United Nations
               entities, as well as financial institutions to support, as appropriate, bearing in mind



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           national ownership, the development and strengthening of the capacities of national
           institutions and local civil society networks for advocacy, protection and
           rehabilitation of children affected by armed conflict as well as national accountability
           mechanisms with timely, sustained and adequate resources and funding;
                 13. Urges concerned Member States, when undertaking security sector
           reforms, to mainstream child protection, such as the inclusion of child protection in
           military training and standard operating procedures, including on the handover of
           children to relevant civilian child protection actors, the establishment of child
           protection units in national security forces, and the strengthening of effective age
           assessment mechanisms to prevent underage recruitment, while stressing in the
           latter regard the importance of ensuring universal birth registration, including late
           birth registration which should remain an exception;
                 14. Emphasizes the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity and
           to investigate and prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against
           humanity, war crimes and other egregious crimes perpetrated against children and
           highlights in this regard the contribution of the International Criminal Court, in
           accordance with the principle of complementarity to national criminal jurisdictions
           as set out in the Rome Statute;
                 15. Recognizes the role of United Nations peacekeeping operations and
           political missions in the protection of children, particularly the crucial role of child
           protection advisers in mainstreaming child protection and leading monitoring,
           prevention and reporting efforts in missions, and in this regard reiterates its decision
           to continue the inclusion of specific provisions for the protection of children in the
           mandates of all relevant United Nations peacekeeping operations and political
           missions, encourages deployment of child protection advisers to such missions, and
           calls upon the Secretary-General to ensure that the need for and the number and
           roles of such advisers are systematically assessed during the preparation and
           renewal of each United Nations peacekeeping operation and political mission;
                 16. Calls for the continued implementation by United Nations peacekeeping
           operations of the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation
           and abuse and to ensure full compliance of their personnel with the United Nations
           code of conduct, reiterates its request to the Secretar y-General to continue to take
           all necessary action in this regard and to keep the Security Council informed, and
           urges troop-contributing countries to continue taking appropriate preventive action,
           such as mandatory pre-deployment child protection training including on sexual
           exploitation and abuse, and to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct
           involving their personnel;
                 17. Further urges all United Nations entities, including peacekeeping
           missions, political missions, peacebuilding offices, United Nations offices,
           agencies, funds and programmes to give full attention to violations against children
           in the application of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations
           Support to non-United Nations Security Forces;
                 18. Reiterates its requests to the Secretary-General to continue to submit
           comprehensive annual reports to the Council on the implementation of its
           resolutions and Presidential statements on children and armed conflict and to ensure
           that in all his reports on country-specific situations the matter of children and armed
           conflict is included as specific aspect of the report;
                19.   Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.


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