Security Council resolution 2601 (2021) [on children and armed conflict]
Symbol: S/RES/2601 (2021)
Date: 2021-10-29
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/76 [187] CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS
S/ X Children and armed conflict.
Subjects: CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS|RIGHTS OF THE CHILD|SCHOOLS|RIGHT TO EDUCATION|COVID-19
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: ESTONIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: INDIA
vote: yes
country: IRELAND
vote: yes
country: KENYA
vote: yes
country: MEXICO
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: NORWAY
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                      S/RES/2601 (2021)
               Security Council                                                    Distr.: General
                                                                                   29 October 2021




               Resolution 2601 (2021)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8889th meeting, on
               29 October 2021

                    The Security Council,
                     Reaffirming its resolutions 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003),
               1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), 2143 (2014), 2225
               (2015), and 2427 (2018), and all relevant Statements of its President, which contribute
               to a comprehensive framework for addressing the protection of children affected by
               armed conflict and facilitating the continuation and the protection of education in
               armed conflict,
                     Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace
               and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and, in this
               connection, its commitment to address the widespread impact of armed conflict,
               including the disruption of access to education, and the long -term consequences this
               has for durable peace, security and development,
                    Recognizing the need for States to foster an enabling and secure environment to
               ensure safe access to education; and recalling the international humanitarian law
               obligations involving the protection of schools and educational facilities in situations
               of armed conflict,
                    Stressing the primary role and responsibility 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,
                    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,
                      Underlining in this regard the importance of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
               for Sustainable Development, and recognizing that a strong focus is needed on combating
               poverty, deprivation and inequality to prevent and protect children from all violations and
               abuses in particular in the context of armed conflict and to promote the resilience of
               children, their families and their communities, and the importance of promoting education
               for all and peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development,
                    Reaffirming the right to education and its fundamental contribution to the
               achievement of peace and security and further recognizing that investment in
               universal, and inclusive education and training is an important investment that States



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               can make to ensure the immediate and long-term development of children, and
               reiterating that access to inclusive, equitable and quality formal and non -formal
               education are important factors that enable children and youth to acquire the relevant
               skills and to build their capacities,
                    Expressing concerns that children account for many of those adversely affected
               by armed conflict, including as refugees and internally displaced persons, and that the
               disruption of access to education and future economic opportunities has a dramatic
               impact on durable peace and reconciliation,
                     Expressing grave concern about the significant increase of attacks against
               schools and education facilities in recent years and the alarming number of children
               denied their right to education, as well as about atta cks on schools and their
               infrastructure, rising instances of abduction of children, and the targeting of schools
               for the purposes of abductions, as reported by the United Nations, the severity and
               frequency of threats of attacks and attacks against schools and civilians connected to
               schools, including children and teachers, the use of schools for military purposes, as
               well as the immediate negative impact of attacks on the safety of students and their
               ability to enjoy their right to education, with long-term negative consequences for
               them as individuals, their families and their communities,
                     Acknowledging the disproportionate negative impact of the COVID19
               pandemic, notably the socio-economic impact, and the adverse effects on children in
               armed conflict and children formerly associated with armed groups and armed forces
               who are undergoing reintegration assistance and noting the heightened risk for
               children in armed conflict, of not resuming their education following school closures,
               particularly girls, making them more vulnerable to child labor, child recruitment as
               well as forced marriage,
                     Expressing deep concerns that girls and women may be the intended victims of
               attacks targeting their access to and continuation of education, and expressing concern
               about the specific consequences of such attacks including but not limited to incidents
               of rape and other forms of sexual violence including sexual slavery, threats of attacks,
               at school and on the way to and from school, abductions, forced marriage, human
               trafficking, and any resulting stigma and grave consequences on their health, all of
               which may further impede the continuation of their education,
                      Expressing deep concern that many children in armed conflict, in particular
               girls, lack access to education owing to attacks and threats of attacks against schools,
               damaged or destroyed school buildings, mines and explosive remnants of war,
               insecurity, the prevalence of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence
               against children, in and around schools and loss or lack of civil documentation,
                     Stressing 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 Geneva Conventions of
               12th August 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977 as well as in the Convention
               on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children
               in armed conflict, welcoming the steps taken by a number of Member States to make
               commitments to protect children affected by armed conflict, including the ratification
               of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the
               involvement of children in armed conflict,
                    Taking note of ongoing international and regional initiatives on Children and
               Armed Conflict, including the international conference held in Paris in 2007 on
               protecting children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups
               and the follow-up conference held in Paris in 2017, and the commitments during the
               conferences, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Chil d, and the
               commemoration of the International Day to Protect Education from attacks,


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               Taking note of efforts aimed at facilitating the continuation of education in
           armed conflict, including the efforts of Member States that have endorsed the Safe
           Schools Declaration,
                 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, as well
           as human rights abuses 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.   Strongly condemns the continued attacks as well as threats of attacks that
           are in contravention of international humanitarian law against schools and civilians
           connected with schools, including children and teachers, and urges all parties to
           armed conflict to immediately cease such attacks and threats of atta cks and to refrain
           from actions that impede access to education;
                 3.    Calls on all parties to safeguard, protect, respect, and promote the right to
           education, including in armed conflict, and reaffirms its contribution to the
           achievement of peace and security, and emphasizes the invaluable role that education
           has for individuals and society including as life-saving safe spaces and acknowledges
           that providing and protecting as well as facilitating the continuation of education in
           armed conflict should remain a key priority for the international community and
           Member States, and in this regard urges Member States, United Nations bodies and
           civil society to take specifically into account girls’ equal access to education;
                 4.   Urges Member States to develop effective measures to prevent and address
           attacks and threats of attacks against schools and education facilities, and, as
           appropriate, develop domestic legal frameworks to ensure respect for their relevant
           international legal obligations as applicable to them, and encourages Member States
           to ensure that national strategic frameworks include, as appropriate, comprehensive
           measures to prevent attacks and threats of attacks against schools and ensure the
           protection of schools and civilians connected with schools, including children and
           teachers during armed conflict as well as in post-conflict phases, with the support of
           relevant United Nations entities;
                 5.   Underlines the importance of coordination between the United Nations,
           regional and subregional organisations in preventing violations and abuses against
           children affected by armed conflict, including supporting national authorities to
           develop and establish appropriate strategies for the protection of schools and
           continued access to education in situations of armed conflict, as well as to ensure that
           these strategies strengthen coherence between political, security, human rights,
           development and rule of law activities, which remain the primary responsibility of
           Member States;
                 6.    Condemns the military use of schools in contravention of international law,
           and recognizes that use by armed forces and armed groups may render schools
           legitimate targets of attack, thus endangering children’s and teachers’ safety as well
           as their education, and in this regard:
                (a) Urges all parties to armed conflict to respect the civilian character of
           schools and educational facilities in accordance with international humanitarian law;
                (b) Encourages Member States to take concrete measures to mitigate and
           avoid the use of schools by armed forces, as appropriate, and deter the use of schools


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               by armed groups, and to facilitate the continuation of education in situations of armed
               conflict;
                    (c) Calls upon United Nations country-level task forces to enhance the
               monitoring and reporting on the military use of schools;
                     7.   Calls upon Members States to ensure that their armed forces and security
               forces, within their respective competencies under domestic law, take practical
               measures for facilitating access to and the continuation of education and the protection
               of schools and civilians connected to schools, including children and teachers into the
               planning and conduct of their operations, including through refraining from using
               schools for military purposes in contravention of international la w;
                    8.    Condemns the lack of accountability for violations of international law,
               including international humanitarian law, and for abuses, committed against civilians
               connected to schools, including children and teachers, in armed conflict, and
               condemns attacks and threats of attacks against schools and educational facilities in
               contravention of international humanitarian law, which in turn may contribute to the
               recurrence of these acts; and urges Member States to ensure that such violations are
               investigated and those responsible duly prosecuted;
                     9.   Encourages Member States affected by armed conflict to take immediate
               measures to rehabilitate, repair, or replace schools that have been subject to attack
               and restore children’s safe access to schools, emphasizing the importance of
               protecting and supporting teachers, who play an important role in this regard, and
               calls for the continued support of relevant United Nations entities, as well as
               international and regional bodies, in assisting Member States, upon requ est;
                     10. Calls upon Member States to protect schools as spaces free from all forms
               of violence, noting that girls may be the intended victims of attack on their education,
               which can lead to serious violations such as abduction and rape and other forms of
               sexual violence, and urges Member States to take steps to address girls’ equal
               enjoyment of their right to education;
                     11. Calls upon member states to halt and prevent recruitment and
               re-recruitment of children contrary to the obligations of parties to con flict, through,
               inter alia, quality education provided in a safe environment in conflict areas, noting
               the particularly high recorded numbers of boys being subject to recruitment and use
               in this regard;
                     12. Urges Member States to provide necessary protection and assistance to
               children including those in vulnerable situations such as internally displaced persons,
               children undergoing reintegration assistance, refugees and children with disabilities,
               teachers and other persons entitled to protection who are connected to schools
               affected by attacks on schools, or by the military use of schools in contravention of
               international law;
                     13. Underlines the importance of providing sustainable, timely, appropriate,
               inclusive and accessible assistance to children with disabilities who are affected by
               armed conflict, including reintegration, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support, to
               ensure that their specific needs are effectively addressed, and encourages Member
               States to take appropriate measures to ensure access to education on an equal basis
               provided in the context of armed conflict;
                     14. Calls on Member States to take necessary steps, within their national
               jurisdictions, to provide assistance for the continuation of education for refugee and
               displaced children in realizing their right to education, and calls on national, regional,
               and international partners to support efforts for including refugees into schools with
               adequate financing and specialized support;


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                 15. Stresses the deleterious effects of humanitarian emergencies and forced
           displacement due to armed conflict on the mental health and psychological wellbeing
           of children; and further stresses the importance of long-term and sustainable funding
           for mental health and psychosocial programming in humanitarian contexts and
           ensuring that those who are affected receive timely and sufficient support , and
           encourages Member States, donors, and relevant parties to integrate mental health
           and psychosocial services in all humanitarian responses;
                 16. Emphasizes the need for Member States to facilitate continuation of
           education during armed conflict, including, when feasible, through distance learning
           and digital technology, and in this regard encourages Member States to promote the
           adoption of remote learning solutions, including digital learning, literacy, and skills
           to facilitate continuity of education in armed conflict by utilizing the innovations and
           lessons learned during the COVID-19 education response, including when schools
           are subject to attack;
                17. Encourages Member States and relevant United Nations agencies as well
           as regional and international partners to strengthen coordination, cooperation, and
           investment in support of distance learning facilities, digital literacy and education in
           armed conflict, as well as digital infrastructure and technology, relevant skills and
           supporting infrastructure, to close the digital divide across and within regions, while
           ensuring the protection of personal data and continuing to provide alternatives for
           those not reached by digital solutions;
                 18. Reiterates its call on parties to armed conflict listed in the annexes of the
           Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict that have not already done
           so to prepare and implement, with support of the United Nations, without further
           delay, action plans to prevent and halt attacks or threats of attacks on sch ools and
           persons entitled to protection who are connected to schools, in contravention of
           international humanitarian law;
                 19. Encourages the Secretary General, together with his Special
           Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF, and relevant United
           Nations bodies and child protection actors, to carry out and include in his relevant
           reporting lessons learned and best practices on the children and armed conflict
           mandate, including the protection and continuation of education in armed conflict,
           local and community-based initiatives to protect schools and ensure that children are
           safe, and the prevention of the military use of schools;
                 20. 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;
                 21. Requests Member States, the Office of the Special Representative of the
           Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations peacekeeping and
           political missions and United Nations country teams, and calls on regional and
           subregional bodies, within their respective mandates and in close cooperation with
           the Governments of the countries concerned, to establish appropriate strategies and
           coordination mechanisms for information exchange and cooperation relating to
           facilitating access to and the continuation of education as well as the protection and
           prevention of attacks against schools, bearing in mind paragraph 2 (d) of its resolution
           1612 (2005) and relevant conclusions by the Security Council Working Group o n
           Children and Armed Conflict;


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                     22. 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 rene wal of
               each United Nations peacekeeping operation and political mission, and that they are
               speedily recruited, expeditiously deployed, and properly resourced where appointed,
               in a transparent manner, and encourages the United Nations Secretariat, including
               DPO and DPPA, to take into account child protection when briefing the Council on
               country-specific situations;
                    23. Underlines the importance of providing military, police and civilian
               peacekeepers, with adequate pre-deployment and in-mission training on mission
               specific child protection issues, including on attacks on schools, and on appropriate
               comprehensive prevention and protection responses;
                     24. Calls upon Member States and donors, and encourages all concerned
               institutions to consider increasing their contributions to ensuring continuation of
               education in armed conflict, based on and in proportion to assessed needs, as a means
               of ensuring adequate, timely, predictable, flexible and needs-based resources;
                      25. Calls for full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access, without delay, for
               humanitarian personnel and medical personnel, their equipment, transport and
               supplies, in order to facilitate, inter alia, COVID-19 vaccinations, as appropriate, as
               it is critical for the continuation of education and cal ls for the protection, safety, and
               security of such humanitarian and medical personnel, and in this regard urges all
               parties to protect civilian infrastructure which is critical to the delivery of
               humanitarian aid for essential services concerning vaccinat ions and related medical
               care, in order to facilitate timely return to education in situations of armed conflicts
               and complex humanitarian emergencies;
                     26. Emphasizes the unity, common origin and solidarity of humanity, and the
               need for intensified international collaboration in the face of the common threat of
               the COVID19 pandemic, and recognizes that the COVID19 pandemic as well as the
               inequitable access to vaccines have exacerbated existing inequalities in access to
               education and the continuation of education in armed conflict; acknowledges the
               adverse short, medium and long term negative impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on
               the present and future of access to education in armed conflict for all children;
               requests that measures, inter alia by enabling equitable global access to quality, safe,
               efficacious and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines, and
               essential health technologies, and their components, as well as equipment for the
               COVID-19 response, are duly accounted for in facilitating access to education in
               armed conflict;
                    27. Further requests that preventative and corrective measures be urgently
               undertaken to ensure equal access to education and the continuation of education in
               armed conflict, and recognises the essential role of education for the prospects of
               peace and security;
                    28.   Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.




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