Security Council resolution 2225 (2015) [on children and armed conflict]
Symbol: S/RES/2225 (2015)
Date: 2015-06-18
Meeting record: S/PV.7466
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
Notes: Issued in: Resolutions and decisions of the Security Council, 1 August 2014-31 July 2015 - S/INF/70 - (SCOR, 70th year).

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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Texto español (official Spanish version): Naciones Unidas                                                                S/RES/2225 (2015)
               Consejo de Seguridad                                           Distr. general
                                                                              18 de junio de 2015




               Resolución 2225 (2015)
               Aprobada por el Consejo de Seguridad en su 7466ª sesión,
               celebrada el 18 de junio de 2015

                    El Consejo de Seguridad,
                     Reafirmando sus resoluciones 1261 (1999), de 25 de agosto de 1999, 1314
               (2000), de 11 de agosto de 2000, 1379 (2001), de 20 de noviembre de 2001, 1460
               (2003), de 30 de enero de 2003, 1539 (2004), de 22 de abril de 2004, 1612 (2005),
               de 26 de julio de 2005, 1882 (2009), de 4 de agosto de 2009, 1998 (2011), de 12 de
               julio de 2011, 2068 (2012), de 19 de septiembre de 2012, y 2143 (2014), de 7 de
               marzo de 2014, y todas las declaraciones pertinentes de su Presidencia, que
               contribuyen a establecer un marco integral para la protección de los niños afectados
               por los conflictos armados,
                    Reiterando su responsabilidad primordial en el mantenimiento de la paz y la
               seguridad internacionales y, a este respecto, su compromiso de hacer frente a las
               consecuencias generalizadas que los conflictos armados tienen para los niños,
                     Reconociendo que sus resoluciones, la aplicación de esas resoluciones y las
               declaraciones de la Presidencia sobre los niños y los conflictos armados, así como
               las conclusiones del Grupo de Trabajo del Consejo de Seguridad sobre los Niños y
               los Conflictos Armados, han generado progresos en la prevención de las violaciones
               y los abusos cometidos contra los niños y en la respuesta a esos casos, en particular
               respecto de la desmovilización, rehabilitación y reintegración de miles de niños, la
               firma de planes de acción entre las partes en los conflictos armados y la supresión
               de partes en conflicto de las listas que figuran en los anexos del informe anual del
               Secretario General,
                     Profundamente preocupado todavía pese a ello por la falta de progresos sobre
               el terreno en algunas situaciones, donde las partes en conflicto siguen infringiendo
               con impunidad las disposiciones pertinentes del derecho internacional aplicable
               relativo a los derechos y la protección de los niños e n los conflictos armados,
                     Recordando que todas las partes en los conflictos armados deben cumplir
               estrictamente las obligaciones que les incumben en virtud del derecho internacional
               respecto de la protección de los niños en los conflictos armados, incluid as las
               contenidas en la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño y su Protocolo Facultativo
               relativo a la participación de niños en los conflictos armados, así como en los
               Convenios de Ginebra de 12 de agosto de 1949 y sus Protocolos Adicionales de 1977 ,


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                     Convencido de que la protección de los niños en los conflictos armados debe
               ser un aspecto importante de cualquier estrategia integral para la solución de
               conflictos y la consolidación de la paz, y destacando también la importancia de
               adoptar una estrategia amplia de prevención de los conflictos, que aborde las causas
               profundas de los conflictos armados de una manera integral con el fin de mejorar la
               protección de los niños a largo plazo,
                    Destacando que los gobiernos tienen la función primordial de proporcio nar
               protección y socorro a todos los niños afectados por los conflictos armados, y
               reconociendo la importancia de fortalecer las capacidades nacionales a ese respecto,
                      Reiterando que todas las medidas que adopten las entidades de las Naciones
               Unidas en el marco del mecanismo de vigilancia y presentación de informes deben
               ir dirigidas a apoyar y complementar, según proceda, las funciones de protección y
               rehabilitación de los gobiernos nacionales,
                     Reconociendo también el importante papel que pueden desempeñar los líderes
               locales y las redes de la sociedad civil en la mejora de la protección y la
               rehabilitación a nivel de la comunidad, incluida la prevención de la estigmatización
               de los niños afectados por los conflictos armados,
                     Recordando la responsabilidad que incumbe a todos los Estados Miembros de
               cumplir sus obligaciones de poner fin a la impunidad e investigar y procesar a los
               responsables de genocidio, crímenes de lesa humanidad, crímenes de guerra y otros
               crímenes atroces perpetrados contra los niños y observando que la lucha contra la
               impunidad por los delitos más graves de trascendencia internacional cometidos
               contra los niños se ha fortalecido mediante la labor sobre esos crímenes y su
               enjuiciamiento en la Corte Penal Internacional, los tribunales especiales y mixtos, y
               las salas especializadas de los tribunales nacionales,
                     Habiendo examinado el informe del Secretario General de 8 de junio de 2015
               (S/2015/409) y destacando que la presente resolución no pretende determinar en
               derecho si las situaciones a que se hace referencia en el informe del Secretario
               General son o no conflictos armados en el contexto de los Convenios de Gi nebra y
               sus Protocolos Adicionales, ni prejuzga la condición jurídica de las partes no
               estatales involucradas en esas situaciones,
                     Expresando profunda preocupación por los secuestros de niños en situaciones
               de conflicto armado, la mayoría de ellos perpetrados por grupos armados no
               estatales, reconociendo que los secuestros se producen en muy diversos lugares,
               incluidas las escuelas, reconociendo además que a menudo los secuestros preceden
               o siguen a otros abusos y violaciones del derecho internacional apli cable cometidos
               contra los niños, incluidos los relacionados con el reclutamiento y la utilización, el
               asesinato y la mutilación, así como la violación y otras formas de violencia sexual,
               que pueden constituir crímenes de guerra o crímenes de lesa humanida d, y
               exhortando a todos los Estados Miembros a que hagan rendir cuentas de sus actos a
               quienes perpetran esos secuestros,
                     Gravemente preocupado por los abusos de los derechos humanos y las
               violaciones del derecho internacional humanitario cometidas por gr upos armados no
               estatales, en particular por grupos extremistas violentos, entre ellos los secuestros
               en masa, las violaciones y otras formas de violencia sexual tales como la esclavitud
               sexual, que afectan especialmente a las niñas, que pueden causar desp lazamientos y




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           afectar al acceso a los servicios de enseñanza y atención de la salud, y poniendo de
           relieve la importancia de que se rindan cuentas por esos abusos y violaciones,
                 Observando que el artículo 35 de la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño
           dispone que los Estados Partes tomarán todas las medidas de carácter nacional,
           bilateral y multilateral que sean necesarias para impedir el secuestro, la venta o la
           trata de niños para cualquier fin o en cualquier forma,
                  Gravemente preocupado por los efectos perjudiciales que la transferencia
           ilícita de armas pequeñas y armas ligeras, su acumulación desestabilizadora y su uso
           indebido tienen para los niños en los conflictos armados, particularmente debido al
           reclutamiento y la utilización de niños por las partes en conflictos armados, así
           como los casos de reclutamiento repetido, muerte y mutilación, violación y otros
           actos de violencia sexual, secuestros y ataques contra escuelas u hospitales, que
           contravienen el derecho internacional,
                 Destacando que al planificar y ejecutar acciones que afecten a los niños en
           situaciones de conflicto armado se deben tener en cuenta el interés superior del niño
           y sus necesidades y vulnerabilidades específicas,
                 Recordando las obligaciones que incumben a todas las partes en conflictos
           armados en virtud del derecho internacional humanitario y las normas de derechos
           humanos, haciendo hincapié en que no se debe privar de forma ilícita o arbitraria a
           ningún niño de su libertad y exhortando a todas las partes en los conflictos a que
           pongan fin a las detenciones ilegales o arbitrarias, así como a la tortura u otros
           tratos o penas crueles, inhumanos o degradantes impuestos a los niños durante su
           detención,
                 Reconociendo la importancia de prestar asistencia oportuna y apropiada para la
           reintegración y rehabilitación a los niños afectados por los conflictos armados,
           velando al mismo tiempo por que se atiendan las necesidades específicas de las
           niñas, así como de los niños con discapacidad, incluido el acceso a la atención
           médica, el apoyo psicosocial, y los programas educativos que contribuyan al
           bienestar de los niños y a la paz y la seguridad sostenibles,
                Exhortando a todas las partes en los conflictos armados a que respeten el
           carácter civil de las escuelas de conformidad con el derecho internacional
           humanitario,
                 1.   Condena enérgicamente todas las violaciones del derecho internacional
           aplicable que entrañen el reclutamiento y la utilización de niños por las partes en un
           conflicto armado, así como los casos de reclutamiento repetido, muerte y
           mutilación, violación y otros actos de violencia sexual, secuestros, ataques contra
           escuelas y hospitales y denegación del acceso humanitario por las partes en un
           conflicto armado, y todas las demás violaciones del derecho internacio nal, incluido
           el derecho internacional humanitario, el derecho de los derechos humanos y el
           derecho de los refugiados, cometidas contra los niños en situaciones de conflicto
           armado, y exige a todas las partes interesadas que pongan fin de inmediato a tales
           prácticas y adopten medidas especiales para proteger a los niños;
                2.    Reafirma que el mecanismo de vigilancia y presentación de informes
           seguirá utilizándose en las situaciones enumeradas en los anexos I y II (“los
           anexos”) de los informes del Secretario General sobre los niños y los conflictos
           armados, en consonancia con los principios enunciados en el párrafo 2 de la



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               resolución 1612 (2005), y que su establecimiento y aplicación no prejuzgarán ni
               entrañarán una decisión del Consejo de Seguridad sobre si ha de incluir o no una
               determinada situación entre los temas sometidos a su consideración;
                     3.   Recuerda el párrafo 16 de la resolución 1379 (2001), y solicita al
               Secretario General que en los anexos de sus informes sobre los niños y los
               conflictos armados incluya también a las partes en un conflicto armado que, en
               contravención del derecho internacional aplicable, tomen parte en esquemas de
               secuestros de niños en situaciones de conflicto armado, teniendo en cuenta todas las
               demás violaciones y abusos contra los niños, y hace notar que lo dispuesto en el
               presente párrafo será aplicable a las situaciones que respondan a las condiciones
               enunciadas en el párrafo 16 de su resolución 1379 (2001);
                    4.    Exhorta a las partes enumeradas en los anexos del informe del Secretario
               General sobre los niños y los conflictos armados que cometen violaciones y abusos
               contra los niños en contravención del derecho internacional aplicable, incluidos
               secuestros de niños en situaciones de conflicto armado, a que preparen y aprueben
               sin demora planes de acción concretos y con plazos para poner fin a esas
               violaciones y abusos en colaboración con las Naciones Unidas;
                     5.    Insta a liberar de forma inmediata, segura e incondicional a los niños
               secuestrados por todas las partes en los conflictos y alienta a los Estados Miembros,
               las entidades de las Naciones Unidas y las organizaciones regionales y
               subregionales a que desplieguen los esfuerzos necesarios para lograr la liberación
               segura de los niños secuestrados mediante, entre otras cosas, el establecimiento de
               procedimientos operativos estándar para la entrega de niños a las instancias civiles
               pertinentes de protección de menores, y a que procuren asegurar su reunificación
               familiar, su rehabilitación y su reintegración;
                    6.    Alienta a los Estados Miembros a que consideren la posibilidad de
               adoptar medidas no judiciales como alternativa al enjuiciamiento y la detención que
               se centren en la rehabilitación y la reintegración de los niños que hayan estado
               vinculados con fuerzas armadas y grupos armados, teniendo en cuenta que la
               privación de libertad solo debería utilizarse como último recurso con los niños y
               durante el período más corto posible, y a que eviten aplicar la detención preventiva
               a niños siempre que sea posible;
                     7.   Expresa su profunda preocupación por que el uso de escuelas con fines
               militares en contravención del derecho internacional aplicable puede convertir a las
               escuelas en blancos legítimos de ataques, lo que pone en peligro la seguridad de los
               niños y, a este respecto, alienta a los Estados Miembros a que adopten medidas
               concretas para disuadir a las fuerzas armadas y los grupos armados de utilizar las
               escuelas para esos fines;
                     8.    Destaca la importancia de examinar de forma periódica y oportuna las
               violaciones y los abusos cometidos contra los niños en los conflictos armados,
               acoge con beneplácito, a este respecto, las continuas actividades de su Grupo de
               Trabajo sobre los Niños y los Conflictos Armados, e invita al Grupo de Trabajo a
               que haga pleno uso de los instrumentos que se contemplan en su mandato para
               promover la protección de los niños afectados por los conflictos armados, a la luz de
               las deliberaciones en curso sobre la mejora del cumplimiento, incluso ampliando sus
               contactos con los Estados Miembros interesados;




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                 9.    Continúa instando a los Estados Miembros, las entidades de las Naciones
           Unidas, las organizaciones regionales y subregionales y otras partes interesadas a
           que velen por que se incluyan disposiciones de protección infantil, entre ellas las
           relativas a la liberación y reintegración de los niños que hayan estado vinculados
           con fuerzas armadas o grupos armados, en todas las negociaciones de paz, los
           acuerdos de alto el fuego y de paz, y las disposiciones de vigilancia del alto el
           fuego;
                 10. Acoge con beneplácito los progresos realizados en el marco de la
           campaña “Niños, No Soldados” para la eliminación y prevención del reclutamiento
           y la utilización de niños por las fuerzas armadas gubernamentales en conflicto para
           2016, insta además a los Gobiernos interesados a que sigan realizando todos los
           esfuerzos posibles para asegurarse de que no haya ningún niño en sus filas que
           participe en el conflicto, y exhorta a los Estados Miembros, a todas las entidades
           competentes de las Naciones Unidas, las organizaciones no guberna mentales y la
           comunidad de donantes a que apoyen la campaña en sus diversas capacidades;
                11. Invita a la Representante Especial del Secretario General para la cuestión
           de los niños y los conflictos armados a que proporcione información actualizada al
           Consejo de Seguridad sobre la campaña “Niños, No soldados” así como sobre los
           progresos realizados en la firma y la aplicación de planes de acción adoptados o de
           compromisos contraídos por los grupos armados no estatales, en particular sobre el
           proceso y los avances en la supresión de partes de las listas;
                 12. Insta a todas las partes interesadas, incluidos los Estados Miembros, las
           entidades de las Naciones Unidas y las instituciones financieras, a que apoyen,
           según proceda y teniendo en cuenta la titularidad nacional, el desarrollo y
           fortalecimiento de la capacidad de las instituciones nacionales y las redes locales de
           la sociedad civil para defender, proteger y rehabilitar a los niños afectados por
           conflictos armados, así como de mecanismos nacionales de rendición de cuentas con
           recursos y financiación oportunos, sostenidos y suficientes;
                 13. Insta a los Estados Miembros interesados a que, al emprender reformas
           del sector de la seguridad, incorporen la protección infantil con medidas tales como
           la inclusión de la protección infantil en el adiestramiento y los procedimientos
           operativos estándar militares, incluida la entrega de niños a las entidades civiles
           pertinentes de protección de la infancia, la creación de unidades de protección de
           los niños en las fuerzas nacionales de seguridad y la consolidación de mecanismos
           eficaces para determinar la edad a fin de prevenir el reclutamiento de menores, pero
           destacando en este último caso la importancia de asegurar el registro universal de
           los nacimientos, incluso mediante la inscripción tardía, que debería seguir siendo
           excepcional;
                 14. Pone de relieve que todos los Estados tienen la responsabilidad de poner
           fin a la impunidad y de investigar y enjuiciar a los responsables de genocidio,
           crímenes de lesa humanidad, crímenes de guerra y otros crímenes atroces
           perpetrados contra los niños, y resalta a este respecto la contribución de la Corte
           Penal Internacional, conforme al principio de la complementariedad de las
           jurisdicciones penales nacionales establecido en el Estatuto de Roma;
                15. Reconoce la función que desempeñan las operaciones de mantenimiento
           de la paz y las misiones políticas de las Naciones Unidas en la protección de los
           niños, en particular el papel crucial que desempeñan los asesores de protección de



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               menores al incorporar la protección de los niños y dirigir las actividades conexas de
               vigilancia, prevención y presentación de informes en las misiones y, a este respecto,
               reitera su decisión de seguir incluyendo disposiciones específicas para la protección
               de los niños en los mandatos de todas las operaciones de mantenimiento de la paz y
               las misiones políticas de las Naciones Unidas, alienta a que se desplieguen asesores
               de protección de menores en esas misiones y exhorta al Secretario General a que
               vele por que se realicen evaluaciones sistemáticas de la necesidad, la cantidad y las
               funciones de dichos asesores durante la preparación y la renovación de cada una de
               las operaciones de mantenimiento de la paz y de las misiones políticas de las
               Naciones Unidas;
                     16. Exhorta a las operaciones de las Naciones Unidas para el mantenimiento
               de la paz a que sigan aplicando la política del Secretario General de tolerancia cero
               frente a la explotación y los abusos sexuales y a que se aseguren de que su personal
               cumpla plenamente el código de conducta de las Naciones Unidas, reitera su
               solicitud al Secretario General de que siga tomando todas las medidas necesarias a
               este respecto y lo mantenga informado, e insta a los países que aportan contingentes
               a que continúen adoptando las medidas preventivas oportunas, como los cursillos
               obligatorios sobre protección de los niños antes del despliegue que incluyan
               contenidos sobre la explotación y los abusos sexuales, y a que aseguren la plena
               rendición de cuentas en los casos de conducta indebida en que esté involucrado su
               personal;
                    17. Insta además a todas las entidades de las Naciones Unidas, incluidas las
               misiones de mantenimiento de la paz, las misiones políticas, las oficinas de
               consolidación de la paz y las oficinas, los organismos, los fondos y los programas
               de las Naciones Unidas, a que presten plena atención a las violaciones cometidas
               contra los niños al aplicar la política de diligencia debida en materia de derechos
               humanos en el contexto del apoyo de las Naciones Unidas a fuerzas de seguridad
               ajenas a la Organización;
                    18. Reitera sus solicitudes al Secretario General de que le siga presentando
               informes anuales exhaustivos sobre la aplicación de sus resoluciones y
               declaraciones de la Presidencia relativas a los niños y los conflictos armados y de
               que vele por que en todos sus informes sobre situaciones específicas de países se
               incluya la cuestión de los niños y los conflictos armados como aspecto concreto del
               informe;
                    19.   Decide seguir ocupándose activamente de la cuestión.




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Texte français (official French version): Nations Unies                                                                       S/RES/2225 (2015)
               Conseil de sécurité                                               Distr. générale
                                                                                 18 juin 2015




               Résolution 2225 (2015)
               Adoptée par le Conseil de sécurité à sa 7466 e séance,
               le 18 juin 2015

                    Le Conseil de sécurité,
                     Réaffirmant ses résolutions 1261 (1999) du 25 août 1999, 1314 (2000) du
               11 août 2000, 1379 (2001) du 20 novembre 2001, 1460 (2003) du 30 janvier 2003,
               1539 (2004) du 22 avril 2004, 1612 (2005) du 26 juillet 2005, 1882 (2009) du
               4 août 2009, 1998 (2011) du 12 juillet 2011, 2068 (2012) du 19 septembre 2012 et
               2143 (2014) du 7 mars 2014, et toutes les déclarations pertinentes de son président,
               qui constituent un cadre général pour la protection des enfants touchés par les
               conflits armés,
                    Réaffirmant qu’il a la responsabilité principale du maintien de la paix et de la
               sécurité internationales et, à cet égard, qu’il est résolu à s’attaquer à la question des
               répercussions considérables des conflits armés sur les enfants,
                     Constatant que ses résolutions, leur application et les déclarations de son
               président sur le sort des enfants en temps de conflit armé, ainsi que les conclusions
               du Groupe de travail du Conseil de sécurité sur le sort des enfants en temps de
               conflit armé, ont permis de réaliser des progrès en matière de pré vention des
               violations et sévices commis sur la personne d’enfants et d’adoption de mesures
               pour y faire face, en particulier la démobilisation, la réadaptation et la réintégration
               de milliers d’enfants, la conclusion de plans d’action entre les parties à des conflits
               armés et la radiation de parties à des conflits des listes figurant dans les annexes au
               rapport annuel du Secrétaire général,
                     Demeurant toutefois profondément préoccupé par l’absence de progrès sur le
               terrain dans certaines situations préoccupantes où les belligérants continuent de
               violer impunément les dispositions du droit international relatives aux droits et à la
               protection des enfants en temps de conflit armé,
                     Rappelant que toutes les parties à des conflits armés sont tenues de respecter
               strictement les obligations mises à leur charge par le droit international aux fins de
               la protection des enfants en temps de conflit armé, notamment celles résultant de la
               Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant et de son protocole facultatif concernan t
               la participation d’enfants à des conflits armés, ainsi que des Conventions de Genève
               du 12 août 1949 et des Protocoles additionnels auxdites conventions de 1977,



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                   Convaincu que la protection des enfants en temps de conflit armé doit être un
              aspect important de toute stratégie globale de règlement des conflits et de
              consolidation de la paix et soulignant qu’il importe d’adopter une vaste stratégie de
              prévention des conflits, qui traite les causes profondes des conflits armés dans leur
              globalité de façon à améliorer la protection des enfants à long terme,
                    Soulignant que c’est aux gouvernements qu’il incombe au premier chef
              d’offrir secours et protection à tous les enfants touchés par les conflits armés et
              conscient qu’il importe de renforcer les capacités nationales à cet égard,
                   Réaffirmant que toutes les mesures prises par des entités des Nations Unies
              dans le cadre du mécanisme de surveillance et de communication de l’information
              doivent viser à soutenir et, s’il y a lieu, accompagner l’État dans sa mission de
              protection et de réadaptation,
                    Conscient que les dirigeants locaux et les réseaux de la société civile peuvent
              jouer un rôle important pour ce qui est de renforcer la protection à l’échelle locale
              et la réadaptation, y compris la non-stigmatisation, des enfants touchés par les
              conflits armés,
                   Rappelant que tous les États Membres doivent respecter l’obligation qui leur
              incombe de mettre fin à l’impunité, d’enquêter sur les cas de génocide, de crimes
              contre l’humanité, de crimes de guerre et autres crimes odieux commis sur la
              personne d’enfants et d’en poursuivre les auteurs, et notant que la lutte contre
              l’impunité des crimes internationaux les plus graves commis sur la personne
              d’enfants a été renforcée grâce à l’action et aux poursuites engagée s contre les
              auteurs de ces crimes par la Cour pénale internationale, les tribunaux spéciaux et
              mixtes et les chambres spécialisées de juridictions nationales,
                    Ayant examiné le rapport du Secrétaire général en date du 8 juin 2015
              (S/2015/409) et soulignant que la présente résolution n’a pas pour objet de se
              prononcer en droit sur le point de savoir si les situations visées dans ce rapport sont
              ou non des conflits armés au sens des Conventions de Genève et des Protocoles
              additionnels auxdites conventions, et qu’elle ne préjuge pas le statut juridique des
              parties non étatiques en présence,
                    Se déclarant gravement préoccupé par le fait que des enfants sont enlevés
              dans des situations de conflit armé, en majorité par des acteurs non étatiques armés,
              sachant que les enlèvements ont lieu dans divers contextes, dont les écoles,
              conscient que souvent les enlèvements précèdent ou suivent d’autres exactions et
              violations du droit international applicable commises sur la personne d’enfants,
              notamment sous la forme du recrutement, de l’utilisation, du meurtre et des
              mutilations d’enfants, ainsi que les viols et autres formes de violence sexuelle, qui
              pourraient constituer des crimes de guerre ou des crimes contre l’humanité , et
              invitant tous les États Membres à faire en sorte que les auteurs d’enlèv ements
              répondent de leurs actes,
                    Gravement préoccupé par les atteintes aux droits de l’homme et autres
              violations du droit international commises par les groupes armés non étatiq ues, en
              particulier des groupes extrémistes violents, y compris les enlèvements collectifs, le
              viol et d’autres formes de violence sexuelle telles que l’esclavage sexuel, visant en
              particulier les filles, ce qui peut entraîner des déplacements de populatio n et a une
              incidence sur l’accès à l’éducation et aux services de santé, et soulignant qu’il
              importe que les auteurs de ces atteintes et violations répondent de leurs actes,


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                 Notant que l’article 35 de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant dispose
           que les États Parties prennent toutes les mesures appropriées sur les plans national,
           bilatéral et multilatéral pour empêcher l’enlèvement, la vente ou la traite d’enfants à
           quelque fin que ce soit et sous quelque forme que ce soit,
                 Gravement préoccupé par les répercussions néfastes du transfert illicite, de
           l’accumulation déstabilisante et du détournement d’armes légères et de petit calibre
           sur les enfants en temps de conflit armé, en particulier en raison du recrutement et
           de l’emploi d’enfants par les parties aux conflits armés ainsi que de leur re -
           recrutement, des meurtres et mutilations d’enfants, des viols et autres formes de
           violence sexuelle dont ils sont victimes, des enlève ments et des attaques contre
           écoles ou hôpitaux en violation du droit international,
                 Insistant sur le fait qu’il faut tenir compte de l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant,
           ainsi que des vulnérabilités et des besoins particuliers des enfants, lors de la
           planification et de la mise en œuvre des mesures en faveur des enfants dans les
           situations de conflit armé,
                 Rappelant les obligations qui incombent à toutes les parties à un conflit armé
           en vertu du droit international humanitaire et du droit international des droits de
           l’homme, soulignant qu’aucun enfant ne doit être privé de liberté de façon illégale
           ou arbitraire et demandant à toutes les parties à un conflit de mettre fin aux
           détentions illégales ou arbitraires ainsi qu’aux actes de torture ou autres peines ou
           traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants infligés aux enfants pendant
           leur détention,
                 Conscient qu’il importe d’offrir en temps voulu aux enfants touchés par les
           conflits armés une assistance appropriée à la réinsertion et à la réadaptation, tout en
           veillant à ce que les besoins particuliers des filles et des enfants handicapés soient
           pris en compte, notamment en ce qui concerne l’accès aux soins de santé et le
           soutien psychosocial, ainsi que des programmes éducatifs qui contribuent au bien -
           être des enfants et à une paix et une sécurité durables,
                Exhortant toutes les parties à tout conflit armé à respecter le caractère civil des
           écoles, conformément au droit international humanitaire,
                 1.    Condamne fermement toutes violations du droit international applicable
           concernant le recrutement et l’emploi d’enfants par des parties à un conflit armé
           ainsi que leur re-recrutement, le meurtre et les mutilations d’enfants, les viols et
           autres formes de violence sexuelle dont ils sont victimes, les enlèvements, les
           attaques contre écoles ou hôpitaux et le refus d’un accès humanitaire par les parties
           à un conflit armé ainsi que toutes autres violations du droit international, y compris
           le droit international humanitaire, des droits de l’homme et des réfugiés, commises
           sur la personne d’enfants en temps de conflit armé, et exige de toutes les parties
           concernées qu’elles mettent immédiatement fin à de telles pratiques et prennent des
           mesures spéciales pour protéger les enfants;
                 2.    Réaffirme que le mécanisme de surveillance et de communication de
           l’information continuera à être mis en place dans les situations énumérées dans
           l’annexe I et l’annexe II (« les annexes ») aux rapports du Secrétaire général sur le
           sort des enfants en temps de conflit armé, conformément aux pr incipes énoncés au
           paragraphe 2 de la résolution 1612 (2005), et que son établissement et sa mise en
           œuvre ne préjugeront ni n’impliqueront une quelconque décision du Conseil de
           sécurité tendant à le saisir de telle ou telle situation;


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                    3.    Rappelle le paragraphe 16 de la résolution 1379 (2001) et prie le
              Secrétaire général de mentionner également dans les annexes à ses rapports sur les
              enfants et les conflits armés les parties à un conflit armé qui, en violation du droit
              international applicable, se livrent à des enlèvements d’enfants dans des situations
              de conflit armé, sans oublier toutes les autres violations et atteintes commises sur la
              personne d’enfants, et note que le présent paragraphe s’applique aux situations
              répondant aux critères énoncés au paragraphe 16 de la résolution 1379 (2001);
                   4.    Demande à toutes les parties énumérées dans les annexes au rapport du
              Secrétaire général sur les enfants et les conflits armés qui commettent des atteintes
              et des sévices sur la personne d’enfants en violation du droit international
              applicable, y compris des enlèvements d’enfants dans des situations de conflit armé,
              d’établir et d’adopter, sans retard, des plans d’action concrets assortis de délais
              pour mettre fin à ces atteintes et sévices en collaboration avec l ’Organisation des
              Nations Unies;
                   5.    Demande instamment que soient immédiatement remis en liberté sans
              condition, et en toute sécurité, les enfants enlevés par toutes les parties à un conflit
              et encourage les États Membres, les organismes des Nations Unies et les
              organisations régionales et sous-régionales à entreprendre les efforts voulus pour
              obtenir la libération, dans des conditions de sécurité, des enfants enlevés,
              notamment en mettant en place des instructions permanentes sur le transfert des
              enfants à des acteurs civils de la protection de l’enfance, et à veiller à leur réunion
              avec leur famille, leur réadaptation et leur réinsertion;
                   6.     Invite les États Membres à envisager, comme mesures de substitution aux
              poursuites et à la détention, des mesures non judiciaires qui mettent l’accent sur la
              réadaptation et la réinsertion des enfants précédemment associés à des forces
              armées et des groupes armés, en ayant à l’esprit que la privation de liberté ne
              devrait être imposée à un enfant qu’en dernier ressort et pour une durée aussi brève
              que possible, et à éviter dans la mesure du possible la détention provisoire des
              enfants;
                    7.    Se déclare profondément préoccupé par le fait que l’utilisation d’écoles à
              des fins militaires en violation du droit international applicable peut en faire des
              cibles légitimes, mettant ainsi en danger la sécurité des enfants, et, à cet égard,
              engage les États Membres à prendre des mesures concrètes pour empêcher que les
              forces armées et les groupes armés utilisent ainsi les écoles;
                    8.    Souligne qu’il importe d’examiner régulièrement et en temps voulu les
              violations et les sévices commis sur la personne d’enfants en temps de conflit armé,
              se félicite à cet égard de la poursuite de l’activité de son Groupe de travail sur le
              sort des enfants en temps de conflit armé et invite le Groupe de travail à mettre
              pleinement à profit les outils dont il dispose dans le cadre de son mandat pour
              promouvoir la protection des enfants touchés par les conflits armés, notamment en
              intensifiant les échanges avec les États Membres concernés, à la lumière des débats
              en cours sur le renforcement du respect des dispositions;
                    9.    Continue d’exhorter les États Membres, les entités des Nations Unies, les
              organisations régionales et sous-régionales et les autres parties concernées à veiller
              à ce que, dans toutes les négociations de paix, tous les accords de cessez -le-feu et de
              paix et les dispositions relatives au contrôle du cessez -le-feu, une place soit faite à
              des dispositions de protection des enfants, concernant notamment la libération et



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           la réintégration d’enfants précédemment associés à des forces armées ou groupes
           armés;
                 10. Se félicite des progrès réalisés dans le cadre de la campagne « Des
           enfants, pas des soldats » pour faire cesser et prévenir le recrutement et l’utilisation
           d’enfants par les forces armées gouvernementales en période de conflit d’ici à 2016,
           prie instamment les gouvernements concernés de poursuivre les efforts voulus pour
           faire en sorte qu’aucun enfant ne figure dans leurs rangs en périod e de conflit, et
           invite les États Membres, tous les organismes compétents des Nations Unies, les
           organisations non gouvernementales et la communauté des donateurs à appuyer la
           campagne dans leurs diverses fonctions;
                 11. Invite la Représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général pour le sort des
           enfants en temps de conflit armé à lui faire le point sur la campagne « Des enfants,
           pas des soldats » ainsi que sur les progrès accomplis en ce qui concerne la signature
           et la mise en œuvre de plans d’action et des engagements pris par des groupes armés
           non étatiques, notamment sur le processus et les progrès réalisés s’agissant de la
           radiation de parties concernées;
                 12. Exhorte toutes les parties concernées, y compris les États Membres, les
           entités des Nations Unies et les institutions financières, à appuyer, selon qu’il
           conviendra, et en respectant l’appropriation nationale, le développement et le
           renforcement des capacités des institutions nationales et des réseaux locaux de la
           société civile en matière de plaidoyer, de protection et de réadaptation des enfants
           touchés par les conflits armés ainsi que de mécanismes nationaux d’établissement
           des responsabilités, en leur fournissant en temps voulu et de manière soutenue des
           ressources et des fonds suffisants;
                 13. Demande instamment aux États Membres concernés d’intégrer la
           protection de l’enfance dans la réforme du secteur de la sécurité, notamment dans la
           formation militaire et les procédures opérationnelles permanentes, y compris en ce
           qui concerne le transfert d’enfants à des acteurs civils de la protection de l’enfance,
           la mise en place de services de protection de l’enfance au sein des forces nationales
           de sécurité et le renforcement de mécanismes efficaces de détermination de l’âge
           afin de prévenir le recrutement de mineurs, et souligne à cet égard qu’il importe
           d’assurer l’enregistrement universel des naissances, y compris lorsqu’il est tardif, ce
           qui devrait demeurer une exception;
                 14. Insiste sur le fait qu’il incombe à tous les États de mettre fin à
           l’impunité, d’enquêter sur les cas de génocide, de crimes contre l’humanité, de
           crimes de guerre et d’autres crimes odieux perpétrés sur la personne d’enfants et
           d’en poursuivre les auteurs, et souligne à cet égard la contribution de la Cour pénale
           internationale, conformément au principe de complémentarité avec les juridictions
           pénales internes énoncé dans le Statut de Rome;
                 15. Salue le rôle que jouent les opérations de maintien de la paix et les
           missions politiques des Nations Unies dans le domaine de la protection des enfants,
           en particulier le rôle crucial que jouent les conseillers à la protection de l’enfance en
           faisant en sorte que la protection des enfants soit systématiquement prise en compte
           et en conduisant l’action de surveillance, de prévention et de communication de
           l’information dans les missions, et, à cet égard, réaffirme sa décision de continuer à
           inclure des dispositions précises concernant la protection des enfants dans les
           mandats de toutes les opérations de maintien de la paix et les missions politiques



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              des Nations Unies, encourage le déploiement de conseillers à la protection de
              l’enfance auprès de ces missions, et demande au Secrétaire général de veiller à ce
              que le besoin de ces conseillers ainsi que leur nombre et leur rôle soient
              systématiquement évalués lors de la préparation et du renouvellement de chaque
              opération de maintien de la paix et de chaque mission politique des Nations Unies;
                   16. Demande aux opérations de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies de
              continuer à appliquer la politique de tolérance zéro du Secrétaire général à l’égard
              de l’exploitation et de la violence sexuelles et de s’assurer que leur personnel
              respecte strictement le code de conduite de l’Organisation des Na tions Unies, prie
              de nouveau le Secrétaire général de continuer de prendre toutes mesures nécessaires
              à cet égard et de l’en tenir informé, et exhorte les pays qui fournissent des
              contingents à continuer de prendre les mesures préventives qui s’imposent, t elles
              qu’une formation à la protection de l’enfance obligatoire avant le déploiement,
              portant notamment sur l’exploitation et les sévices sexuels, et de veiller à ce que les
              personnels mis en cause répondent pleinement de leurs actes;
                   17. Exhorte toutes les entités des Nations Unies, y compris les missions de
              maintien de la paix, les missions politiques, les bureaux pour la consolidation de la
              paix et les bureaux, institutions spécialisées, fonds et programmes des Nations
              Unies, à accorder toute l’attention voulue aux violations sur la personne d’enfants
              en vertu de la politique de diligence voulue en matière de droits de l’homme
              dans le contexte de la fourniture d’appui par l’ONU à des forces de sécurité
              non onusiennes;
                   18. Prie à nouveau le Secrétaire général de continuer à lui présenter des
              rapports annuels complets sur la mise en œuvre de ses résolutions et des
              déclarations de son président concernant les enfants et les conflits armés et de faire
              en sorte que dans tous ses rapports sur la situation spécifique d’un pays la question
              du sort des enfants en temps de conflit armé soit présentée en tant qu’aspect précis
              du rapport concerné;
                    19.   Décide de rester activement saisi de la question.




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Русский текст (official Russian version): Организация Объединенных Наций                                                              S/RES/2225 (2015)
               Совет Безопасности                                         Distr.: General
                                                                          18 June 2015




               Резолюция 2225 (2015),
               принятая Советом Безопасности на его 7466-м заседании
               18 июня 2015 года

                    Совет Безопасности,
                    вновь подтверждая свои резолюции 1261 (1999) от 25 августа 1999 года,
               1314 (2000) от 11 августа 2000 года, 1379 (2001) от 20 ноября 2001 года, 1460
               (2003) от 30 января 2003 года, 1539 (2004) от 22 апреля 2004 года, 1612 (2005)
               от 26 июля 2005 года, 1882 (2009) от 4 августа 2009 года, 1998 (2011) от
               12 июля 2011 года, 2068 (2012) от 19 сентября 2012 года, 2143 (2014) от 7 марта
               2014 года, а также все соответствующие заявления своего Председателя, кото-
               рые развивают всеобъемлющую основу для решения задачи защиты детей, за-
               трагиваемых вооруженными конфликтами,
                   подтверждая свою главную ответственность за поддержание междуна-
               родного мира и безопасности и в этой связи свое обязательство заниматься
               проблемой повсеместного воздействия вооруженных конфликтов на детей,
                    признавая, что его резолюции, их осуществление и заявления его Предс е-
               дателя о детях и вооруженных конфликтах, а также выводы Рабочей группы
               Совета Безопасности по вопросу о детях и вооруженных конфликтах обеспеч и-
               ли прогресс в предотвращении и пресечении нарушений и жестокостей в от-
               ношении детей, выразившийся, в частности, в демобилизации, реабилитации и
               реинтеграции тысяч детей, подписании планов действий между сторонами в
               вооруженном конфликте и исключении некоторых сторон в конфликте из при-
               ложений к ежегодному докладу Генерального секретаря,
                    будучи, однако, по-прежнему глубоко обеспокоен отсутствием прогресса
               на местах в некоторых вызывающих озабоченность ситуациях, где стороны в
               конфликте продолжают безнаказанно нарушать соответствующие положения
               применимого международного права, касающиеся прав и защиты детей в усл о-
               виях вооруженного конфликта,
                    напоминая, что все стороны в вооруженном конфликте должны строго
               выполнять обязательства, применимые к ним согласно нормам межд ународно-
               го права о защите детей в вооруженном конфликте, включая обязательства, с о-
               держащиеся в Конвенции о правах ребенка и в относящемся к ней Факульт а-
               тивном протоколе, касающемся участия детей в вооруженных конфликтах, а


15-10051 (R)    180615   180615
*1510051(R)*

S/RES/2225 (2015)


               также в Женевских конвенциях от 12 августа 1949 года и Дополнительных про-
               токолах 1977 года,
                    будучи убежден в том, что защита детей в условиях вооруженного кон-
               фликта должна быть важным аспектом любой всеобъемлющей стратегии по
               разрешению конфликта, и подчеркивая также важность принятия широкой
               стратегии предотвращения конфликтов, которая позволяла бы всеобъемлющим
               образом заниматься первопричинами вооруженных конфликтов с целью усил е-
               ния защищенности детей на долгосрочной основе,
                    подчеркивая ведущую роль правительств в деле обеспечения защ иты всех
               детей, затрагиваемых вооруженными конфликтами, и признавая важность
               укрепления национального потенциала в этой сфере,
                    вновь подтверждая, что все действия, предпринимаемые организациями
               системы Организации Объединенных Наций в рамках механизма наблюдения и
               отчетности, должны быть направлены на то, чтобы поддерживать и дополнять,
               при необходимости, принимаемые национальными правительствами меры по
               обеспечению защиты и реабилитации,
                    признавая также важную роль, которую местные лидеры и сети граждан-
               ского общества могут играть в усилении на уровне общин мер по защите и р е-
               абилитации детей, затрагиваемых вооруженными конфликтами, включая нед о-
               пущение их стигматизации,
                    напоминая об ответственности всех государств-членов за выполнение
               данных ими соответствующих обязательств положить конец безнаказанности и
               расследовать действия и преследовать в судебном порядке лиц, ответственных
               за геноцид, преступления против человечности, военные преступления и др у-
               гие вопиющие преступления, совершаемые в отношении детей, и отмечая, что
               борьба с безнаказанностью за тревожащие международное сообщество самые
               тяжкие преступления, совершаемые в отношении детей, усилилась благодаря
               расследованию таких преступлений и преследованию за них в Международном
               уголовном суде, специальных и смешанных трибуналах и специализированных
               палатах национальных судов,
                    рассмотрев доклад Генерального секретаря от 8 июня 2015 года
               (S/2015/409) и подчеркивая, что настоящая резолюция не преследует цель дать
               какое-либо правовое определение тому, являются ли ситуации, которые упом и-
               наются в докладе Генерального секретаря, вооруженными конфликтами по
               смыслу Женевских конвенций и Дополнительных протоколов к ним или нет, и
               не предрешает правовой статус государств-неучастников, вовлеченных в эти
               ситуации,
                    выражая серьезную озабоченность в связи с похищениями детей в ситуа-
               циях вооруженного конфликта, совершаемыми в большинстве случаев негосу-
               дарственными вооруженными субъектами, признавая, что похищения происхо-
               дят в самых разных местах, включая школы, признавая далее, что похищения
               часто предшествуют совершению, в нарушение применимых норм междун а-
               родного права, других противоправных деяний и посягательств в отношении
               детей или являются следствием таких нарушений, включая вербовку и исполь-
               зование, убийство и нанесение увечий, изнасилования и другие формы секс у-
               ального насилия, которые могут быть равносильны военным преступлениям




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                                                                                     S/RES/2225 (2015)


           или преступлениям против человечности, и призывая все государства-члены
           привлекать к ответственности виновных в совершении похищений,
                будучи глубоко обеспокоен совершаемыми негосударственными воору-
           женными группами, в том числе применяющими насилие экстремистскими
           группами, посягательствами на права человека и нарушениями международн о-
           го гуманитарного права, включая массовые похищения, изнасилования и дру-
           гие формы сексуального насилия, такие как сексуальное рабство, особенно в
           отношении девочек, способными повлечь за собой вынужденное перемещение
           и ущемление права доступа к образованию и медицинскому обслуживанию, и
           подчеркивая важность привлечения к ответственности лиц, виновных в сове р-
           шении таких посягательств и нарушений,
                отмечая, что статья 35 Конвенции о правах ребенка призывает государ-
           ства-участники принимать на национальном, двустороннем и многостороннем
           уровнях все необходимые меры для предотвращения похищения детей, торго в-
           ли детьми или их контрабанды в любых целях и в любой форме,
                будучи глубоко обеспокоен пагубными последствиями незаконной переда-
           чи, дестабилизирующего накопления и неправомерного использования стрел-
           кового оружия и легких вооружений для детей в вооруженном конфликте, в
           частности в связи с вербовкой и использованием детей сторонами в вооруже н-
           ном конфликте, а также с их повторной вербовкой, убийством и нанесением им
           увечий, изнасилованиями и другими актами сексуального насилия, похищен и-
           ями и нападениями на школы и больницы в нарушение международного права,
                особо отмечая необходимость учитывать принцип наилучшего обеспече-
           ния интересов ребенка, а также особые потребности и факторы уязвимости де-
           тей в ходе планирования и осуществления мер, касающихся детей в ситуациях
           вооруженных конфликтов,
                напоминая об обязательствах всех сторон в вооруженном конфликте, пр и-
           менимых к ним согласно нормам гуманитарного права и международного пра-
           ва прав человека, подчеркивая, что ни один ребенок не должен быть лишен
           свободы незаконным или произвольным образом, и призывая все стороны в
           конфликте прекратить незаконные или произвольные лишения детей свободы и
           применение к ним во время лишения свободы пыток или других жестоких,
           бесчеловечных или унижающих достоинство видов обращения или наказания,
                признавая важность оказания своевременной и надлежащей помощи де-
           тям, затрагиваемым вооруженными конфликтами, в их реинтеграции и реаб и-
           литации, в сочетании с обеспечением учета особых потребностей девочек, а
           также детей-инвалидов, включая доступ к программам медицинского обслуж и-
           вания, психосоциальной поддержки и образования, способствующим благоп о-
           лучию детей и установлению прочного мира и безопасности,
                призывая все стороны в конфликте уважать гражданский характер школ в
           соответствии с международным гуманитарным правом,
                1.   решительно осуждает все нарушения применимого международно-
           го права, связанные с вербовкой и использованием детей сторонами в воор у-
           женных конфликтах, а также с их повторной вербовкой, убийством и калечен и-
           ем, изнасилованиями и другими формами сексуального насилия, похищениями,
           нападениями на школы и больницы и воспрепятствованием сторонами в во-



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S/RES/2225 (2015)


               оруженном конфликте гуманитарному доступу, и все другие нарушения меж-
               дународного права, в том числе международного гуманитарного права, права
               прав человека и беженского права, совершаемые в отношении детей в условиях
               вооруженного конфликта, и требует, чтобы все соответствующие стороны
               незамедлительно положили конец такой практике и приняли специальные ме-
               ры по защите детей;
                    2.   вновь подтверждает, что механизм наблюдения и отчетности будет
               по-прежнему применяться в ситуациях, перечисленных в приложении I и при-
               ложении II («приложения») к докладам Генерального секретаря о детях и во-
               оруженных конфликтах в соответствии с принципами, сформулированными в
               пункте 2 его резолюции 1612 (2005), и что его создание и применение не будет
               предрешать вопрос или предполагать принятие Советом Безопасности решения
               о включении или невключении той или иной ситуации в его повестку дня;
                    3.   ссылается на пункт 16 своей резолюции 1379 (2001) и просит Гене-
               рального секретаря также включать в приложения к его докладам о детях и в о-
               оруженных конфликтах информацию о тех сторонах в вооруженном конфликте,
               которые в нарушение применимых норм международного права систематич е-
               ски занимаются похищениями детей в ситуациях вооруженного конфликта,
               принимать при этом во внимание все другие нарушения и жестокости, сове р-
               шаемые в отношении детей, и отмечает, что положения настоящего пункта бу-
               дут применяться к ситуациям в соответствии с условиями, изложенными в
               пункте 16 его резолюции 1379 (2001);
                    4.   призывает те перечисленные в приложениях к докладу Генерального
               секретаря о детях и вооруженных конфликтах стороны, которые в нарушение
               применимых норм международного права совершают преступления и посяг а-
               тельства в отношении детей, включая похищения детей в ситуациях вооруже н-
               ного конфликта, незамедлительно подготовить и принять конкретные, огран и-
               ченные по времени планы действий по прекращению таких нарушений и пос я-
               гательств в сотрудничестве с Организацией Объединенных Наций;
                    5.   настоятельно призывает к немедленному, безопасному и безогово-
               рочному освобождению похищенных детей всеми сторонами в конфликте и ре-
               комендует государствам-членам, структурам Организации Объединенных
               Наций и региональным и субрегиональным организациям предпринимать со-
               ответствующие усилия для обеспечения безопасного освобождения похище н-
               ных детей, в том числе посредством принятия стандартных оперативных про-
               цедур, касающихся передачи детей соответствующим гражданским органам по
               защите детей, а также стремиться обеспечить их воссоединение с семьями и их
               реабилитацию и реинтеграцию;
                     6.  рекомендует государствам-членам рассмотреть возможность приме-
               нения в качестве альтернативы судебному преследованию и заключению под
               стражу мер несудебного характера, направленных на реабилитацию и реинт е-
               грацию детей, ранее связанных с вооруженными силами и вооруженными
               группами, принимая во внимание, что лишение детей свободы следует приме-
               нять только в качестве крайней меры и на максимально короткий допустимый
               срок, а также избегать, когда это возможно, заключения детей под стражу до
               суда;




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                7.   выражает глубокую обеспокоенность по поводу того, что использо-
           вание школ в военных целях в нарушение применимого международного права
           способно сделать школы законными целями для нападений и тем самым со-
           здать угрозу для безопасности детей, и в этой связи рекомендует государствам-
           членам принять конкретные меры по воспрепят ствованию использованию
           школ вооруженными силами и вооруженными группами;
                8.  подчеркивает важность регулярного и своевременного рассмотрения
           нарушений и посягательств, совершенных в отношении детей в условиях во-
           оруженного конфликта, с удовлетворением отмечает в этой связи неустанную
           деятельность своей Рабочей группы по вопросу о детях и вооруженных ко н-
           фликтах и предлагает Рабочей группе в полной мере использовать предусмо т-
           ренный ее мандатом инструментарий в целях поощрения защиты детей, затр а-
           гиваемых вооруженными конфликтами, в том числе посредством активизации
           взаимодействия с соответствующими государствами-членами, в свете продол-
           жающихся обсуждений вопроса об усилении мер по обеспечению соблюдения;
                9.   продолжает настоятельно призывать государства-члены, структу-
           ры Организации Объединенных Наций, региональные и субрегиональные о р-
           ганизации и другие соответствующие стороны обеспечивать, чтобы положения
           о защите детей, в том числе положения, касающиеся демобилизации и реинт е-
           грации детей, ранее входивших в состав вооруженных сил или вооруженных
           групп, включались во все мирные переговоры и соглашения о прекращении о г-
           ня и мире, а также в положения о наблюдении за соблюдением режима пр е-
           кращения огня;
                10. приветствует прогресс, достигнутый в рамках кампании «Дети, а
           не солдаты», имеющей целью к 2016 году обеспечить прекращение и недопу-
           щение вербовки и использования детей в конфликтах правительственными в о-
           оруженными силами, настоятельно призывает далее соответствующие прави-
           тельства и впредь прилагать все усилия для обеспечения того, чтобы в рядах их
           вооруженных сил, участвующих в конфликте, не было детей, и призывает госу-
           дарства-члены, все соответствующие структуры Организации Объединенных
           Наций, неправительственные организации и сообщество доноров поддержать,
           каждый в своем качестве, эту кампанию;
                11. предлагает Специальному представителю Генерального секретаря
           по вопросу о детях и вооруженных конфликтах представлять Совету Безопа с-
           ности обновленную информацию о кампании «Дети, а не солдаты», а также о
           прогрессе, достигнутом в деле подписания и осуществления планов действий
           или обязательств негосударственными вооруженными группами, в том числе о
           ходе и результатах исключения из перечня соответствующих сторон;
                12. настоятельно призывает все соответствующие стороны, включая
           государства-члены, структуры Организации Объединенных Наций, а также
           финансовые учреждения, надлежащим образом содействовать, учитывая нац и-
           ональные интересы, развитию и укреплению потенциала национальных учр е-
           ждений и местных сетей гражданского общества в деле отстаивания интересов,
           защиты и социальной реабилитации детей, затрагиваемых вооруженным ко н-
           фликтом, а также национальных механизмов привлечения к ответственности
           путем своевременного, непрерывного и адекватного обеспечения ресурсами и
           финансами;




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S/RES/2225 (2015)


                    13. настоятельно призывает соответствующие государства-члены в хо-
               де реформирования сектора безопасности обеспечивать всесторонний учет в о-
               просов защиты детей, например путем включения вопросов защиты детей в в о-
               енные учебные материалы и стандартные оперативные процедуры, в том числе
               вопросов, касающихся передачи детей соответствующим гражданским органам
               по защите детей, путем создания подразделений по защите детей в составе
               национальных сил безопасности и укрепления механизмов установления р е-
               ального возраста для предотвращения набора в вооруженные силы несовер-
               шеннолетних лиц, подчеркивая в связи с последним важность всеобщей рег и-
               страции рождений, включая позднюю регистрацию рождения, которая должна
               оставаться исключением;
                    14. подчеркивает ответственность всех государств за пресечение безна-
               казанности и расследование действий и судебное преследование тех, кто несет
               ответственность за геноцид, преступления против человечности, военные пр е-
               ступления и другие вопиющие преступления, совершаемые в отношении детей,
               и особо отмечает в этой связи вклад Международного уголовного суда, внос и-
               мый им в соответствии с закрепленным в Римском статуте принципом, состо-
               ящим в том, что он дополняет национальные органы уголовной юстиции;
                    15. признает роль операций по поддержанию мира и политических мис-
               сий Организации Объединенных Наций в деле защиты детей, в частности и с-
               ключительно важную роль советников по вопросам защиты прав детей в обе с-
               печении всестороннего внимания к защите детей и в руководстве усилиями,
               связанными с наблюдением, предупреждением и представлением докладов в
               миссиях, и в этой связи подтверждает свое решение продолжать включать кон-
               кретные положения, направленные на защиту детей, в мандаты всех соотве т-
               ствующих операций по поддержанию мира и политических миссий Организа-
               ции Объединенных Наций, рекомендует направлять советников по вопросам
               защиты детей для работы в составе таких миссий и призывает Генерального
               секретаря обеспечивать регулярную оценку потребностей в таких советниках и
               их количество и функции на этапах подготовки и продления мандата каждой
               операции по поддержанию мира и политической миссии Организации Объед и-
               ненных Наций;
                    16. призывает к дальнейшему осуществлению операциями Организации
               Объединенных Наций по поддержанию мира проводимой Генеральным секре-
               тарем политики абсолютной нетерпимости в отношении сексуальной эксплуа-
               тации и насилия и обеспечить полное соблюдение их персоналом кодекса п о-
               ведения Организации Объединенных Наций, вновь обращается к Генеральному
               секретарю с просьбой продолжать принимать все необходимые меры в этой
               связи и информировать о них Совет Безопасности и настоятельно призывает
               страны, предоставляющие войска, продолжать принимать соответствующие
               превентивные меры, такие как проведение перед развертывание м обязательной
               учебной подготовки по вопросам защиты детей, включая защиту от сексуал ь-
               ной эксплуатации и посягательств, и обеспечить всю полноту ответственности
               в случаях неправомерного поведения их персонала;
                    17. настоятельно призывает далее все структуры Организации Объ-
               единенных Наций, включая миссии по поддержанию мира, политические ми с-
               сии, отделения по миростроительству, другие отделения, учреждения, фонды и
               программы Организации Объединенных Наций, уделять всестороннее вним а-



6/7                                                                                          15-10051

                                                                                     S/RES/2225 (2015)


           ние нарушениям, жертвами которых становятся дети, в рамках политики долж-
           ной осмотрительности в вопросах прав человека при оказании Организацией
           Объединенных Наций поддержки силам безопасности, не относящимся к О р-
           ганизации Объединенных Наций;
                18. вновь просит Генерального секретаря продолжать представлять Со-
           вету всеобъемлющие ежегодные доклады о ходе осуществления его резолюций
           и заявлений Председателя о детях и вооруженных конфликтах и обеспечивать,
           чтобы во всех его докладах о ситуации в конкретных странах вопрос о детях и
           вооруженных конфликтах освещался в качестве отдельного аспекта;
               19.   постановляет продолжать активно заниматься этим вопросом.




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中文文本 (official Chinese version): 联合国                                                                  S/RES/2225 (2015)
               安全理事会                                              Distr.: General
                                                                  18 June 2015




               第 2225(2015)号决议

               安全理事会 2015 年 6 月 18 日第 7466 次会议通过

                    安全理事会，

                    重申其 1999 年 8 月 25 日第 1261(1999)号、2000 年 8 月 11 日第 1314(2000)
               号、2001 年 11 月 20 日第 1379(2001)号、2003 年 1 月 30 日第 1460(2003)号、2004
               年 4 月 22 日第 1539(2004)号、2005 年 7 月 26 日第 1612(2005)号、2009 年 8 月 4
               日第 1882(2009)号、2011 年 7 月 12 日第 1998(2011)、
                                                         2012 年 9 月 19 日第 2068(2012)
               号决议和 2014 年 3 月 7 日第 2143(2014)号决议，以及所有相关主席声明，这些
               决议和主席声明有助于建立一个综合性框架，处理保护受武装冲突影响的儿童问
               题，

                    重申其维护国际和平与安全的首要责任，并为此重申处理武装冲突对儿童的
               广泛影响的承诺，

                    确认安理会关于儿童与武装冲突的决议和主席声明以及安全理事会儿童与
               武装冲突问题工作组结论的执行促使防止和处理侵害和虐待儿童行为取得进展，
               特别是有数千名儿童复员、恢复正常生活和重返社会，武装冲突各方与联合国签
               署了行动计划，并从秘书长年度报告的附件中删除冲突方，

                    但仍然深为关切一些令人关注局势尚无实际进展，冲突各方继续违反有关国
               际法关于武装冲突中儿童权利和保护儿童问题的规定而没有受到惩罚，

                    回顾武装冲突所有各方都必须严格遵守它们根据国际法承担的在武装冲突
               中保护儿童的义务，包括《儿童权利公约》及其《关于儿童卷入武装冲突问题的
               任择议定书》以及 1949 年 8 月 12 日《日内瓦四公约》及其 1977 年《附加议定
               书》中的义务，




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                    深信武装冲突中保护儿童应是全面消除冲突和创建和平战略的一个重要方
               面，还强调必须采用广泛的防止冲突战略，全面消除武装冲突的根源，以便长期
               加强对儿童的保护，

                    强调各国政府在保护和救济所有受武装冲突影响的儿童方面起主要作用，确
               认加强各国这方面的能力的重要性，

                    重申联合国实体在监测和报告机制框架内采取的行动都必须支持和酌情补
               充各国政府在保护儿童和儿童恢复正常生活方面的作用，

                    还确认地方民间社会网络和领导人可在加强社区保护儿童和儿童恢复正常
               生活、包括不让受武装冲突影响儿童受侮辱方面，起重要作用，

                    回顾所有会员国都有责任履行各自的义务，消除有罪不罚，调查和起诉那些
               应对儿童遭受的种族灭绝、危害人类罪、战争罪和其他可怕罪行负责的人，指出
               由于围绕这些罪行开展工作和在国际刑事法院、特别和混合法庭以及各国法庭的
               特别分庭中起诉这些罪行，消除国际社会关注的最重大侵害儿童罪行不受惩罚现
               象的工作得到了加强，

                    审议了秘书长 2015 年 6 月 8 日的报告(S/2015/409)，强调本决议不寻求对秘
               书长报告所述局势是否属于《日内瓦四公约》及其《附加议定书》范畴内的武装
               冲突作出任何法律认定，也不预先判定此类局势所涉非国家当事方的法律地位，

                    严重关切儿童在武装冲突中被遭受绑架，这些绑架大都是非国家武装团体所
               为，确认绑架是在不同情况下，包括在学校中发生的，还确认在绑架前或绑架后，
               经常有践踏和违反有关国际法侵害儿童的行为，包括招募和使用儿童、杀害和残
               害儿童以及实施强奸和其他形式的性暴力，而这些行为有可能构成战争罪或危害
               人类罪，促请所有会员国追究应对绑架行为负责的人的责任，

                    深感不安的是，非国家武装团体，特别是暴力极端主义团体，侵犯人权和违
               反国际人道主义法，包括大规模进行绑架、强奸和实施包括性奴役在内的其他形
               式性暴力，特别是对女孩这样做，致使受害者流离失所，影响他们受教育和获得
               保健服务，强调必须追究这些侵权和违法行为的责任，

                    指出《儿童权利公约》第 35 条呼吁缔约国采取一切适当的国家、双边和多
               边措施，以防止为任何目的或以任何形式诱拐、买卖或贩运儿童，

                    严重关切非法转让、不利于稳定地积累和滥用小武器和轻武器在武装冲突中
               对儿童产生不利影响，特别是武装冲突各方招募和使用儿童，儿童被重新征召入
               伍、遭受杀害和伤残、强奸和其他性暴力、绑架以及违反国际法袭击学校和医院，

                    强调在筹划和采取涉及武装冲突中的儿童的行动时，应考虑到儿童的最大利
               益以及儿童的具体需求和弱点，



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                 回顾国际人道主义法和人权法为武装冲突所有各方规定的义务，强调不得非
               法或任意剥夺儿童的自由，促请武装冲突所有各方停止非法或任意关押儿童。停
               止在关押期间对其实施酷刑或给予残忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或处罚，

                 确认必须及时对受武装冲突影响儿童进行适当登记和为其提供恢复正常生
               活的援助，并同时满足女孩以及残疾儿童的特殊需求，包括提供保健服务、心理
               辅导和教学课程，促进儿童福利和持久和平与安全，

                 促请武装冲突所有各方根据国际人道主义法，尊重学校的民用性质，

                 1.   强烈谴责一切违反有关国际法的行为，包括武装冲突各方招募和使用儿
               童，重新征召儿童入伍、杀害和致残儿童，对儿童实施强奸和其他性暴力，绑架
               儿童，攻击学校和医院，武装冲突各方拒绝让人道主义人员和物资通行，和其他
               所有违反国际法、包括国际人道主义法、人权法和难民法在武装冲突中侵害儿童
               的行为，要求所有相关方立即停止这些行为，采取特别措施来保护儿童；

                 2.   重申，将根据安理会第 1612(2005)号决议第 2 段所列原则，在秘书长关
               于儿童与武装冲突问题的报告附件一和附件二(“附件”)所列局势中，继续采用
               监测和报告机制，并重申该机制的建立和采用不应预先判断或暗示安全理事会已
               就是否将某一局势列入其议程作出决定；

                 3.   回顾第 1379(2001)号决议第 16 段，请秘书长在铭记其他所有侵害和虐
               待儿童的行为的同时，亦将武装冲突中一贯违反有关国际法绑架儿童的武装冲突
               方列入他关于儿童与武装冲突问题的报告的附件，并指出，本段将适用于那些符
               合第 1379(2001)号决议第 16 段所述情况的局势；

                 4.   促请秘书长关于儿童与武装冲突问题的报告附件列出的在武装冲突中
               违反有关国际法侵害和虐待儿童、包括绑架儿童的各方与联合国合作，立即制定
               和通过具体和有时限的行动计划，停止这些侵害和虐待；

                 5. 敦促武装冲突所有各方立即无条件安全释放被绑架的儿童，鼓励会员国、
               联合国各实体、区域和次区域组织做出相关努力，让被绑架的儿童安全获释，包
               括制定把儿童移交给相关文职儿童保护人员的标准业务程序，并争取让他们与家
               人团聚，恢复正常生活和融入社会；

                 6.   鼓励会员国考虑采取非司法性措施而不进行起诉和关押，让以前与武装
               部队和武装团体有关联的儿童恢复正常生活和重新融入社会，同时考虑只在万不
               得已的情况下才剥夺儿童的自由，剥夺自由的时间应尽可能短，并且尽可能避免
               在审判前关押儿童；

                 7.   深切关注违反有关国际法将学校用于军事用途有可能使学校成为攻击
               目标，危及儿童的安全，为此鼓励会员国采取具体措施，阻止武装部队和武装团
               体使用学校；


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                    8.   强调及时定期审议在武装冲突中侵害和虐待儿童问题的重要性，为此欢
               迎儿童与武装冲突问题工作组不断开展活动，请工作组在任务规定范围内充分利
               用各种工具，根据目前对如何加强遵守有关规定的讨论，促进对受武装冲突影响
               儿童的保护，包括加强同有关会员国的接触；

                    9.   继续敦促会员国、联合国实体、区域和次区域组织和其他有关各方确保
               所有和平谈判、停火与和平协议以及监测停火的规定，都对保护儿童，包括对以
               前与武装部队或武装团体有关联的儿童脱队和恢复正常生活，做出规定；

                    10. 欢迎“是儿童，不是兵”运动取得进展，防止政府武装部队招募和使用
               儿童和到 2016 年时不再这样做，还敦促有关国家政府继续做出一切努力，确保
               在发生冲突时，政府部队中没有儿童，促请会员国、联合国所有相关实体、非政
               府组织和捐助方各自分别支持这一运动；

                    11. 请秘书长负责儿童与武装冲突问题的特别代表向安全理事会报告“是儿
               童，不是兵”运动的最新情况，以及非国家武装团体在签署和执行行动计划或承
               诺的进展，包括从名单上删除有关各方的工作和进展；

                    12. 敦促所有有关各方，包括会员国、联合国实体以及金融机构在铭记国家
               享有自主权的同时，酌情通过不断及时提供充足的资源和资金，支持建立和加强
               国家机构和地方民间社会网络声援、保护受武装冲突影响儿童和让他们恢复正常
               生活的能力，支持建立和加强国家问责机制；

                    13. 敦促有关会员国在进行安全部门改革时，考虑到保护儿童问题，例如在
               军事训练和标准作业程序中列入保护儿童事项，包括将儿童移交给有关文职儿童
               保护人员，在国家安全部队中设立儿童保护单位，并建立有效的防止招募未成年
               人的年龄评定机制，同时为此强调，必须有全民出生日登记制度，包括出生日补
               登制度，补登应被视为例外情况；

                    14. 强调所有国家都有责任结束有罪不罚局面，调查和起诉犯有侵害儿童的
               灭绝种族、危害人类罪、战争罪和其他重大罪行的人，为此重点指出国际刑事法
               院根据《罗马规约》提出的补充国家刑事司法管辖权的原则作出的贡献；

                    15. 确认联合国维持和平行动和政治特派团在保护儿童方面的作用，特别是
               儿童保护顾问在特派团考虑儿童保护问题和主导监测、预防和报告工作方面的重
               要作用，为此重申安理会决定继续在联合国所有相关维持和平行动和政治特派团
               的任务规定中列入保护儿童的具体规定，鼓励在这些特派团中部署儿童保护顾问，
               促请秘书长确保在筹备每个联合国维和行动和政治特派团和延长其任期的过程
               中系统考虑部署这些顾问的必要性、顾问的人数和作用；

                    16. 呼吁联合国维持和平行动继续执行秘书长对性剥削和性虐待的零容忍
               政策，确保维和人员全面遵守联合国的行为守则，再次请秘书长在这方面继续为



4/5                                                        15-10051 (C)

                                                   S/RES/2225 (2015)


               此采取一切必要行动，随时向安全理事会通报情况，敦促部队派遣国继续采取适
               当的预防行动，例如部署前进行法定的有关保护儿童、包括性剥削和性虐待问题
               的培训，确保在发生这类行为时全面追究本国涉案人员的责任；

                 17. 还敦促联合国所有实体，包括维和特派团、特别政治任务、建设和平办
               事处、联合国办事处、机构、基金和方案在执行关于联合国向非联合国安全部队
               提供支持的人权尽职政策过程中，充分注意侵害儿童的问题；

                 18. 再次请秘书长继续每年向安理会提交全面报告，阐述安理会关于儿童与
               武装冲突问题的决议和主席声明的执行情况，并在提交的国别报告中作为报告的
               一项具体内容，列入儿童与武装冲突的问题；

                 19. 决定继续积极处理此案。




15-10051 (C)                                                    5/5

النص العربي (official Arabic version): ‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬                                                                            ‫األمــم املتحـدة‬
‫‪Distr.: General‬‬
‫‪18 June 2015‬‬                                                                           ‫جملس األمن‬



                                                                             ‫القرار ‪)2015 ( 2225‬‬
                     ‫‪ 18‬حزيــــرا‬      ‫جلســــت ‪ 7466‬املعقــــيف ة‬        ‫الــــتّ اهجمــــتم جملــــس األمــــن‬
                                                                                              ‫ييفني ‪2015‬‬
                                                                                     ‫إن جملس األمن‪،‬‬
                  ‫إذ يعيددددك د يددددك قراراهــــ ‪ )1999( 1261‬املــــ ر ‪ 25‬آب أغســــ س ‪،1999‬‬
                    ‫و ‪ )2000( 1314‬املـــــــ ر ‪ 11‬آب أغســـــــ س ‪ ،2000‬و ‪ )2001( 1379‬املـــــــ ر‬
                  ‫‪ 20‬هشــــرين النــ ـ نيف ‪ ،2001‬و ‪ )2003( 1460‬املــ ـ ر ‪ 30‬كــ ـ نيف الن ي ــ ـ ير‬
                    ‫‪ ،2003‬و ‪ )2004( 1539‬املــ ر ‪ 22‬نيســ ألري ‪ 2004‬و ‪ )2005( 1612‬املــ ر‬
                  ‫‪ 26‬متيفز ييفليـــــــــ ـ ‪ ،2005‬و ‪ )2009( 1882‬املـــــــــ ـ ر ‪ 4‬آب أغســـــــــ ـ س ‪،2009‬‬
                    ‫و ‪ )2011( 1998‬املــــــــ ـ ر ‪ 12‬متيفز ييفليــــــــ ـ ‪ ،2011‬و ‪ )2012( 2068‬املــــــــ ـ ر‬
                   ‫‪ 19‬أيليفل سبت ‪ ،2012‬و ‪ )2014( 2143‬امل ر ‪ 7‬آذار م رس ‪ ،2014‬وهأكيـد يـ‬
                  ‫لي نـ ر رسيسـ ذار ال ــل ‪ ،‬الـ هسـ م وضـ ارـ ر ـ م ملع لـ مســأل ل يـ األر ـ ل‬
                                                                                 ‫املتضررين من ال ـزاع املسلح‪،‬‬
                      ‫وإذ يكرر د يك مسـ وليت الرسيسـي ـن ـيف السـألم واألمـن الـدوليا والتزامـ‬
                                        ‫هتا ال د ل لت دّ للتأثري اليفاس ال ق لل ـزاع املسلح لى األر ل‪،‬‬
                  ‫وإذ يسدل لـأ قراراهـ وه يــته ولي نـ ر رسيسـ املتعلقـ ل ألر ـ ل والـااع املســلح‪،‬‬
                  ‫وكتا است ت ج ر ال ريق الع م الت ل جمللس األمـن املعـب ل ألر ـ ل والـااع املسـلح‪ ،‬قـد أ ر‬
                  ‫اىل احراز هقدم ي يتعلق مب االنت ك ر واال تداءار املرهكب ضد األر ل والت ـدّ اـ ‪،‬‬
                    ‫وال سي ي يتعلق لتسريح اآلالف من األر ل وا ة هأهيل م وا ـ ة ا مـ ج م‪ ،‬والتيفقيـ‬
                  ‫لا األرراف الاا ر املسلح ‪ ،‬وحـتف أاـ ء لعـط أرـراف ال ــزا ر‬                    ‫لى خ ط‬
                                                                        ‫من مر قي هقرير األما الع م الس يفّ‪،‬‬


                                                                                                                   ‫)‪15-10051 (A‬‬
                                                                                                     ‫*‪*1510051‬‬

                                                                                                       ‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬



           ‫ومع أنه ال يزال يشعر بقلق بالغ ازاء ـدم احـراز هقـدم لـى أرو اليفاقـ لعـط‬
           ‫و قــ ب األحكــ م‬     ‫احلــ الر املــنرية للقلــق الــ ال هــزال ي ــ أرــراف الاا ــ ر ه تــ‬
            ‫ذار ال ل من الق نيف الدويل امل بق ي يتعلق حبقيفق األر ل ول يت م الااع املسلح‪،‬‬
            ‫وإذ يشددر اىل أ يــ أرــراف الاا ــ ر املســلح لي ــ أ متتنــ امتنــ ال ــ رم‬
           ‫لأللتزام ـ ر امل بق ـ لي ـ مبيفجــن الق ـ نيف الــدويل حل ي ـ األر ـ ل الاا ـ ر املســلح ‪،‬‬
             ‫مب ذل االلتزام ر اليفار ة اه قي حقيفق ال ولروهيفكيفا االختيـ رّ لشـأ ا ـترا‬
           ‫األر ل امل ز ر املسلح ‪ ،‬وكتل اه قيـ ر ج يـا امل رخـ ‪ 12‬آب أغسـ س ‪1949‬‬
                                                                ‫ولروهيفكيفلي اإلض يا لع م ‪،1977‬‬
            ‫واقتناعا م لضرورة أ هكيف ل يـ األر ـ ل حـ الر الـااع املسـلح ج نبـ ه مـ‬
                ‫أّ استراهيجي ـ مل ل ـط الاا ـ ر ول ـ ء السـألم‪ ،‬وإذ يشدك أيادا لـى أمهيـ انتـ‬
           ‫استراهيجي واسع ال ق مل نشـيفب الاا ر هع جل األسب ب التري للـااع املسـلح ل ـيفرة‬
                                                       ‫مل لتعزيز ل ي األر ل لى املدى ال يفي ‪،‬‬
           ‫وإذ يؤ ددك الــدور األس ســي للحكيفم ـ ر هــيف ري احل ي ـ واإلغ ث ـ ل ي ـ األر ـ ل‬
                     ‫املتضررين من الااع املسلح‪ ،‬ويسل لأمهي هعزيز القدرار اليفر ي هتا ال د ‪،‬‬
           ‫وإذ يكددرر د يددك ضــرورة أ فــدف ي ـ اإلجــراءار ال ـ هتجمــته كي ن ـ ر األمــم‬
                ‫املتحدة ار ر آلي الر د واإللألغ اىل م األ وار الـ هضـ ل ـ احلكيفمـ ر اليفر يـ‬
                                                     ‫جم يل احل ي والتأهي واستك ا ‪ ،‬حسن االقتض ء‪،‬‬
             ‫وإذ يس لّ أياا ل أل وار اا م ال يست ي الز ء احملليـيف و ـبك ر اجملت ـ املـد‬
           ‫القيـ م ـ هعزيـز احل يـ وا ـ ة التأهيـ لــى مسـتيفى اجملت عـ ر احملليـ ‪ ،‬ومـن ذلـ ــدم‬
                                                     ‫و م األر ل املتضررين من ال را ر املسلح ‪،‬‬
           ‫وإذ يذ ّر لأ يـ الـدول األ ضـ ء مسـ ول ـن االمتنـ ل لأللتزامـ ر املترهبـ لـى‬
           ‫ك م ي يتعلق ليفض حد لإل ألر من العقـ ب لـى جـراسم اإللـ ة ال يـ ‪ ،‬والـراسم‬
            ‫املرهكب ضد اإلنس ني ‪ ،‬وغري ذل مـن الـراسم الشـ يع املرهكبـ ضـد األر ـ ل‪ ،‬والتحقيـق مـ‬
           ‫املس ولا ن هل الراسم وحم ك ت م‪ ،‬وإذ يشر اىل أ لي مك ح اإل ألر من العقـ ب‬
           ‫لــى أخ ــر الــراسم املرهكبـ ضــد األر ـ ل الـ يل ــى ل هت ـ م ويل قــد هعــززر مــن خــألل‬
           ‫الع التّ جيـرّ لشـأ هـتم الـراسم واحمل ك ـ لي ـ مـن ج نـن احملك ـ ال سيـ الدوليـ ‪،‬‬
                                   ‫احمل كم اليفر ي ‪،‬‬       ‫واملجمتل ‪ ،‬والدواسر املتجم‬      ‫واحمل كم املجم‬



‫‪15-10051‬‬                                                                                                             ‫‪2/7‬‬

‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬



               ‫وقددك ن ددر هقريــر األمــا العــ م املــ ر ‪ 8‬حزيرا ييفنيــ ‪،)S/2015/409( 2015‬‬
                    ‫وإذ يؤ ك أ هـتا القـرار ال يسـعى اىل البـن ق نيفنـ ي ـ اذا ك نـن احلـ الر املشـ ر الي ـ‬
                ‫هقرير األما العـ م هعـد أو ال هعـد نزا ـ ر مسـلح سـي ق اه قيـ ر ج يـا ولروهيفكيفلي ـ‬
                  ‫اإلض يا‪ ،‬وال ي يفّ لى أّ حكم مسبق لشأ اليفض الق نيف لألرراف الضـ لع هلـ‬
                                                                                     ‫احل الر من غري الدول‪،‬‬
               ‫وإذ يعرب عن بالغ القلق ازاء لي ر اخت ف األر ل ح الر الااع املسـلح‪،‬‬
               ‫ال ـ هترهكــن مع ـ مــن قب ـ ال ـ ر املســلح مــن غــري الــدول‪ ،‬ويس د لّ لــأ هــتم‬
               ‫الع ليـ ر هــتم اخ ـ لين ـ ر مت يف ـ ‪ ،‬م ـ املــدارس‪ ،‬ويس د ّل ددذل لــأ ا االخت ـ ف كــنريا‬
               ‫م يسبق أو يعقن اسـ ءار وانتـ ك ر أخـرى ضـد األر ـ ل هت ـ وأحكـ م القـ نيف الـدويل‬
                  ‫الس ري ‪ ،‬وم االنت ك ر ال ه ـيفّ لـى التج يـد واالسـتوألل والقتـ والتشـيفي وكـتل‬
               ‫االغت ب وغريم من أ ك ل الع ا ال سي ال هرقـى اىل مسـتيفى جـراسم احلـرب أو الـراسم‬
                 ‫ضد اإلنس ني ‪ ،‬ويناشك ي الدول األ ض ء اخض ع مرهكيب لي ر االخت ف لل س ءل ‪،‬‬
               ‫وإذ يسدداور قلددق بددالغ ازاء انت ـ ك ر حقــيفق اإلنس ـ وجت ـ وزار الق ـ نيف الــدويل‬
                ‫اإلنس ـ ال ـ هرهكب ـ ال ـ ر املســلح مــن غــري الــدول‪ ،‬وال ســي ال ـ ر املت ر ـ‬
               ‫ليـ ر االخت ـ ف ال يـ واالغت ـ ب وغــريم مــن أ ــك ل الع ــا‬              ‫الع ي ـ ‪ ،‬والـ هشـ‬
               ‫ال سي ك الستعب ال سي التّ يست دف ال تي ر لـ ألخ ‪ ،‬األمـر الـتّ نكـن أ يتسـبن‬
               ‫هشــريد الســك والتــأثري لــى ــرو ح ــيفام لــى خــدم ر التعلــيم والر ي ـ ال ــحي ‪،‬‬
                                             ‫واذ يشد لى أمهي املس ءل ن هتم التج وزار واالنت ك ر‪،‬‬
               ‫وإذ يشر اىل أ ا امل ة ‪ 35‬من اه قي حقيفق ال ـ هـد يف الـدول األ ضـ ء اىل ا ـ ذ‬
               ‫يـ التــدالري املألس ـ اليفر يـ والن سيـ واملتعــد ة األرــراف مل ـ اخت ـ ف األر ـ ل أو لــيع م‬
                                        ‫أو االجت ر م ألّ غرو من األغراو أو لأّ ك من األ ك ل‪،‬‬
                ‫وإذ يساور بالغ القلق ازاء م خيل ال ق غري املشروع لألسلح ال ورية واألسـلح‬
                 ‫اخل ي ـ وهكديس ـ املز ــزع لألســتقرار واس ـ ءة اســتع ا مــن آث ـ ر ض ـ رة لــى األر ـ ل‬
               ‫الــااع املســلح‪ ،‬وال ســي لســبن جت يــد أرــراف ال ـــزا ر املســلح لألر ـ ل واســتجمدام م‪،‬‬
               ‫وا ـ ة جت يــدهم وقتل ـ م وهشــيفي م‪ ،‬واغت ـ م واخض ـ م أل ــك ل أخــرى مــن الع ــا‬
                ‫ال سي‪ ،‬واخت م‪ ،‬و ن ااج ر لى املدارس واملستش ي ر انت للق نيف الدويل‪،‬‬
                ‫وإذ يشكّ لى أ ا امل حل ال ضلى لل ‪ ،‬وكتا احتي ج ر األر ل اخل وأوجـ‬
                  ‫ضــع م‪ ،‬ي بوــي أ ه خــت اال تب ـ ر ــد ــيط وا ـ ذ اإلجــراءار املتعلق ـ ل ألر ـ ل‬
                                                                                 ‫ح الر الااع املسلح‪،‬‬

‫‪3/7‬‬                                                                                                              ‫‪15-10051‬‬

                                                                                                               ‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬



           ‫وإذ ي شددر اىل التزام ـ ر ي ـ أرــراف الاا ـ ر املســلح مبيفجــن الق ـ نيف الــدويل‬
           ‫اإلنس وق نيف حقيفق اإلنس ‪ ،‬ويؤ ك لى أن ي بوي أال يتحرم أّ ر من حريت ل ـيفرة‬
           ‫غري ق نيفني أو هعس ي ‪ ،‬ويهيب لك أرـراف الاا ـ ر أ هتيفقـا ـن ة رسـ االحتجـ ز غـري‬
            ‫القـ ـ نيف أو التعسـ ـ ي وأيضـ ـ التعـــتين وغـــريم مـــن ضـــروب املع ملـ ـ أو العقيفلـ ـ الق ســـي‬
                                                ‫أو الألانس ني أو امل ي املسل لى األر ل أث ء احتج زهم‪،‬‬
           ‫وإذ يس د لّ لأمهي ـ هــيف ري املس ـ دة‪ ،‬اليفقــن امل ســن ول لقــدر املألســم‪ ،‬لــى ا ـ ة‬
           ‫ا مـ وهأهيـ األر ـ ل املتضــررين مـن الاا ـ ر املسـلح ‪ ،‬مـ الع ـ اليفقــن ن سـ لــى‬
           ‫ض هلبي االحتي ج ر اخل لل تي ر واألر ـ ل ذوّ اإل قـ ‪ ،‬مبـ ذلـ احل ـيفل لـى‬
           ‫خــدم ر الر ي ـ ال ــحي والــد م ال ســي وال ـ امل التعلي ي ـ ال ـ هس ـ م ر ـ م األر ـ ل‬
                                                                        ‫واحألل السألم واألمن الداس ا‪،‬‬
            ‫وإذ حيث ي أرـراف الاا ـ ر لـى احتـرام ال ـ ل املـد لل ـدارس و قـ للقـ نيف‬
                                                                              ‫الدويل اإلنس ‪،‬‬
           ‫‪ - 1‬يكين بقوة ي انت ك ر الق نيف الدويل امل بق الـ هشـ جت يـد األر ـ ل‬
           ‫واســـتجمدام م مـــن قبــ أرـــراف ال ــــزا ر املســـلح وا ــ ة جت يـــدهم وقتلــ م وهشـــيفي م‬
           ‫واغت م واخض م أل ك ل أخرى من الع ـا ال سـي واخت ـ م و ـن ااج ـ ر لـى‬
           ‫املدارس واملستش ي ر‪ ،‬وقي م أرراف ال ـزا ر املسلح مب اي ل املس دة اإلنسـ ني وسـ سر‬
              ‫انت ك ر الق نيف ال دويل‪ ،‬مبـ يـ القـ نيف اإلنسـ الـدويل والقـ نيف الـدويل حلقـيفق اإلنسـ‬
           ‫وق نيف الألجنا‪ ،‬املرهكب ضـد األر ـ ل حـ الر الـااع املسـلح‪ ،‬وي لـن يـ األرـراف‬
                       ‫املع ي ليفض حد اتم امل رس ر لى ال يفر وا ذ هدالري خ حل ي األر ل؛‬
           ‫‪ - 2‬يؤ ددك مددن كيددك أ آلي ـ الر ــد واإللــألغ سيســت ر ه يــته احل ـ الر‬
           ‫املدرج ـ املــر قا األول والن ـ مــن هقريــر األمــا الع ـ م لشــأ األر ـ ل والــااع املســلح‪،‬‬
           ‫مب يت شـى مـ املبـ مل امل ـيفو لي ـ ال قـرة ‪ 2‬مـن قـرارم ‪ )2005( 1612‬وأ انشـ ء‬
           ‫هتم اآلليـ وه بيق ـ ال ي يفيـ لـى حكـم مسـبق لـى قـرار جملـس األمـن لـر را أو ـدم‬
           ‫ا را ح ل ـ معي ـ جــدول أ ل ـ وال ي بوــي أ يت ِــم م ـ ض ـ ا ـ ذ اجمللــس قــرارا‬
                                                                                        ‫ل إل را أو دم ؛‬
           ‫‪ - 3‬يشر اىل ال قرة ‪ 16‬مـن القـرار ‪ ،)2001( 1379‬وي لـن اىل األمـا العـ م‬
           ‫أ تي ـدر أيض ـ مر قــ ر هق ـ ريرم ــن األر ـ ل والاا ـ ر املســلح ‪ ،‬أر ـرافِ الاا ــ ر‬
              ‫املسلاح ال ه جمرط‪ ،‬انتـ للقـ نيف الـدويل السـ رّ‪ ،‬ة رسـ ر اخت ـ ف األر ـ ل‬
           ‫حــ الر الــااع املســلح‪ ،‬مــ األخــت اال تبــ ر يــ االنتــ ك ر والتجــ وزار األخــرى‬

‫‪15-10051‬‬                                                                                                                     ‫‪4/7‬‬

‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬



               ‫املرهكبــ ضــد األر ــ ل‪ ،‬ويألحــ أ هــتم ال قــرة ســت بق لــى احلــ الر و قــ للشـــروط‬
                                               ‫ال قرة ‪ 16‬من قرارم ‪)2001( 1379‬؛‬             ‫امل يفو لي‬
               ‫‪ - 4‬يهيب ل ألرراف اليفار ة أا ؤه مر قـي هقريـر األمـا العـ م ـن األر ـ ل‬
               ‫وال ـزاع املسلح‪ ،‬ال هرهكن انت ك ر واس ءار ضد األر ل هت وأحك م القـ نيف الـدويل‬
                 ‫لي ـ ر اخت ـ ف األر ـ ل ح ـ الر الــااع املس ـلاح‪ ،‬القي ـ م‪ ،‬و‬       ‫الس ـ ري ‪ ،‬مب ـ ذل ـ‬
               ‫هــأخري‪ ،‬لر ــدا خ ــط ـ مل يفس ـ وحمــد ة زم ي ـ ليفقــا هل ـ االنت ـ ك ر والتج ـ وزار‬
                                                                               ‫ل لتع و م األمم املتحدة؛‬
               ‫‪ - 5‬حيثّ لى أ يتم يفرا ومن و رط أو قيـد ارـألق سـراي يـ األر ـ ل‬
               ‫املجمــت ا مــن قبـ يـ أرــراف الــااع‪ ،‬ويشــج الــدول األ ضـ ء وكي نـ ر األمــم املتحــدة‬
                 ‫وامل ر اإلقلي ي و و اإلقلي ي لـى أ هبـتل ج ـيف هـتا املضـ ر مـن أجـ اإل ـرا‬
                ‫لأم ن األر ـ ل املجمـت ا‪ ،‬وذلـ ليفسـ س م ـ انشـ ء اجـراءار هشـويلي ميفحـدة لشـأ‬
                ‫هسليم األر ل اىل ال ر املدني املع ي حب ي ال ‪ ،‬و لى أ هسعى لض لـم مشلـ م مـ‬
                                                                          ‫أسرهم وا ة هأهيل م وا م ج م؛‬
                ‫‪ - 6‬ي شجع الدول األ ضـ ء لـى أ ه ـر ا ـ ذ اجـراءار غـري قضـ سي هكـيف‬
               ‫مبن ل لداس لل ح ك واالحتج ز وهركاز لى ا ة هأهي وا مـ األر ـ ل املـرهب ا سـ لق‬
               ‫ل ـ لقيفار ول ل ـ ر املســلح ‪ ،‬لــى أ يرا ــى ذل ـ مبــدأ ــدم حرم ـ األر ـ ل مــن‬
               ‫حريت م اال احل الر الق يفى وألق ر تـرة زم يـ ةك ـ مـ احلـرو‪ ،‬حين ـ أمكـن‪ ،‬لـى‬
                                                               ‫ه ّ احتج ز األر ل قب احمل ك ؛‬
                  ‫‪ - 7‬يعددرب عددن بددالغ قلقدده ازاء االســتجمدام العســكرّ لل ــدارس الــتّ يت ــ‬
               ‫وأحك ـ م الق ـ نيف الــدويل الس ـ ري ‪ ،‬والــتّ قــد جيع ـ هــتم املــدارس أهــدا مشــرو لل ـ جيفم‬
               ‫ويعرو سألم األر ل للجم ر‪ ،‬ويشج هتا ال د الدول األ ضـ ء لـى ا ـ ذ اجـراءار‬
                ‫مل يفســــ لــــر ع اســــتجمدام املــــدارس لــــى هــــتا ال حــــيف مــــن قبــــ القــــيفار املســــلح‬
                                                                                                     ‫وال ر املسلح ؛‬
               ‫‪ - 8‬يشدددك لـــى أمهيـــ ال ـــر ل نت ـــ م و اليفقـــن امل ســـن االنتـــ ك ر‬
               ‫واإلسـ ءار املرهكب ـ ضــد األر ـ ل الاا ـ ر املســلح ‪ ،‬ويرحــن هــتا ال ــد ل ل ش ـ ط‬
               ‫املســت ر ل ريق ـ الع م ـ املعــب ل ألر ـ ل وال ــرا ر املســلح ‪ ،‬ويــد يفم‪ ،‬ضــيفء امل قش ـ ر‬
               ‫ال ري لشأ هعزيز االمتن ل‪ ،‬اىل االست ة ل لك م من األ وار املت ح ل مبيفجن واليت مـن‬
                ‫أج هعزيز ل ي األر ل املتضررين من الاا ر املسـلح ‪ ،‬ليفسـ س م ـ هكنيـا احلـيفار مـ‬
                                                                                    ‫الدول األ ض ء املع ي ؛‬

‫‪5/7‬‬                                                                                                                           ‫‪15-10051‬‬

                                                                                                       ‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬



            ‫‪ - 9‬يواصل حثا الـدول األ ضـ ء وكي نـ ر األمـم املتحـدة وامل ـ ر اإلقلي يـ‬
           ‫يـ م وضـ ر السـألم‬          ‫و و اإلقلي ي وغريه من األرـراف املع يـ لـى ك لـ أ يـتم‪،‬‬
           ‫واه ق ر وقا ارألق ال ر واه ق ر السألم و األحك م املتعلق لر د وقـا ارـألق ال ـ ر‪،‬‬
           ‫لــى ارــألق ســراي‬    ‫ا را األحكـ م املتعلقـ حب يـ ال ـ ‪ ،‬مبـ ذلـ األحكـ م الـ هـ‬
            ‫األر ل التين ك نيفا مرهب ا س لق ل لقيفار املسلح أو جب ر مسلح وا ة ا م ج م؛‬
           ‫‪ - 10‬يرحب ل لتقدم احملرز ار ر لل ”أر ل وليسيفا ج يف ا“ الـ هع ـ لـى‬
           ‫التيف ـ حبلــيفل س ـ ‪ 2016‬اىل اهن ـ ء وم ـ جت يــد األر ـ ل واســتجمدام م مــن قب ـ القــيفار‬
             ‫املســلح احلكيفمي ـ ال ـــزا ر‪ ،‬وحيــث كــتل احلكيفم ـ ر املع ي ـ لــى ميفا ــل لــتل ك ـ‬
           ‫ح ـ الر الــااع‪ ،‬ويــد يف الــدول‬         ‫ـ يف‬    ‫ال ــيف للتأكــد مــن ــدم وجــيف أّ أر ـ ل‬
           ‫األ ضـ ء وكي نـ ر األمــم املتحــدة ذار ال ــل وامل ـ ر غــري احلكيفميـ والــدواسر امل ـ اىل‬
                                                                 ‫م هتم احل ل ‪ ،‬ك ٌّ حسن امك ني ه ؛‬
           ‫‪ - 11‬يكعو امل نل اخل لألما الع م املع ي ل ألر ـ ل والـااع املسـلاح اىل ارـألع‬
           ‫جملس األمن لى م يستجد من ه يفرار لشأ لل ”أر ل وليسيفا ج يف ا“‪ ،‬وكتل لـى‬
             ‫التقــدم احملــرز مــن قب ـ ال ـ ر املســلح مــن غــري الــدول هيفقي ـ وه يــت خ ــط الع ـ‬
           ‫وااللتزام ر‪ ،‬مب ذل معليفمـ ر ـن ليـ ر ـ أاـ ء األرـراف املع يـ مـن الق س ـ وسـري‬
                                                                                  ‫هقدم هتم الع لي ؛‬
           ‫‪ - 12‬حيث ي األرراف املع ي ‪ ،‬مب ي الدول األ ضـ ء وكي نـ ر األمـم املتحـدة‬
            ‫وامل سس ر امل لي ‪ ،‬لى القي م‪ ،‬حسن االقتض ء وم مرا ـ ة ضـرورة هـيفيل السـل ر اليفر يـ‬
              ‫زم م األميفر‪ ،‬لد م لي ه يفير وهعزيـز قـدرار امل سسـ ر اليفر يـ و ـبك ر اجملت ـ املـد‬
              ‫احمللي املع ي ل لد ع ن األر ل املتضررين من الاا ر املسلح ول يت م وهأهيل م‪ ،‬وكـتل‬
               ‫آلي ر املس ءل اليفر ي ‪ ،‬مب يك ي من امليفار والت يفي اليفقن امل سن و لى يف مستدام؛‬
           ‫‪ - 13‬حيث الدول األ ض ء املع ي لى أ هع م‪ ،‬د االضـ ألع لر ـألي الق ـ ع‬
           ‫األمب‪ ،‬مرا ـ ة مسـأل ل يـ ال ـ لسـب م ـ ا را هـتم املسـأل التـدريب ر واجـراءار‬
            ‫التشوي امليفحـدة العسـكري ‪ ،‬ويشـ ذلـ هسـليم األر ـ ل اىل ال ـ ر املدنيـ املع يـ حب يـ‬
            ‫ال ـ ‪ ،‬وانش ـ ء وحــدار حل ي ـ األر ـ ل ض ـ ن قــيفار األمــن الــيفرب وارس ـ ء آلي ـ ر ع ل ـ‬
            ‫لتقــدير س ـ م واحليليفل ـ و جت يــد الق ــر‪ ،‬م ـ التشــديد هــتا ال ــد لــى أمهي ـ ك ل ـ‬
                  ‫هسجي ي امليفاليد‪ ،‬مب ذل التسجي املتأخر لل يفاليد التّ ي بوي أ ي ا استن ءً؛‬
           ‫‪ - 14‬يؤ ك لى مس ولي ي الدول ـن وضـ حـد لإل ـألر مـن العقـ ب لـى‬
           ‫جراسم اإلل ة ال ي والـراسم املرهكبـ ضـد اإلنسـ ني وجـراسم احلـرب وغريهـ مـن الـراسم‬

‫‪15-10051‬‬                                                                                                             ‫‪6/7‬‬

‫)‪S/RES/2225 (2015‬‬



               ‫الش يع املرهكب ضـد األر ـ ل والتحقيـق هلـ الـراسم وحم ك ـ املسـ ولا ـ ‪ ،‬ويسـلط‬
                ‫الضيفء هتا ال د لى املس مه ال هقدم احملك ال سي الدولي ‪ ،‬و ق ملبدأ التك م مـ‬
                                     ‫ر ال سي اليفر ي امل يفو لي ن م روم األس سي؛‬        ‫االخت‬
                    ‫‪ - 15‬يس د لّ لــدور لي ـ ر األمــم املتحــدة حل ـ الســألم والبعن ـ ر السي ســي‬
                   ‫ل ي األر ل‪ ،‬وال سي الدور احل سم الـتّ ي يـ املستشـ رو املع يـيف حب يـ األر ـ ل‬
               ‫هع ـيم مرا ـ ة ل يـ األر ـ ل وقيـ ة ال ــيف املتعلقـ ل لر ــد واليفق يـ واإللــألغ البعنـ ر‪،‬‬
               ‫ويكــرر هــتا ال ــد هأكيــد م ـ قــررم مــن ميفا ــل هض ـ ا والي ـ ر ك ـ لي ـ ر األمــم‬
               ‫املتحدة حل السألم ولعن ف السي سـي أحك مـ حمـد ة هتعلـق حب يـ األر ـ ل‪ ،‬ويشـج لـى‬
                 ‫اي مستش رين مع يا حب ي ال ض ن هل البعنـ ر‪ ،‬ويـد يف األمـا العـ م اىل ك لـ أ‬
                ‫جيرّ لشك م ت م هقييم مدى االحتي ا الء املستش رين و د هم وأ وارهم خـألل ا ـدا‬
                 ‫ومتديد ك لي من لي ر األمم املتحدة حل السألم وك لعن من البعن ر السي سي ؛‬
                ‫‪ - 16‬يددكعو اىل أ هيفا ـ لي ـ ر األمــم املتحــدة حل ـ الســألم ه يــت سي س ـ‬
                ‫األمــا العـ م الق س ـ لــى ــدم التسـ مح م لقـ ازاء االســتوألل واال تــداء ال ســيا ولك لـ‬
               ‫امتن ل أ را هل الع لي ر امتن ال ه م ملدون األمم املتحدة لقيفا ـد السـليف ‪ ،‬ويكـرر رلبـ اىل‬
               ‫األمــا العـ م أ ييفا ـ ا ـ ذ يـ اإلجــراءار الضــروري هــتا ال ــد ‪ ،‬وأ يبقــي جملــس‬
                ‫األمن لـى لـم ـ ‪ ،‬وحيـث البلـدا املسـ مه لقـيفار لـى ميفا ـل ا ـ ذ اإلجـراءار اليفق سيـ‬
               ‫املألس كتزويد األ را الت لعا ا ‪ ،‬قب انتشـ رهم‪ ،‬ل لتـدرين اإلجبـ رّ لـى ل يـ األر ـ ل‬
                ‫مــن أمــيفر ـ م ـ االســتوألل واالنت ـ ال ســيا‪ ،‬و لــى ك ل ـ مس ـ ءل ه ـ الء األ ــرا‬
                                                                    ‫ح ل هيفرر م هتا السليف ؛‬         ‫ل لك م‬
               ‫ي كي ن ر األمم املتحدة‪ ،‬مبـ ذلـ لعنـ ر ح ـ السـألم‬               ‫‪ - 17‬حيث ذل‬
                ‫والبعنـ ر السي سـي ومك هـن ل ـ ء السـألم واملك هـن واليفكـ الر وال ـ يق والـ امل الت لعـ‬
               ‫لألمم املتحدة‪ ،‬لى أ هيفيل ك االهت م لألنت ك ر املرهكب ضد األر ـ ل‪ ،‬ارـ ر ه بيـق‬
               ‫سي س لتل الع ي اليفاجب مرا ة حقيفق اإلنس لـى الـد م الـتّ هقدمـ األمـم املتحـدة‬
                                                                             ‫اىل قيفار األمن غري الت لع ا ؛‬
               ‫‪ - 18‬يك رّر رلب اىل األما الع م أ ييفا هقدمي هقـ رير سـ يفي ـ مل اىل اجمللـس‬
               ‫لشــأ ه يــت قراراهـ ولي ن هـ الرس ســي ــن األر ـ ل والاا ـ ر املســلح ‪ ،‬وأ يك ـ هضـ ا‬
               ‫ي هق ريرم املتعلق حب الر ق ري حمد ة مسأل َ األر ل والاا ر املسـلح ل تب رهـ ج نبـ‬
                                                                      ‫رسيسي من جيفانن هل التق رير؛‬
                                                   ‫‪ - 19‬يقرر الق ء هتم املسأل قيد ن رم ال علي‪.‬‬


‫‪7/7‬‬                                                                                                            ‫‪15-10051‬‬

Draft resolution (S/2015/445):
United Nations                                                                            S/2015/445
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General
                                                                                18 June 2015

                                                                                Original: English




               Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
               Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Chile, Croatia,
               Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
               Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,
               Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
               Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand,
               Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of
               Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
               Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain
               and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Bolivarian
               Republic of Venezuela: draft resolution

                    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 con clusions 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 g round
               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,



15-10057 (E)    180615
*1510057*

S/2015/445


                  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 re solve conflict and build peace
             and stressing also the importance of adopting a broad strategy of conflict
             prevention, which addresses the root causes of armed conflict in a comprehensive
             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 th e 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



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           violence such as sexual slavery, particularly targeting girls, which can cause
           displacement and affect access to education and healthcare services, and
           emphasizing the importance of accountability for such abuses and violations,
                 Noting that Article 35 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child ca lls 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,
                 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 rerecruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexua l 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 specia l 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


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             armed conflict those parties to armed conflict that engage, in contravention of
             applicable international law, in patterns of abduction of children in situations 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
             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 an d
             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 provi sions 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




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           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
           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 r esources 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 registratio n, 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 wit h the United Nations
           code of conduct, reiterates its request to the Secretary-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 p reventive 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;



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                   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 Na tions
             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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Meeting record:
United Nations                                                                                                   S/PV.7466
             Security Council                                                                                                 Provisional
             Seventieth year


             7466th meeting
             Thursday, 18 June 2015, 10 a.m.
             New York




President:   Dato Sri Aman/Mrs. Adnin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  (Malaysia)


Members:     Angola. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Mr. Lucas
             Chad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Mangaral
             Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Mr. Barros Melet
             China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Mr. Liu Jieyi
             France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Delattre
             Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Hmoud
             Lithuania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       Ms. Murmokaitė
             New Zealand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           Mr. Van Bohemen
             Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Mrs. Ogwu
             Russian Federation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             Mr. Churkin
             Spain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Ibañez
             United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . .                                   Mr. Rycroft
             United States of America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                Mr. Pressman
             Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     Mr. Ramírez Carreño

Agenda
             Children and armed conflict
                   Letter dated 1 June 2015 from the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the
                   United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (S/2015/402)
                   Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409)




               This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of
               speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records
               of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They
               should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member
               of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506
               (verbatimrecords@un.org). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official
               Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org).

15-18380 (E)
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    The meeting was called to order at 10.05 a.m.          Excellency Mr. Ahmed Fathalla, Permanent Observer
                                                           of the League of Arab States.
Adoption of the agenda
                                                               I propose that the Council invite the Permanent
    The agenda was adopted.                                Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the United
                                                           Nations to participate in the meeting, in accordance
Children and armed conflict                                with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous
                                                           practice in this regard.
    Letter dated 1 June 2015 from the
    Permanent Representative of Malaysia                       There being no objection, it is so decided.
    to the United Nations addressed to the
                                                               I propose that the Council invite the Permanent
    Secretary-General (S/2015/402)
                                                           Observer of the Observer State of the Holy See to
    Report of the Secretary-General on children            the United Nations to participate in this meeting, in
    and armed conflict (S/2015/409)                        accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and
                                                           the previous practice in this regard.
    The President: I wish to warmly welcome the
Secretary-General, Ministers and other representatives         The Security Council will now              begin   its
present in the Security Council Chamber. Their             consideration of the item on its agenda.
participation is an affirmation of the importance of the
                                                               I wish to draw the attention of Council members to
subject matter under discussion.
                                                           document S/2015/409, which contains the report of the
    In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s            Secretary-General on children and armed conflict.
provisional rules of procedure, I invite the
                                                               I also wish to draw the attention of Council
representatives of Albania, Algeria, Argentina,
                                                           members to document S/2015/402, which contains the
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Botswana,
                                                           text of a letter dated 1 June 2015 from the Permanent
Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, the
                                                           Representatives of Malaysia to the United Nations
Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Georgia,
                                                           addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a
Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland,
                                                           concept note on the item under consideration.
India, Indonesia, Ireland, the Islamic Republic of
Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,          I now give the floor to His Excellency Secretary-Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,        General Ban Ki-moon.
Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar,
                                                               The Secretary-General: I thank the Minister for
the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, the
                                                           Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, His Excellency Dato Sri
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of
                                                           Anifah Aman, for arranging this critical debate on
Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the
                                                           children and armed conflict.
Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, the Syrian Arab Republic,
Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Viet Nam and                The past year was one of the worst in recent memory
Zimbabwe to participate in this meeting.                   for children in countries affected by conflict. My report
                                                           (S/2015/409) before the Council outlines the enormous
    In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s
                                                           challenges we face in upholding the fundamental rights
provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following
                                                           of tens of millions of children. We have seen crises
briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Leila
                                                           multiply and intensify, making protection more and
Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretarymore difficult. Grave violations against children have
General for Children and Armed Conflict; Ms. Yoka
                                                           been an affront to our common humanity in the Central
Brandt, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; and
                                                           African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and the
Ms. Eunice Apio, Director of Facilitation for Peace and
                                                           Syrian Arab Republic.
Development.
                                                               I am also deeply alarmed at the suffering of so many
    In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s
                                                           children as a result of the Israeli military operations
provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following
                                                           in Gaza last year. I urge Israel to take concrete and
persons to participate in this meeting: His Excellency
                                                           immediate steps, including by reviewing existing
Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting, Head of the Delegation of
                                                           policies and practices, to protect and prevent the killing
the European Union to the United Nations; and His


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and maiming of children and to respect the special              Grave violations against children are of great
protections afforded to schools and hospitals.              concern both in countries of origin and in countries
                                                            to which children flee. Children may cross the border
    Around the world, many thousands of children
                                                            to flee conflict, but that does not mean that they are
have experienced acts that no child should suffer.
                                                            safe from its effects. They require urgent and sustained
They have been killed, maimed, forcibly recruited,
                                                            protection interventions.
tortured and sexually abused. Their schools have been
destroyed. And in a worrying trend, abductions have              I regret that the contents of my annual report this
increased rapidly. Groups such as the Lord’s Resistance     year on children and armed conflict have been the
Army have been kidnapping children for many years,          subject of more controversy and discussions than usual,
but the scale and nature of that grave violation is         to the extent of threatening its integrity. The mechanism
changing. Abduction is now being used as a tactic to        has withstood scrutiny, and the content of my report
terrorize or target particular ethnic groups or religious   should speak for itself. It represents a strong overview
communities, and children have been a particular focus.     of egregious violations suffered by children in conflict
The large number of abductions by Daesh and Boko            in 2014. It increases global awareness, highlights the
Haram has shocked us repeatedly in recent months. But       need for accountability and calls for action. It is a
we should also recognize that the practice is prevalent     stark reminder that the protection of children in armed
in many other situations covered by the report and is       conflict must be our common priority.
perpetrated by a great range of other non-State armed
                                                                A healthy debate in which Member States put
groups. I am pleased that at the last open debate on
                                                            forward their views and provide information is
children and armed conflict, in March (see S/PV.7414),
                                                            appropriate. But national interests should not cloud
there was broad support from Member States to address
                                                            the objective at stake — protecting children, which is
the challenge and increase the tools available to deal
                                                            a moral imperative and a legal obligation. Those who
with it.
                                                            engage in military action that results in numerous grave
     Next month, we will mark the tenth anniversary         violations against children will, regardless of intent,
of the Council’s resolution 1612 (2005), which              find themselves under scrutiny. Member States should
established the monitoring and reporting mechanism          pursue all avenues to protect children affected by armed
on the recruitment and use of child soldiers. My Special    conflict. One important way is by ending impunity for
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and          the violations outlined in the report.
her predecessors have made great strides in protecting
                                                                I also wish to reassure everyone that I am committed
children from recruitment. The “Children, Not Soldiers”
                                                            to ensuring that the United Nations itself does more and
campaign is based on many years of work to change
                                                            better to prevent any abuse of children in the context
attitudes. This year has witnessed further progress.
                                                            of conflict. Recent allegations concerning abuse in
We are moving ever closer towards a world in which
                                                            the Central African Republic make that all the more
no child wears a Government uniform and engages in
                                                            essential. I urge Member States, and in particular all
combat. I encourage those concerned Governments
                                                            the parties to conflict identified in the report, to work
represented in the Chamber today to redouble their
                                                            with my Special Representative to prevent future grave
efforts to implement the goals of the campaign and to
                                                            violations against children. Children have the right to
work with my Special Representative. However, there
                                                            be protected in their schools, in their homes, in their
is still much to do in addressing the challenge of ending
                                                            communities. Let us keep the rights of children at the
grave violations against children by non-State armed
                                                            centre of our efforts to build a future of dignity for all.
groups.
                                                                The President: I thank the Secretary-General for
    The report before the Council highlights some
                                                            his briefing.
progress made in that regard. For example, the release
of 1,757 children from the Cobra Faction is a bright            I now give the floor to Ms. Zerrougui.
spot in an otherwise bleak picture in South Sudan. My
                                                                Ms. Zerrougui: I would first like to take this
Special Representative will continue to work with such
                                                            opportunity to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs
groups to ensure that we are doing our utmost to protect
                                                            of Malaysia for organizing this debate on children and
children in these most difficult environments.
                                                            armed conflict. Today’s debate builds on the important



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discussion we had on 25 March (see S/PV.7414),                violence and ensure that international support is there
presided over by France, dedicated to child victims of        to fund these programmes.
non-State armed groups.
                                                                  As discussed extensively at the open debate in
     As the Secretary-General has just stated, 2014 was       March (see S/PV.7414), engagement with non-State
a devastating year for children living in conflict areas.     armed groups is another vital area of focus to improve
A number of conflicts intensified in 2015, imposing           the situation of children in conflict. The majority of
terrible short- and long-term consequences on many            the parties in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s
children caught up in the violence.                           report are non-State armed groups, and I have been
                                                              working to engage a wide range of these groups to
    An estimated 230 million children now live in
                                                              secure commitments to stop violations and protect
countries and areas affected by conflict. More than
                                                              children. As the Secretary-General’s report notes, in
5 million refugee children have also been forced to
                                                              the Central African Republic I supported efforts of
flee from countries where the monitoring and reporting
                                                              the United Nations mediation team to include child
mechanism is in place. Appalling impacts on the welfare
                                                              protection provisions in the Brazzaville ceasefire
of children were felt especially in Afghanistan, Iraq,
                                                              agreement, signed in July of last year. This progress
South Sudan, the State of Palestine, Syria and Yemen.
                                                              was further consolidated in the context of the Bangui
The report before the Council (S/2015/409) documents
                                                              Forum in May of this year. Following a commitment
sharp increases in the numbers of children killed
                                                              signed by 10 armed groups on the margins of the
in 2014, and an equally shocking number of injured.
                                                              Forum, more than 300 children have been released
That should not just shock us, it is a call to action to
                                                              from the anti-Balaka and the ex-Séléka, and thousands
all of us. I will use the opportunity today to outline
                                                              more are expected to be released in the coming months.
the challenges as I see them and ways in which we can
                                                              This is another reminder of the significant resources
address obstacles and assist these children.
                                                              needed to appropriately receive and reintegrate such a
     First, violent extremist groups and their horrific       large number of children.
crimes captured much of the world’s attention in 2014.
                                                                  More recently, at the invitation of the Government
We saw children forced to become suicide bombers
                                                              of Colombia, I met in Cuba in May with a delegation
and human shields, and we saw the public execution
                                                              of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de
of many others. Others were required to witness and
                                                              Colombia — Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP). They
actively participate in public acts of brutality. We note
                                                              were open to discussing international standards and
that responses to the threat posed by extreme violence,
                                                              ways in which they could make progress to ensure the
by both militia groups and in some cases Government
                                                              protection of children. In that connection, I welcome
forces, have also raised child protection concerns. I am
                                                              the announcement made earlier this week regarding
gratified to see that the Council routinely calls on States
                                                              the release of children under the age of 15, and I
to ensure that measures taken to counter these group
                                                              look forward to seeing further progress to ensure the
comply with all their obligations under international
                                                              separation of all children.
law, in particular international human rights law and
refugee and humanitarian law.                                     Later in May, I met with the leaders of three armed
                                                              groups from Darfur to stress the importance of child
     As the Secretary-General mentions in his report,
                                                              protection. I am pleased to report that following this
the abduction of children in large numbers was a
                                                              meeting, they issued a joint statement on the situation
growing and prevalent feature of conflict in 2014. The
                                                              of children in Darfur, pledging to reinforce efforts to
response to abductions needs to be scaled up to address
                                                              prevent grave violations against children.
this increasing trend, including through early-warning
mechanisms. I echo the Secretary-General’s call in                 This concerted engagement also requires the
his report to expand the tools available to address           support of Member States to help facilitate contact
this important issue, including adding abduction as a         with these groups and allow independent access so
trigger violation for listing a party in the annexes of the   that discussions can be held. It is in the interests of all
Secretary-General’s annual report. We must also tailor        involved that these groups be brought into a process
integration programmes for those who undergo the              that will expedite the end of violations against children
traumatizing experience of abduction and associated           and prevent future ones.



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    As Council members know, last year we launched           schools and hospitals. Cases of recruitment of children
the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign. I am pleased          and their use in conflict have also risen dramatically,
to report that we continue to make progress towards          with all parties to the conflict on the ground recruiting
ending and preventing the recruitment and use of             children in large numbers.
children by national security forces by 2016. We saw
                                                                  Another issue that has recently been a focus in the
important steps taken in 2014 in Afghanistan, Myanmar,
                                                             field, as the Secretary-General mentioned a moment
Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
                                                             ago, is the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by
One can see in the Secretary-General’s report that just
                                                             peacekeepers or foreign troops. Sexual abuse committed
one case of recruitment by Government forces in the
                                                             by those entrusted with protecting a population is
Democratic Republic of the Congo was documented in
                                                             particularly egregious. It is our collective responsibility
2014, and we have not received any reports so far in
                                                             to do our utmost to prevent such behaviour and to
2015. That represents tangible progress as compared to
                                                             ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable in all
the situation just a few years ago. I will soon travel to
                                                             contexts.
Myanmar to support the Government and the United
Nations country team in their efforts to intensify and            The issue of deprivation of liberty is another
implement priorities in their joint action plan.             concern, with security forces detaining children for
                                                             their actual or alleged association with armed groups.
    While progress is indeed being made with several
                                                             It is equally worrying that children are being treated
Ccmpaign countries, sadly, the crises in South Sudan
                                                             primarily as security threats rather than as victims. My
and Yemen have severely hampered our efforts in those
                                                             Office has been working with its partners to ensure
countries. Solid progress had been made, but has now
                                                             that protocols are in place to ensure that detained
been largely lost.
                                                             children are handed over to child protection actors as
    From South Sudan, I am receiving testimony that          soon as possible, and these efforts have borne fruit. In
children — some as young as four months old — are            2014, agreements for the handover of children to child
being targeted in Unity state based on their ethnicity.      protection actors were reached with the Governments
Eyewitnesses and survivors said that boys were killed        of Chad and Somalia. Child-protection provisions
and civilians thrown into burning houses. In one             were also included in the concept of operations of the
instance, young boys who did not manage to escape an         Multinational Joint Task Force established to fight Boko
attack on their village were reportedly tied together with   Haram. Despite such progress, however, we continue to
one rope and their throats were slit. Girls are also being   receive disturbing reports of large numbers of children
subjected to rape by both individuals and groups. Those      being detained, particularly in the context of counteralarming reports were just received, and those acts          terrorism operations.
have occurred within the last six weeks. Such heinous
                                                                  The rise in the number and gravity of recent crises
crimes fly in the face of the numerous commitments
                                                             has tested both our resolve and our ability to respond.
by all parties in South Sudan to stop violations against
                                                             The most important element of our response will be to
children. As the Council knows, the Council’s Working
                                                             redouble our efforts and address new challenges with
Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted strong
                                                             new tools. I would remind the Governments concerned
conclusions on South Sudan in May. Unfortunately,
                                                             that they continue to bear the primary responsibility for
these actions seem to have little or no impact on
                                                             the protection of the children within their borders and
stopping ongoing violations. More must be done, and
                                                             that they must actively address the violations outlined
I call on the international community, especially the
                                                             in the Secretary-General’s report. The fight against
African Union and Security Council members, to take
                                                             impunity remains one of the key aspects of our efforts
concerted action to protect these children, who have
                                                             not only to react to, but also to prevent grave violations
grown up surrounded by violence and insecurity.
                                                             against children. Without credible accountability, the
    Yemen is also in our thoughts daily, as we watch         violations will not stop. I call on all States to comply
the violence in the media and receive reports of             with their international legal obligations and to review
children being killed in aerial bombings, and of many        their policies and practices to ensure that children are
others being recruited. Since late March, as UNICEF          protected and their rights respected.
reported a few weeks ago, at least 135 children have
                                                                 Lastly, we must all answer this call to action. The
been killed and 260 injured. The fighting has destroyed
                                                             stakes are high. An entire generation of children is


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depending on us to be their voice, to tell their story      her of her childhood and threatens her ability to live a full
and, most of all, to take action. My Office stands ready    and productive life. Each offence violates international
to engage with any party to conflict that appears in the    law. It both shames us for not doing more to prevent
Secretary-General’s report.                                 atrocities and spurs us to act to prevent all violations
                                                            of child rights and call for increased accountability.
    The President: I thank Ms. Zerrougui for her
                                                            Left unaddressed, each offence can contribute to the
briefing.
                                                            recurring cycles of violence and conflict that shatter
    I now give the floor to Ms. Brandt.                     lives and communities and perpetuate conflict in
                                                            future generations. We therefore welcome the Security
     Ms. Brandt: Let me, at the outset, thank the
                                                            Council’s particular attention this morning to abduction
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia for organizing
                                                            as a new trigger for the listing of parties to conflict in
this debate, the Secretary-General for his leadership and
                                                            the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report.
Ms. Leila Zerrougui, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, for             Let us also acknowledge the progress we have
her tireless commitment to keeping children in conflict     made together to release and reintegrate children
safe.                                                       affected by conflict. The Secretary-General and his
                                                            Special Representative mentioned the “Children, Not
     In January this year, in Borno state, Nigeria,
                                                            Soldiers” campaign, which has been central to that
villages were attacked by armed groups. Houses and
                                                            shared progress. Combined efforts also led to the
schools were burned. Fatima, a young mother, fled with
                                                            release earlier this year of more than 2,000 children
her baby and two young sons. Stopped by gunmen, she
                                                            by non-State armed groups, including in the Central
was forced to answer questions about her husband and
                                                            African Republic and South Sudan. I would like to
her religious beliefs. Eventually, the gunmen let her go,
                                                            take this opportunity to thank France for organizing
but ordered her to leave behind her sons, aged three and
                                                            a debate specifically focused on child victims of such
seven. She walked for weeks with her daughter until
                                                            groups earlier this year (see S/PV.7414).
she reached a camp for internally displaced persons
(IDPs). She has no idea of what has happened to her              We cannot, and must not, stop at the release of
sons, or whether she will ever see them again. This is      children, however. We must also think about what
frightening, devastating and increasingly common.           happens after children are released. How can they
                                                            resume normal life when they are inevitably burdened
    The past year, as the Secretary General’s
                                                            by physical wounds and psychological scars? Think of
report (S/2015/409) documents and as his Special
                                                            Fatima’s young sons. How will they cope when they
Representative mentioned earlier, was one of the worst
                                                            return to their mother? Think of the trauma endured
ever for children affected by armed conflict, not least
                                                            by the young women and girls who have escaped from
because of the alarming rise in abductions, especially
                                                            Boko Haram. Think of the more than 140 Kurdish boys
mass abductions, of children and adults in Iraq, Nigeria,
                                                            abducted by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
South Sudan and Syria.
                                                            last year. These children are victims and must be
     We have seen mass abductions before, and the           treated as such. When they are released, the best option
Secretary-General has just mentioned the Lord’s             is to transfer them quickly to child protection services,
Resistance Army, which abducted children by night,          to trained professionals who can support them as they
prompting thousands to make the dangerous nightly           recover, rebuild and reintegrate, and who can address
journey to areas beyond its reach. In fact, we will have    the needs of girls and children with special needs,
the honour to hear more on this from Ms. Eunice Apio        including those with disabilities.
later. The scale and nature of abductions is changing,
                                                                We must commit to providing that critical support,
however, and the Secretary-General’s report gives
                                                            because without it children will not get the opportunity
several examples of this.
                                                            to heal, and the risk of re-recruitment is real. While
    Used to instil fear and terror in populations,          we acknowledge that progress has been made in some
abduction is often only the first in a series of grave      areas, we must remain vigilant, because where conflict
violations. Sexual assault and rape, indoctrination,        has re-emerged or escalated, the risks of backsliding
recruitment as child soldiers and murder often follow.      are real. The Special Representative of the Secretary-Each of these offences blights the child concerned, robs    General just spoke about South Sudan and Yemen,


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where the use of children has not only continued but        let her courage inspire us to work even harder. Fatima’s
has increased in recent bouts of conflict.                  children, and thousands of others, depend on us.
    Urgently and collectively, we must turn our                 The President: I thank Ms. Brandt for her briefing.
attention to prevention. The best way to do that, of
                                                                I now give the floor to Ms. Apio.
course, is to step up efforts to end conflict and to
pursue accountability, not just as a means of addressing        Ms. Apio: On behalf of my organization, Facilitation
past wrongs but also of deterring future ones. But          for Peace and Development, in collaboration with the
we must also engage those who are most affected by,         Centre for Family and Human Rights, I would like to
for example, strengthening community protection             thank the Malaysian presidency for the invitation to
measures by engaging local leaders and exploring the        address the Security Council in today’s open debate.
benefits of unarmed civilian protection, as well as by      Ours is a typical grassroots organization, and our work
supporting the methods that families use to protect         contributes to improving respect for people’s rights and
their children — including, in some cases, seeking          promoting sustainable livelihoods. Our participation
safety and protection as refugees or IDPs.                  here today is an illustration of how even-handed the
                                                            Council can be in fulfilling its mandate.
     Even as we tackle such challenges, new threats
emerge. Children are at risk for new forms of violence          In my statement I will focus particularly on the
promoted via social media. Aggressive forms of              challenges that continue to face individuals, and their
recruitment for extreme violence, such as participation     families and communities, affected by abduction and
in executions and suicide bombings, are real and reach      other activities perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance
well beyond conflict zones. And even in places where        Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. I do this in the hope
children should be safe, they are not. Think of the         that the information may inform further interventions
attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, that killed       in northern Uganda, but also, and more important,
145 children and teachers. Or Gaza last year, where         that it may influence efforts to achieve disarmament,
more than 260 schools were damaged or destroyed.            demobilization and reintegration (DDR) in zones of
Or the countries where Governments and non-State            war and armed conflict where children still remain
armed groups use schools to store weapons, detain           extremely vulnerable to abduction and recruitment by
prisoners and house soldiers. Or the continued use of       insurgent groups.
explosive weapons and indiscriminate weapons, such
                                                                Between 1986 and 2008, Ugandans, in particular
as landmines and cluster bombs, in populated areas.
                                                            children in northern Uganda, had experiences very
    UNICEF therefore appreciates all the more               comparable to what other children are now experiencing
Norway’s leadership on the Safe Schools Declaration,        in war and conflict zones, and their impact is still
which advocates for schools to be safe and protected        visible today. Of the more than 65,000 civilians who
spaces and outlines actions to end the military use         were abducted by the LRA, at least 53 per cent were
of schools. We need more such initiatives, including        children, some as young as nine years old. They
negotiations to release children held by armed groups,      became forced labourers in the LRA. In addition to
and community-based reintegration programmes to help        soldiering, girls were subjected to systematic rape and
children not only recover and reintegrate but also learn    sexual violence, which among other things resulted
new skills to build for the future. Such efforts show       in exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and the
children and their families that we care, that we are       birth of thousands of children. Many of those abducted
committed to their protection and well-being and that       children were killed or maimed during the course of the
we cannot and will not tolerate grave violations against    war, and many still remain unaccounted for. Those who
children in armed conflict by anyone, anywhere.             returned were shadows of themselves, broken in body
                                                            and spirit, just like the families and communities they
     We have failed Fatima. We can only imagine the
                                                            had left behind, most of whom lived for many years in
heartbreak that she and her children endure daily. And
                                                            camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and in
we do not know if they will ever be reunited. We hope
                                                            deplorable living conditions. But others came back to
so, of course. Fatima told out staff in the IDP camp that
                                                            no family at all.
she has not given up hope. And neither can we. We must




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     For years, those communities lost their entire         to his home with his partner, who was also a former
livelihoods, and those who could be reached later had to    child soldier, and their three children. Sometimes he
survive on food and non-food items distributed mostly       and his wife have subjected their children to severe
by the World Food Programme and its partners, for which     beatings and chased them away to live on the streets in
we remain grateful. As happens during most wars, all        Gulu. The entire family has been diagnosed with severe
of the region’s infrastructure, including schools, health   post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
centres and roads, broke down and ceased to function.
                                                                The reintegration of such children has been made
All of those things became priorities that competed
                                                            more difficult because the receiving communities also
with the need for direct support to the psycho-social
                                                            suffered the effects of war and trauma. For example, in
well-being of the children and their families. Their
                                                            November 2013, a 58 year-old woman, whom I will call
lives have never been the same again.
                                                            Akelo, was referred to us by a mental-health clinic in
    We should not downplay the fact that the DDR            Gulu hospital to help her sort out a land-dispute case.
efforts were often fragmented, uncoordinated,               I am recounting her story because it is typical of the
experimental and even incomplete — understandably,          general population into which ex-combatant children
since we had very little to learn from. While they          return. In 1996, the LRA raided her compound and cut
met many children’s emergency and short-term                off her husband’s head, ordering her to laugh as she
needs — keeping them alive and relatively safe from         carried it around. At the same time, they killed her son
often enraged and desperate civilians and from looming      and his family and ordered her to bury the bodies. Now
rejection by their families — those efforts were not a      a widow and without a son, her brothers-in-law have
foolproof solution to the long-term effects of war on the   ordered her to leave their land under threat of death.
children and their families and communities. What was       They then razed her house to the ground. It was then
done in the name of reintegration consisted mainly of       that she began fearing the setting of the sun, because,
transferring individuals from point A to point B. Most      she explained, her nights were haunted by thoughts of
children moved directly from the LRA to squalid IDP         having had to carry the head of her husband and watch
camps. Some, but not all, received basic counselling at     her son and his family killed all over again.
reception centres in between.
                                                                The point here is that, although attention has been
    Years after the war, the northern region has the        accorded to the psychological wounds that children
highest rate of mental-health-related illnesses in the      have faced, however short-term, we have largely not
country, with soaring rates of suicides and alcohol         addressed those of people like Akelo, who may not have
and substance abuse. It has even affected some of the       been abducted but still bear the brunt of the war. Yet
economic and social rehabilitation efforts. Between         we have expected people like Akelo, who made up the
July 2012 and June 2013, in Gulu hospital, in the north,    majority in the communities, to embrace and support
alone 10,736 psychiatric cases with severe symptoms         the reintegration of formerly abducted children like
of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression were       Omona.
documented, an average of 75 cases a day.
                                                                 The region is also experiencing extremely high
    Actors in other war zones can learn from us and         incidences of land conflicts, often leading to violent
act early to ensure that individuals and families, along    behaviour and the victimization of children and women,
with returning children, receive adequate psychological     and triggering severe symptoms of mental-health
support. In our context, post-traumatic stress disorder     illnesses. As a matter of concern, we have also not
and depression, among other afflictions, are widespread     extended adequate support for demobilizing and
and speak to the need to integrate mental health into       reintegrating IDPs, so that they could come to terms
primary health care. To cite a recent illustrative case,    with their experiences and make a more organized
in 1991, at the age of just nine years, a boy I will call   resettlement, while protecting the most vulnerable like
Omona was forced to burn down his house while his           Akelo. In the process, war orphans, especially those
parents and two brothers were trapped inside. Shortly       who had been born in IDP camps, found it difficult to
after that, as they made their way into the bushes, the     identify or even claim their parents’ old land. I would
group leader ordered him to kill his own brothers for       like also to draw the attention of the Council to the fact
trying to escape. He defected from the LRA in the           that female ex-combatants who had children found it
Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012, and returned      extremely difficult to re-integrate if their children born


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of war could not integrate, mainly owing to stigma and       Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,
discrimination.                                              Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein,
                                                             Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, the
    We also note with concern that, besides recruiting
                                                             Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland,
children from mainstream society, groups like the LRA
                                                             Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania,
are now increasingly filling positions in their leadership
                                                             Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
hierarchy with children who were born in the group.
                                                             Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
As long as they remain in the LRA, those children are
                                                             Northern Ireland, the United States of America and the
also susceptible to being perpetrators of the abduction
                                                             Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
of other children from mainstream society. They also
remain likely to perpetuate sexual violence on other              The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the
recruits, including on girls born in the group, thereby      draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution
defeating the very purpose of our attempts to end the        to the vote now.
use of child soldiers and prevent sexualized violence
                                                                 A vote was taken by show of hands.
in war.
                                                             In favour:
     We commend the Council for the strong statements
                                                                  Angola, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan,
and actions that, over the course of the years, have
                                                                  Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria,
encouraged the fighters in the LRA to defect and
                                                                  Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom of
embrace DDR. In order not to leave a segment of such
                                                                  Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States
groups behind, we suggest that the Council consider
                                                                  of America and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
other innovative ways that might also appeal to children
who are born in and are growing up in the system.               The President: The draft resolution received
While international covenants talk about the protection      15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been
of all children affected by war, children conceived after    adopted unanimously as resolution 2225 (2015).
sexual violence fall through the cracks in the protection
                                                                I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the
framework. Those children, born of war, especially
                                                             Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.
when older or left parentless in the group, may have no
idea how to disassociate from the group.                         Let me start by thanking Secretary-General Ban
                                                             Ki-moon for his special remarks. I also wish to express
     I am also compelled to state here that I and other
                                                             my sincere appreciation to Special Representative of
scholars within the International Network for Children
                                                             the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
Born of War — which has its hub at the University of
                                                             Leila Zerrougui and to Ms. Yoka Brandt, Deputy
Birmingham in the United Kingdom — are undertaking
                                                             Executive Director of UNICEF, for their briefings and
a series of studies to better understand the phenomenon
                                                             valuable insights. Malaysia fully acknowledges and
of being born as a result of sexualized violence in
                                                             commends the vital and indispensable work of the United
war zones and how that might inform prospects for
                                                             Nations in advocating for and providing assistance to
integration and reintegration across time and space.
                                                             children affected by armed conflict around the world.
The contribution of civil society organizations like
                                                             I furthermore wish to thank Ms. Eunice Apio of the
mine can be made more effective when Governments
                                                             Facilitation for Peace and Development of Uganda for
take the lead in DDR. The effects of armed conflict
                                                             her testimony on the consequences of child abduction,
stay with children for a lifetime. We urge Governments
                                                             the effects of which are far-reaching and are felt long
to integrate DDR into long-term national development
                                                             after conflict has ended.
priorities.
                                                                 Graça Machel, in her seminal 1996 report on
    The President: I thank Ms. Appio for her briefing.
                                                             the impact of armed conflict on children (A/51/306),
    Members of the Council have before them document         advocated forcefully that the protection of children
S/2015/445, which contains the text of a draft resolution    in armed conflict is the joint responsibility of all
submitted by Albania, Angola, Argentina, Australia,          actors — Member States, international and regional
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,          organizations, civil society and even the lone
Canada, Chad, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech              individual, each playing their respective roles. It is that
Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,        sense of shared responsibility that Malaysia appeals to


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when calling for concerted action to end and alleviate             We are equally alarmed by the increasing instances
the suffering of children harmed by warfare. This is          of attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as the
especially so if we are to address challenges that require    military use of schools by both State and non-State
sustained attention and close collaboration.                  armed groups, thereby depriving thousands of children
                                                              of access to education and health care. Building on the
    The challenges are manifold. In Yemen, Iraq and
                                                              Security Council’s call, in resolutions 1998 (2011) and
Palestine, children are losing their lives as the result
                                                              2143 (2014), for the protection of schools from attack
of air strikes and the use of explosive weapons in
                                                              and military use, I am pleased to announce Malaysia’s
densely populated settings. Children in South Sudan
                                                              endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration, adopted
and Somalia continue to be recruited in large numbers
                                                              on 29 May in Oslo. We encourage all member States to
by armed groups and militias. Children abducted by
                                                              consider endorsing that declaration, which aims, inter
violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram and
                                                              alia, to raise awareness on good practices that would
Daesh, are forced into sexual slavery and are coerced or
                                                              deter the military use of educational facilities in armed
brainwashed to inflict bloodshed, including as suicide
                                                              conflict and preserve schools as mainstays of learning,
bombers, combatants and executioners.
                                                              not bloodshed.
     Those continued violations against children shock
                                                                  The question of accountability cannot go unaddressed
our collective consciousness and demand a concerted,
                                                              and is a vital component of a comprehensive approach to
collective response. The increasing incidence of
                                                              child protection. We urge for actions to be taken under
abductions perpetrated primarily by non-State
                                                              national or international justice mechanisms, where
armed groups is grave and disturbing. Children who
                                                              appropriate, against parties that commit violations and
are abducted can be subjected to myriad further
                                                              abuses against children. We reaffirm the importance of
violations — they can be harmed multiple times. The
                                                              the Security Council framework for children and armed
use of abductions by violent extremist groups as a terror
                                                              conflict and the various tools that have been developed
tactic against local communities and minorities is an
                                                              to ensure the accountability and compliance of parties
acute concern that cannot be easily addressed using
                                                              to conflict, including through the listing mechanism of
the available tools and mechanisms. That is why, in our
                                                              the annual report of the Secretary-General. We believe
view, the unanimous adoption of resolution 2225 (2015)
                                                              that facts should be the determining factor that guides
today is important, as it underscores our unified stance
                                                              our actions under this framework.
in denouncing the abduction of children. Strengthening
the monitoring and reporting on abductions, as well               We are also dismayed that the credibility and
as identifying perpetrators, will further contribute to       integrity of the mechanism was questioned this year.
ensuring accountability. At the same time, we must also       During last year’s 50-day war in Gaza, over 500
ensure that security forces and peacekeeping missions         Palestinian children were killed and over 1,000 children
are trained and equipped to proactively respond to            suffered serious injuries causing permanent disabilities
situations where children are at risk of abduction and        as a direct result of the Israeli attacks. Despite the fact
other grave violations.                                       that the number of Palestinian children killed was the
                                                              third highest in the world, and the number of schools
    Ms. Apio illustrated in poignant detail the long-term
                                                              damaged or destroyed was the highest in the world in
consequences experienced by children, particularly girls,
                                                              2014, we have failed to ensure that the perpetrators are
and communities impacted by abduction, underscoring
                                                              brought to account.
the importance of ensuring that mechanisms and
programmes are in place to facilitate the reintegration           Impunity will only further embolden the
and rehabilitation of children victimized by armed            perpetrators. When we start applying different
groups back into their communities. We must also              standards to perpetrators and when we discriminate
recognize that reintegration is a long-term effort that       against those who deserve justice and accountability,
requires the collective responsibility of all stakeholders,   we are in fact perpetuating grave violations, not only
including the international community. In that regard,        of children’s rights but those of humankind in general.
community-based reintegration programmes that foster
                                                                  On behalf of my delegation, I wish to express
a spirit of unity and reconciliation among communities
                                                              our heartfelt appreciation to all Council members
ravaged by war deserve to be fully supported.
                                                              and Member States that supported the resolution just
                                                              adopted, including by sponsoring the text. We fervently


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hope that the adoption of this resolution will serve to          The issue of children and armed conflict has
further strengthen our collective resolve to continue       continued to expand since it was first placed on the
developing effective strategies and responses for the       Council’s agenda, 10 years ago, at the initiative of
protection of children in armed conflict, even in the       France. The emergence of new conflicts and global
face of unprecedented challenges. The future of our         threats made 2014 an especially tragic year — the most
nations and of the world rests upon the shoulders of the    horrifying — for millions of girls and boys. Despite
children that we secure, protect and nurture today.         some progress, reports such as the one before us today
                                                            (S/2015/409) highlight the need for the Council to
     As a non-permanent member of the Council
                                                            continue its firm pursuit of that agenda. Along with
and Chair of the Working Group on Children and
                                                            the numerous and execrable acts of violence committed
Armed Conflict, as well as a responsible member of
                                                            against girls and boys in armed conflict — beginning
the international community, Malaysia reaffirms its
                                                            with the recruitment of child soldiers — the abduction
commitment to ensuring that children affected by
                                                            of minors has become a routine occurrence in many
armed conflict are given the attention and consideration
                                                            conflict zones. Mass abductions are a new tactic
that they truly deserve.
                                                            employed in particular by non-State armed groups to
   I now resume my functions as President of the            terrorize civilian populations. Abduction is only the
Security Council.                                           beginning of a far greater horror that generally ends
                                                            in forced recruitment, sexual abuse, child trafficking,
    I shall now give the floor to the other members of
                                                            slavery, mutilation and murder. In that context,
the Council.
                                                            girls are especially vulnerable to being abducted for
    Mr. Ignacio Ybáñez (Spain) (spoke in Spanish):          sexual purposes. Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Lord’s
Allow me to commend you, Sir, for organizing this           Resistance Army in the Democratic Republic of the
open debate and for the adoption of an important new        Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and the Central African
resolution on children and armed conflict (resolution       Republic, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/
2225 (2015)), of which Spain was a sponsor. The             Daesh embody those cruel and evil practices aimed at
resolution is the tangible result of Malaysia’s excellent   overwhelming all possible resistance through the use
work as head of the Working Group on Children and           of terror.
Armed Conflict, which we applaud. I would also
                                                                 The primary goal of the resolution just adopted
like to express our gratitude for the briefings by the
                                                            is, in fact, to incorporate the abduction of children as
Secretary-General and by Ms. Lelia Zerrougui, Special
                                                            grounds for inclusion on the Secretary-General’s list
Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
                                                            of grave crimes against children in armed conflict by
and Armed Conflict, Ms. Yoka Brandt, Deputy
                                                            countries or armed groups that fail to comply with the
Executive Director of UNICEF, and Ms. Eunice Apio,
                                                            measures of prevention and protection it provides. We
Director of the Ugandan non-governmental organization
                                                            welcome this substantive and far-reaching advance.
Facilitation for Peace and Development.
                                                                With the aim of furthering that agenda, I would like
     I am joined today by a delegation of Spanish
                                                            now to focus on five key areas: respect for international
parliamentarians led by the President of the Senate.
                                                            humanitarian law; the role of peacekeeping operations;
Their presence underscores the interest and importance
                                                            peace agreements and the reintegration of children into
that Spain accords the work of the Security Council in
                                                            civilian life; accountability; and the mobilization of
promoting peace, security and the rights of children,
                                                            public opinion.
in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
Spain considers it a national priority to contribute to a       We will not cease to insist on the absolute
world that will be more just, safer and more prosperous     importance of respect for the most basic tenets of
as a legacy for today’s youth and future generations. In    international humanitarian law. Schools and hospitals
that spirit, we accept the responsibility conferred on us   must be respected and safeguarded. On 29 May, in
by the mandate of the Council and with that attitude we     Oslo, Spain signed the Safe Schools Declaration along
actively participate in negotiating texts and in debates    with 37 other countries, We trust that, with the support
such as the one that brings us together here today at the   of a growing number of Member States, progress
initiative of the Council presidency.                       will be made in protecting schools from military use.
                                                            Unfortunately, well into the twenty-first century, it


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is still necessary to point out that the use of certain        agreements. Spain would like to see mechanisms
explosive devices, such as anti-personnnel mines or            that address those needs in the same way that we
cluster bombs is utterly reprehensible, as they affect the     have encouraged the participation of women in the
whole civilian population, inflict inhuman damage and          negotiation and implementation of peace agreements.
martyr a high number of children. In that regard, I want
                                                                   In that respect, peace agreements cannot omit
to speak out on behalf of Spain against the use of barrel
                                                               three important factors: the protection, rehabilitation
bombs in Syria, which constitutes a flagrant war crime
                                                               and reintegration of child victims of armed conflicts.
that must not go unpunished.
                                                               Affected States should ensure the existence of
     The latest report of the Secretary-General refers         mechanisms that satisfactorily address those three
extensively to the shelling in densely populated areas.        issues. A good reintegration mechanism is provided
Those actions are difficult to justify in the light of         by education and training programmes established to
international law and result in a number of child              promote the interests of children and respect their status
victims so high that they can only lead to outrage. The        as victims. I recall, as an example of good practices,
rocket attack in Aleppo on Monday, which resulted in           the figures provided by Colombia at the open debate
dozens of deaths, including many children, is another          of 25 March (see S/PV.7414): through the establishment
example of indiscriminate attacks, which we strongly           of an intergovernmental commission that included
regret and condemn. War is an ideal breeding ground            23 Government agencies, more than 4,000 minors
for the commission of mass crimes; hence the need to           recruited by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de
put an end to the hostilities and aggression in order to       Colombia and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional have
be able to work on the difficult task of building and          been reintegrated in the past 10 years.
consolidating peace.
                                                                   In terms of accountability, we will continue to
     I would also like to address the role of                  advocate for strengthening national judicial systems,
peacekeeping operations. They contribute significantly         and the cooperation of the Security Council with the
to international peace and security by helping countries       International Criminal Court. The fight against impunity
in post-conflict situations to create the conditions that      not only restores the dignity of the victims, but acts
make sustainable peace possible, one in which the              as a deterrent. However, we must distinguish between
protection of children is a key element. Therefore,            perpetrators and victims, as it would be a paradox to put
I would like to reiterate the opinion expressed by             in detention children who are soldiers but who are, first
Spain in March (see S/PV.7414) on the importance of            and above all, victims of armed conflict. Therefore,
strengthening the mandates of peacekeeping missions            in line with the recommendations of the Secretarywith regard to child protection. We also believe that          General, we are in favour of studying alternatives to
the countries listed by the Secretary-General that have        criminal proceedings aimed at rehabilitation and social
not adopted an action plan to put an end to possible           reintegration, always in the interest of the child. That
violations and abuses against children committed by            does not mean that we cannot attribute responsibility to
members of their contingents should not contribute             those responsible for their recruitment.
troops to those types of operations.
                                                                    Finally, with regard to the mobilization of public
    It is crucial to ensure the presence of child              opinion, Governments, international organizations and
protection advisers in peacekeeping missions and to            civil society must continue to work side by side to raise
ensure adequate training for contingents on child-             awareness among all stakeholders — from armed groups
protection issues. All that is essential in order to be able   to the victims’ families — of the large-scale challenge
to contribute to moving forward, in an increasingly            posed by all that remains to be done. The Office of
decisive and effective way, on protecting children on          the Special Representative for Children and Armed
the ground, which is a basic responsibility of States.         Conflict and UNICEF have done an excellent job with
Spain recalls the importance of continuing to fully            the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign in collaboration
apply the zero-tolerance policy of the Secretary-              with countries such as Chad and Afghanistan. Together
General on sexual violence and abuse and the need to           we can help promote that agenda so that the words
ensure accountability for those involved in such acts.         “child” and “soldier” are antithetical in every corner of
                                                               the planet. The “No Lost Generation” campaign lead by
    I would also stress the importance of prominently
                                                               UNICEF directed at Syrian refugees, with the support
incorporating the needs of children into peace


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of the European Union and Turkey, is yielding good          the United Nations child-protection mechanisms so as
results. On 19 May, during the holding of the second        to turn abductions into a criterion for inclusion in the
open debate of the Peace and Security Council of the        Secretary-General’s black list. I wish to congratulate
African Union on children and armed conflict, there         Malaysia for its outstanding work on this issue.
were notable examples of good practices, even in very
                                                                 The comprehensive United Nations mechanism for
difficult situations, such as in the Central African
                                                            the protection of children deserves our attention today.
Republic.
                                                            Established in 2005 under the leadership of France,
     I would like to conclude by thanking you,              that mechanism now consists of the Security Council’s
Mr. President, once again for convening this important      Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, the
and timely debate, which has allowed us to adopt a          annual report of the Secretary-General, with its black
resolution that strengthens the fight against the cruelty   list, the mandate of his Special Representative and,
that affects the youngest and most innocent members         especially, a reporting and monitoring mechanism. It is
of the human race. We cannot remain indifferent to          essential that the mechanism, which identifies violations
the manipulation of lives that are just starting and        committed by the parties on the ground and provides
have the right to develop without being forever marked      information for the Secretary-General’s reports and
by violence and hatred. Debates and resolutions like        decisions, remain impartial and confidential. It is
today’s are morally and politically imperative. When        important that the United Nations continue to ensure
it comes to the protection of children, no effort is too    the methodological effectiveness of the mechanism,
great, given the size of the challenge. The international   which cannot, of course, account for all the violations
community and the Council can count on Spain to             committed in countries in conflict, but remains the
relentlessly address this challenge.                        most effective tool to date for informing us about the six
                                                            grave violations of children’s rights. We must therefore
     Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I thank
                                                            defend the mechanism and, if necessary, reinforce and
the Malaysian presidency and you, Mr. Minister,
                                                            improve it.
for organizing this crucial debate, which comes at a
particularly busy time, both politically and emotionally,       Indeed, the mechanism today covers violations
in terms of the United Nations agenda. The challenges       committed by both Government forces and non-State
identified by the Secretary-General in terms of the         armed groups in what are still too many situations. Most
protection of children in armed conflict, the abduction     child recruitment and almost 96 per cent of abductions
of children by extremist groups and the recent              are committed by non-State armed groups, which are
allegations of sexual abuse all call on us to solemnly      often difficult to access by the United Nations and
reaffirm today our commitment to the protection of          monitoring teams. States must therefore facilitate
children.                                                   the access of the United Nations in their territory in
                                                            order to engage non-State armed groups on children’s
     I also wish to thank and commend the relentless
                                                            rights. That was the purpose of the open debate (see
commitment of UNICEF, represented here by Ms. Yoka
                                                            S/PV.7414) organized under the French presidency
Brandt, and the Special Representative of the Secretaryon 25 March. It was also one of the main thrusts of
General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Leila
                                                            the non-paper that we developed on the basis of the
Zerrougui, whose mandate is essential to improving
                                                            operational proposals of Member States. It is also the
the situation of children in armed conflict. We must
                                                            thrust of the Paris Commitments and Paris Principles
all support her work and even strengthen it. Finally,
                                                            on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed
I would like to convey my gratitude to Ms. Eunice
                                                            Groups, which we call on all States to sign.
Apio, from the Facilitation for Peace and Development
non-governmental organization, for her enlightening              Among the non-State armed groups, violent
and moving testimony on the abductions carried out by       extremist and terrorist groups pose a special challenge
the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. That testimony,       for the United Nations and the international community.
which is only a reflection of a tiny part of the reality    Unmoved by the black list and indifferent to sanctions,
endured by the nearly 24,500 children abducted              groups such as Daesh in Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram
since 2002, shows the added value of this debate and        in West Africa continue to carry out mass crimes with
especially the importance of resolution 2225 (2015),        complete impunity. In that context, the fight against
which we have just adopted. It was high time to update      terrorism is a necessary, albeit insufficient, response.


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    There is another even more powerful weapon               diligence with respect to foreign troops and the zeroto fight violent extremism, namely, education. It is         tolerance policy in cases of sexual abuse involving the
in schools and within families that the fight against        United Nations. I reiterate that France considers the
radicalization must be taught so as to prevent children      implementation of those policies a top political priority.
from joining voluntarily, or by force, non-State armed       More than ever before, we owe that not only to the
groups. That is why France firmly condemns attacks           victims, but to all of those that are fighting every day
against schools.                                             on behalf of the protection of children.
     France was especially committed to the inclusion            Mr. Barros Melet (Chile) (spoke in Spanish): I thank
of such criteria as part of the path to blacklisting,        the Malaysian presidency and Minister Dato Sri Anifah
back in 2011. Pursuant to resolutions 1998 (2011) and        Aman for convening this open debate and commend
resolution 2143 (2014), France remains convinced that        Malaysia’s excellent leadership of the Security Council
the military occupation of schools should be avoided.        Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.
France has taken note of the Guidelines for Protecting       We value the Secretary-General’s leadership in that
Schools and Universities from Military Use during            area and the work of his Special Representative for
Armed Conflict, but regrets that they do not fully           Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, as well
reflect existing international humanitarian law, which       as UNICEF and other United Nations bodies, regional
still represents the best protection for civilians and       organizations and civil society.
children during conflict. The scale of the violations
                                                                  We carefully followed Eunice Apio’s valuable
of international humanitarian law today demonstrates
                                                             testimony, which calls upon us to act decisively to assist
that it is that body of law that must be implemented and
                                                             children who have been abducted in conflict situations
respected by States in all circumstances.
                                                             from their homes, schools and refugee camps, mostly
     I would like to end my statement with a case that       by non-State armed groups in the framework of their
has struck at France’s very heart and affected the           systematic campaigns of intimidation and reprisals
people of Central Africa and the United Nations as           against civilians.
a whole, namely, the allegations of sexual violence
                                                                 Resolution 2225 (2015), which was adopted today,
committed against minors by foreign troops, including
                                                             and the report of the Secretary-General (S/2015/409)
French soldiers. France of course takes very seriously
                                                             are very much in accord with my country’s concerns;
those serious accusations. The French authorities have
                                                             we will therefore focus on certain aspects that, in the
reacted firmly and, as soon as they were informed of
                                                             context of the concept note (S/2015/402, annex), deserve
the allegations, in late July 2014, immediately sought
                                                             special attention.
justice. A judicial inquiry is under way. The French
authorities are determined to shed full light on the case,       Despite the progress achieved in the Secretaryin cooperation with the United Nations and the Central       General’s “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, which is
African Republic. As the President of the Republic,          focused on States, initiatives to achieve commitments
Mr. François Hollande, most vigorously underscored,          by non-State actors and accountability must be
if the allegations are proved, his determination will        strengthened. In that regard, the recommendations of
be unforgiving, with exemplary disciplinary action           the Secretary-General’s recent report provide important
imposed on those responsible, in addition to the             guidance to States and the international community as
criminal response, which is under the authority of the       a whole.
courts.
                                                                 Furthermore, States must respond to threats to
    In that context, we hope that the Secretary-             peace and security in accordance with international
General’s decision to set up an independent external         law, while ensuring mitigation measures to protect the
review of the process by which the United Nations            children affected. Children must be treated primarily
deals with the allegations of sexual violence by foreign     as victims, with their rehabilitation and reintegration
troops in the Central African Republic will strengthen       forming the core of the efforts undertaken.
the early-warning and response systems of the United
                                                                 The detention of children on the grounds of their
Nations in that regard.
                                                             association with armed groups during conflict must
   Finally, in the name of truth and the fight against       be monitored through the reports of the Secretaryimpunity, my country fully backs the policy of due           General. Judicial actions against demobilized children


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must fall within the jurisdiction of special courts, based      States to consider concrete steps to discourage the use
on international standards of juvenile justice. Detention       of schools by armed forces and non-State armed groups,
should be a measure of last resort and should take place        as such use violates existing international standards.
only in special centres for minors, and children should
                                                                    We believe that the implementation of the
never be placed among adult prisoners.
                                                                Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities
    We vigorously condemn the abduction of children             from Military Use during Armed Conflict, known as
by any and all parties to conflict, as it is not only illegal   the Lucens Guidelines, supported by Chile through the
under international law but a serious violation of the          Safe Schools Declaration of last May, will contribute to
Geneva Conventions and possibly a crime against                 improved conduct and best practices leading to greater
humanity.                                                       protection for schools and universities in times of
                                                                armed conflict and reducing their use during military
     The abduction of children in conflict is a longoperations, with a view to protecting children in any
standing issue and one of the six grave violations
                                                                and all circumstances.
against children in armed conflict established by the
Council. However, since 2014 that crime’s visibility has            Lastly, Chile would like to reiterate its firm
increased in the wake of recent cases requiring solutions       commitment to contributing actively to the prevention
to that scourge, which can lead to other violations such        and elimination of all forms of violence affecting boys
as forced labour, sexual slavery, recruitment and cross-        and girls around the world and to continuing to work
border trafficking in children. That is why we support          towards eradicating the six grave violations committed
the listing in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s           against children in situations of armed conflict.
reports of parties to conflict that are kidnapping
                                                                    Mrs. Ogwu (Nigeria): Mr. President, I want to
children, so that they can be pressured to release their
                                                                welcome you to the Security Council and to thank you
hostages and be brought to justice. Along the same lines,
                                                                in particular for having convened this seminal debate.
the Council’s sanctions committees should include
grave violations of the rights of children as an eligible           The protection of children is undoubtedly a moral
criterion for the imposition of sanctions. Only joint,          duty and a legal obligation for all States. We thank
coordinated and complementary efforts will ensure the           the Secretary-General for his abiding commitment to
protection of fundamental rights and proper protection          the cause of the protection of children. We wish also
of the most vulnerable populations.                             to thank the briefers for their insightful statements,
                                                                which have not only underlined the salient dimensions
    We also stress the importance of child protection
                                                                of their achievements in the field but also highlighted
advisers in political and peacekeeping missions with
                                                                the challenges that we all face in our collective effort to
training in children’s rights, and the six grave violations
                                                                protect the world’s children.
against children that were established by the Council,
as well as prevention measures. Likewise, ceasefire                 It is encouraging to note that since the adoption
agreements, peace processes and post-conflict agendas           of resolution 1998 (2011), efforts to protect students,
must address the issue of kidnapped children and their          teachers and schools in situations of armed conflict
rehabilitation and reintegration.                               have gained considerable momentum. The monitoring
                                                                and reporting of attacks on schools and on the military
    The impact of armed conflict on education poses
                                                                use of schools have also registered some improvement,
challenges in terms of major humanitarian emergencies
                                                                facilitating more concrete and effective responses to
and social and development challenges. The Council
                                                                heinous attacks on institutions of learning.
notes daily, throughout the world, bombings and
burned schools, with children and their teachers as the              Our abiding concern derives from our consternation
ongoing victims of killings, mutilations, abductions            at the events of the night of 14 April 2014, when 276
and arbitrary detention. Schools are continually used           girls in the prime of their lives were viciously abducted
by parties to armed conflict as bases, barracks or              from the sanctuary of their dormitories in Chibok, in
detention centres. We therefore urge parties to armed           the north-eastern part of Nigeria. Their dreams and
conflict to implement resolution 2143 (2014) and to             aspirations were rudely interrupted by the infamous
refrain from actions that impede children’s access to           extremist group Boko Haram. It appears that we all
education during conflict. We encourage Member                  have reached our limits of tolerance for this kind of



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impunity. Today we are encouraged that the proposals          message of hope and a signal of the strength of our
designed to stem the spate of abductions of children          collective will. The adoption of resolution 2225 (2015)
have received due attention universally.                      today reinforces both our collective will and our shared
                                                              responsibility, for it is certainly within the Council’s
    A fundamental and enduring step forward is to make
                                                              capacity to protect the vulnerable from the ravages
deliberate and incremental efforts to institutionalize
                                                              of conflict and other blatant breaches of peace and
these policies at both the regional and national levels
                                                              security.
and, where possible, institute peer-review mechanisms
for effective monitoring. The African Charter on the              Nigeria reiterates its commitment to working
Rights and Welfare of the Child was instituted as a           assiduously with all people of goodwill to safeguard the
tool for advancing children’s rights. While it builds         future of humankind: our children.
on the same basic principles as the United Nations
                                                                  Mr. Van Bohemen (New Zealand): Foreign
Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African
                                                              Minister Aman, we are honoured to have you presiding
Union (AU) Children’s Charter highlights issues of
                                                              over the Council and guiding us today.
special importance in the African context.
                                                                  New Zealand welcomes Malaysia’s initiative in
    The fact that all States members of the AU have
                                                              bringing this item before the Council. It builds usefully
acceded to the Children’s Charter and all except seven
                                                              on the open debate held under France’s presidency in
have ratified it underscores the critical importance of the
                                                              March (see S/PV.7414), when we provided an overview
rights of children. This year, as Africa commemorates
                                                              of our approach to this subject.
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child,                    The Secretary-General’s report (S/2015/409) shows
represents an opportunity for States parties to make a        that 2014 was a particularly devastating year for children
renewed commitment to children’s rights.                      in countries affected by armed conflict. Thousands
                                                              of children died unnecessarily. The report highlights
     As a demonstration of our national commitment to
                                                              several trends relevant to this enormous loss. Even with
the well-being of children, Nigeria was among the first
                                                              the good work of the Children, Not Soldiers campaign,
group of States to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration
                                                              major problems persist, especially with rehabilitation
in Oslo, Norway, on 29 May. The Declaration
                                                              and reintegration, particularly among girls following
complements and strengthens our existing national safe
                                                              sexual violence and among children with disabilities,
schools initiative, established in 2014 as part of the
                                                              thereby exacerbating the impact of conflict.
policy response of the federal Government to promote
safe zones for learning. The guidelines for protecting            We have to face the reality that for many, including
schools and universities from military use during armed       members of this Organization, targeting schools and
conflict will serve as a compass to guide and reinforce       hospitals is considered acceptable despite the fact
efforts towards the achievement of this objective. We         that such action is a blatant violation of international
are committed to the dissemination of these guidelines        humanitarian law. New Zealand urges all countries to
and to promoting their implementation. We are indeed          put in place safeguards such as those outlined in the
persuaded that this initiative will promote and protect       Safe Schools Declaration adopted in Oslo last month
the right to education and prevent the discontinuities in     to protect schools and hospitals from military use in
education inherent in situations of armed conflict.           armed conflict. We owe it to our children and their
                                                              futures to do all we can to protect them.
    We commend the Working Group on Children
and Armed Conflict and acknowledge the importance                 In 2014 increasing numbers of children were
of the monitoring and reporting mechanism for grave           abducted, in particular by extremist groups, and used as
violations against children in armed conflict. We             tools designed to punish communities in the cruellest of
emphasize the critical importance of resolutions 1998         ways. From the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, in
(2011) and 2143 (2014), which in particular urge all          Iraq and in Syria, to Boko Haram in Nigeria, children
parties to armed conflict to refrain from actions that        have been taken into captivity, tortured and abused,
impede children’s access to education.                        indoctrinated or sold into sexual slavery.
    In advancing the cause of the protection of children         Resolution 2225 (2015), adopted today and
in armed conflict, the Council today is delivering a          which New Zealand was pleased to co-sponsor, is an


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important response to this trend. Adding abductions as       full protection of children in armed conflict. China
a trigger violation for listing in the Secretary-General’s   supports the unrelenting efforts of the international
report demonstrates our commitment to calling out the        community to protect children in armed conflicts. I
perpetrators of such crimes before the international         would like to emphasize the following points.
community. This can have an important deterrent effect
                                                                 First, we need to tackle the issue at its roots by
on those who may be considering such actions and
                                                             providing a sound environment for the growth of
those who command them. It will also help to ensure
                                                             children. The best way to protect children in conflict
that the right information is being documented in order
                                                             is to prevent, reduce and resolve conflicts at their
to support long-term accountability. We congratulate
                                                             roots. That is far more meaningful than remedial
Malaysia for its leadership in this important step
                                                             measures after the eruption of conflict. The Council
forward.
                                                             bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance
     New Zealand has noted with considerable concern         of international peace and security. It should therefore
the observations section of this year’s annual report. In    strengthen preventive diplomacy and make more use
this, the Secretary-General deplores the fact that the       of the measures provided for in Chapter VI of the
way in which the case was made by some parties about         Charter of the United Nations, such as mediation, good
the targeting of children in conflict has threatened the     offices, dialogue and negotiation. It should support and
integrity of the Council’s listing mechanism. We share       encourage parties to resolve their differences peacefully
the Secretary-General’s concern at efforts to interfere      and to eliminate the root causes of the problem of
in the independent discharge of the Secretary-General’s      children caught up in armed conflicts.
office and the implicit presumption that some forces
                                                                 Secondly, we must respect the principle of national
are exempt from criticism, whatever the objective
                                                             ownership by the country concerned and create a solid
evidence may suggest. The Secretary-General has
                                                             foundation for the protection of children. Governments
a clear mandate to report on what he considers to be
                                                             bear the primary responsibility for the protection of
grave violations committed against children in armed
                                                             children in conflicts in their own countries. The key
conflict. When he does, he is acting at the behest of the
                                                             to the implementation of Council resolutions and the
Council — and, indeed, of the wider membership of
                                                             enforcement of various programmes and plans aimed at
the Organization. We all have a responsibility to protect
                                                             protecting children lies in the cooperation and efforts of
those who cannot speak for themselves.
                                                             the countries concerned. The international community
    Mr. Liu Jieyi (China) (spoke in Chinese): China          should give full play to the leadership role of the
appreciates Malaysia’s initiative to convene this open       Governments concerned and respect the sovereignty
debate of the Security Council on children and armed         of those countries, while providing assistance and
conflict. We welcome to New York His Excellency the          support, and should concretely strengthen their
Minister for Foreign Affairs Sri Anifah Aman, who is         capacity-building in that field.
presiding over our discussion today. I thank Secretary-Thirdly, the international community should
General Ban Ki-moon, the Special Representative
                                                             adopt a comprehensive strategy and form international
of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed
                                                             synergy for the protection of children. In post-conflict
Conflict, Ms. Zerrougui, and the Deputy Executive
                                                             rebuilding efforts, comprehensive measures must be
Director of UNICEF, Ms. Brandt, for their briefings.
                                                             taken to ensure that child victims of armed conflicts
China also listened attentively to the statement by the
                                                             are smoothly reintegrated into society and to provide
non-governmental organization representative.
                                                             a favourable, secure and social environment for the
    Children are the future and the hope of the world.       health and growth of children. UNICEF, UNESCO, the
They are also the most vulnerable to violations and          World Bank and other relevant agencies should draw
abuses. Children are bearing the brunt of armed              on their respective advantages, strengthen coordination
conflict in many parts of the world. Barbaric acts           and cooperation, and support the countries involved
against children are still occurring from time to time. In   in conflicts in their efforts to eliminate poverty,
particular, the phenomenon of child abduction in armed       provide universal education and promote sustainable
conflicts has become increasingly acute and should           development.
command the serious attention of the international
community. Parties to conflicts are responsible for the


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    Fourthly, we must give priority to resolving the            ISIL and its sickening propaganda. He was a victim
issue of child abductions in armed conflicts. China             of violent extremists too cowardly to act themselves.
supports the addition of child abduction in armed               He was a victim of an increasingly violent world that
conflicts as a criterion for being listed in the annex to the   does not distinguish between children and adults in
Secretary-General’s annual report. That would help to           conflicts. I do not seek to excuse Talha’s actions. What
strengthen the international community’s fight against          he did was barbaric and un-Islamic. But in highlighting
that heinous behaviour. The international community             this example from my own country, I hope to illustrate
should fully utilize the resources and means available          that we all face challenges to do with children and
now, adopt comprehensive measures and policies and              armed conflict. It is truly a global issue, and it requires
work on multiple fronts to step up the fight against the        a global response.
phenomenon of child abduction so as to effectively halt
                                                                     Through today’s resolution, we have taken a
those acts. Measures should include, first, strengthening
                                                                step forward. The expansion of the listing criteria to
the sharing of information and intelligence while
                                                                include abductions will enhance our ability to hold
trying to rescue those abducted children; secondly,
                                                                perpetrators to account. The need is great. In February,
strengthening international cooperation to ensure
                                                                at least 89 boys were kidnapped in the Upper Nile state
that those responsible for child abduction will be
                                                                in South Sudan. These are in addition to the hundreds
brought to justice; and, thirdly, improving the rescue
                                                                of children abducted by ISIL — and by Boko Haram,
and resettlement of abducted children to ensure their
                                                                as our Nigerian colleague so eloquently described in
smooth reintegration and rehabilitation.
                                                                2014 (see S/PV.7259), making that arguably the worst
    China stands ready to work with the wider                   year for children in recent memory. Those sick groups
international community to fully safeguard international        abduct children to use them forcibly as child soldiers.
peace and security, to jointly improve the situation of         They bind them into sexual slavery and turn them into
children in armed conflict and to prevent them from             weapons of war to terrorize families and communities.
suffering in wars and conflicts, as well as to foster a         The trigger in a new resolution is a clear declaration
harmonious and secure environment for their health              from the Security Council that we will not tolerate the
and growth.                                                     abduction of children in any form or for any purpose.
     Mr. Rycroft (United Kingdom): I thank you,                      But listing is just the first step towards ending
Mr. President, for convening this open debate. I welcome        impunity. We want to see more progress on ensuring
the leadership that Malaysia has shown on this important        accountability. States must exercise their national
issue, and I am pleased at the unanimous adoption of            jurisdiction to bring those listed to account, and if they
resolution 2225 (2015). I also thank the Secretary-             fail to do so, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has
General, his Special Representative Ms. Zerrougui and           an important role to play. As the Secretary-General’s
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Brandt for their               report (S/2015/409) notes, the transfer to the ICC of
briefings. I welcome the powerful words of Ms. Eunice           Dominic Ongwen, who himself was abducted as a child
Apio. Her insights into the consequences of abduction           in 1989, shows that we must take a long-term approach.
require us all to reflect deeply. She has underscored the       We have seen some progress this year, including the
importance of the Security Council hearing from those           conviction and sentencing of Thomas Lubanga, and
working directly on these issues.                               we welcome the fact that Bosco Ntaganda’s trial will
                                                                commence s1hortly.
    Last week, a 17-year-old British boy, a child, died
in an attack by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant            More needs to be done. In the case of Syria we
(ISIL) on an oil refinery in Iraq. His name was Talha           cannot afford to become numb to the recruitment,
Asmal. To those who knew him, he was an ordinary                detention, torture, killing and maiming in that children
Yorkshire lad. He was friendly, kind; he worked hard            in that country — whether by the regime, the Islamic
at school. He should have been looking forward to               State in Iraq and the Levant or others. There is a
university. Instead, he died a long way from home.              clear call for action by the international community.
Amid the tragedy that left 11 people dead, a sad truth          The Secretary-General’s report sets out the case: 889
emerged: Talha was not an innocent bystander caught             schools attacked, 413 medical facilities damaged, 368
up in the attack, he was a suicide bomber. Talha was            children killed and 771 injured. All of these events took
a perpetrator, but also a victim. He was a victim of            place in 2014. The Secretary-General’s report shows


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that the vast majority of those acts were committed          meeting. We share its concerns regarding the dire
by Syrian Government forces. Thus such, the United           situation of millions of children affected by armed
Kingdom believes adamantly that situation in Syria           conflict throughout the world. Of particular concern is
must be referred to the ICC.                                 the new trend of violence against children carried out
                                                             by terrorist organizations and other groups that espouse
    There are ways out. In Syria we maintain that this
                                                             ideologies of extremist violence. The cynicism of Boko
must be through a political solution; there can be no
                                                             Haram is horrendous, characterized by its abduction of
military solution. We support the efforts of Special
                                                             a large group of girls, an event that shocked the entire
Envoy de Mistura to take forward the implementation
                                                             world.
of the Geneva communiqué (S/2012/522, annex) and
ultimately enable the Syrian people to decide their own           The weakening of State institutions in countries
future.                                                      in the Middle East and North Africa has created a
                                                             breeding ground for the growth of violent extremism
     Across the world, there is a way out. The roles that
                                                             and terrorist activity. Before the eyes of the world,
they play are listed in the Secretary-General’s report.
                                                             the so-called Islamic State has seized large swathes of
Whether Government or non-State armed groups,
                                                             territory, declaring them a caliphate and establishing
they can adopt concrete, time-bound action plans to
                                                             its order there. Children are among the first victims
halt violations and abuses. Eventually, that can lead to
                                                             of such groups. Terrorist groups use the Internet and
delisting. Action plans work. We congratulate Chad for
                                                             various social media not only to recruit children and
the successful delisting of the Chadian national army
                                                             young adults as fighters, but also as suicide bombers.
last year, following the full implementation of their
                                                             The number of instances of killing children and
action plan. I call on all listed parties — Governments
                                                             of sexual violence and mass abduction of children
and non-State armed groups — to follow their example.
                                                             continues to grow. Increasingly, these crimes have
     I would like to conclude with this final point.         become hallmarks of today’s armed conflicts.
How a society treats its most vulnerable — be they
                                                                 We decisively condemn violations of the norms
children, the infirm or elderly — is always a measure
                                                             of international law, international humanitarian law
of its humanity, and even more so during instability
                                                             and international law relating to human rights and the
and conflict. When a society begins to disregard the
                                                             rights of refugees with regard to children, regardless
vulnerable and their rights, instability and conflict will
                                                             of who commits them. Both premeditated attacks
only grow. The litany of violations and abuses against
                                                             and the indiscriminate or excessive use of force are
children in the Secretary-General’s report is evidence
                                                             unacceptable. Justifying civilian deaths — including
of that spread. It has spread so far that children across
                                                             those of children — by the unavoidability of so-called
the world, whether from Syria or Yorkshire, are now
                                                             collateral damage is equally unacceptable. In this vein,
caught up as both victims and tools of conflict. Through
                                                             and of particular concern, the deteriorating situation
today’s resolution we have taken one step forward to
                                                             in Yemen and the tragic situation of children in Syria
ending that, but many more steps will be needed if we
                                                             present yet another argument for the rapid resolution
are to eradicate this problem. We cannot waver in our
                                                             of these conflicts. Concerns for the safety of children
resolve.
                                                             should be a constant priority in any peacekeeping
    Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in               operation or counter-terrorism activity.
Russian): We are pleased to welcome you, Mr. Minister,
                                                                 Unfortunately, children continue to die because
as President of the Security Council and would like
                                                             of armed conflicts throughout the world. We continue
to thank you for having organized today’s meeting.
                                                             to be concerned by the plight of children in south-We are also grateful to the invited briefers for their
                                                             eastern Ukraine. As a result of an armed conflict that,
comprehensive statements. We would like to single
                                                             as defined by the International Committee of the Red
out the efforts of the Special Representative of the
                                                             Cross, is not international in character, that country has
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,
                                                             seen mass violations of children’s rights to life, security,
Ms. Zerrougui, to protect children affected by armed
                                                             safety, health, education and medical treatment. Since
conflict in various parts of the world.
                                                             May of this year, in the conflict zone, over 68 children
   We have very carefully reviewed the Secretary-            were killed and 176 wounded. Artillery and mortar
General’s report (S/2015/409) prepared for today’s           attacks from Ukrainian forces destroyed kindergartens,


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schools, clinics, hospitals, maternal wards and               in armed conflicts. I would also like to thank Secretaryorphanages. As a result of Kyiv’s de facto economic           General Ban Ki-moon, his Special Representative
blockade of territories not under its control, children       Leila Zerrougui, Ms. Yoka Brandt, Deputy Executive
in the conflict zone are deprived of food, drinking           Director of UNICEF, and Ms. Eunice Apio, from the
water, drugs and medical assistance. Large-scale              non-governmental organization Facilitation for Peace
humanitarian assistance provided by Russia to residents       and Development.
of the Donbas region is meant to help children as well.
                                                                  As we adopt this resolution in the month of June,
Since the beginning of the conflict, over 100 children
                                                              hundreds if not thousands of children are being abducted
have received expert medical treatment in Russia. Only
                                                              to be used for various purposes in armed conflicts, in
a few days ago, group of sick children and their parents
                                                              particular to fight against their will in the forces of parties
from Donbas reached Moscow by plane. There were
                                                              to conflict or to be used as bargaining chips, in flagrant
14 children in that group. They all suffer from various
                                                              violation of international law. The vast majority of such
problems. Some have been injured by shelling and
                                                              acts are committed by such armed or terrorist groups as
others are extremely ill.
                                                              Boko Haram and Daesh. The members of the Security
     Clearly, large-scale violations against children, in     Council deplore and condemn such abductions and the
various armed conflicts require that special attention        extreme barbarity with which the perpetrators treat
be given to their rehabilitation — providing them             the children concerned. Unfortunately, the Secretarywith psychological, medical and legal assistance.             General’s annual report for 2014 (S/2015/409) states
The protection of children is the responsibility of           that there has been an unprecedented rise in violence
Governments, and most States affected by armed                against children and that their abduction has become
conflicts are striving to improve the situation of            the defining characteristic of conflicts all over the
children in their countries. They have a right to expect      world. That constitutes a significant challenge to their
help in their efforts from the United Nations system as       protection, bearing in mind that 230 million of them are
well as civil society organizations. We are encouraged        currently in the affected areas.
that in today’s resolution 2225 (2015) significant
                                                                   Resolution 2225 (2015), which we have just adopted,
attention is given to issues of national responsibility for
                                                              is crucial because it establishes the abduction of children
the protection of children, their rehabilitation and their
                                                              as one of the trigger violations for the listing of parties
reintegration. Furthermore, we welcome the decision to
                                                              to conflicts in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s
consider the abduction of children as another criterion
                                                              annual report. Such listing reflects the will of the
for inclusion of parties to an armed conflict in the
                                                              entire international community and will undoubtedly
annex to the annual report of the Secretary-General on
                                                              encourage international, regional and subregional
this topic.
                                                              cooperation and effectively contribute to achieving the
     We hope that the new Security Council resolution         objectives of the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign.
will reinforce the reporting and monitoring mechanism         In that connection, we support the recommendation
and the activities led by Malaysia’s thematic Working         in the Secretary-General’s report that grave violations
Group. Since its inception pursuant to Security               against children be included as a criterion for sanctions
Council resolution 1612 (2005), the Working Group             in Security Council committees so that child abduction
has achieved a great deal in improving the situation of       can be more effectively combated.
children in a number of countries affected by armed
                                                                  We think that States can also use such measures
conflict. To ensure maximum efficiency in this work,
                                                              to improve their national legislation on eliminating
it is important — and in this regard we fully support
                                                              violations against children, including abduction. To
our Malaysian colleagues — to expand constructive
                                                              mitigate and prevent such abduction, however, States
cooperation with the Governments concerned.
                                                              must also facilitate contact between United Nations
     Mr. Mangaral (Chad) (spoke in French): Allow me          bodies and non-State armed groups. It was in fact
to welcome you, Mr. President, and congratulate you           because of dialogue with such armed groups that
on organizing this open debate under the Malaysian            questions of child protection were incorporated into
presidency of the Security Council, as well as on the         the peace agreements in the Central African Republic,
initiative of moving forward resolution 2225 (2015),          making it possible to free several hundred children from
which incorporates the issue of the abduction of children     the clutches of armed groups at the end of the Bangui


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Forum in May. The same goes for South Sudan, where                Chad has maintained its partnership with the
1,757 children have already been freed from the grasp        United Nations and is developing sustained cooperation
of the Cobra Faction, although that figure remains           at the regional and subregional levels, in particular with
lower than the 33,000 expected.                              neighbouring States. In 2015, we have demobilized
                                                             and reintegrated children who had been forced to join
     Impunity in relation to violence against children,
                                                             ex-Séléka fighters in the Central African Republic and
however, remains a major concern in most cases. In that
                                                             had crossed the border into Chad. In April we also
connection, we would emphasize the importance of the
                                                             returned to their countries approximately 30 children
recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report and
                                                             snatched by the Chadian National Army from the
call upon the Member States to hold the perpetrators of
                                                             clutches of Boko Haram. Chadian children in the same
such violence accountable.
                                                             situation have been entrusted to the Ministry of Social
     Schools, universities and hospitals continue to be      Action for reintegration, with the help of UNICEF, for
subject to violent attacks and occupation for military       whose valuable support we would like to reiterate our
purposes. We reiterate our call to the parties to armed      appreciation.
conflicts to respect the vital, civilian character of such
                                                                 Lastly, the inclusion of parties to conflict in the
institutions. We also believe that the measures set out in
                                                             Secretary-General’s annual report on children and
the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities
                                                             armed conflict is an important tool for combating
from Military Use during Armed Conflict, endorsed
                                                             violations of children’s rights and could dissuade
through the Safe Schools Declaration, adopted in Oslo
                                                             many parties tempted to commit such violations. If
on 29 May, will effectively ensure the protection of
                                                             that measure is to have the desired effects, however,
such institutions.
                                                             it must apply indiscriminately to all those who are
    We must also not overlook illegal transfers of           committing such violations today. We dare to hope that
small arms and light weapons, the stockpiling of which       the Secretary-General’s next report on children and
undermines the efforts of the United Nations and             armed conflict will reflect that concern.
adversely affects children in areas affected by armed
                                                                  Mr. Hmoud (Jordan) (spoke in Arabic):I would
conflict.
                                                             like first of all to welcome you, Mr. President, to
     We believe that the withdrawal of children from         the Security Council, and to thank you for giving us
the forces of parties to conflict is essential to their      this opportunity to discuss the important issue of the
reintegration, but given their lack of financial resources   protection of children in armed conflict. We also thank
and future prospects, they are often vulnerable to being     the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon; his Special
recruited again. We encourage States and financial           Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,
partners to further intensify their efforts so as to         Ms. Leila Zerrougui; the Deputy Executive Director
consolidate the reintegration measures already taken         of UNICEF, Ms. Yoka Brandt; and the representative
and to prevent further recruitment. An overarching           of Facilitation for Peace and Development, Ms. Eunice
strategy for the protection of children and school           Apio, for their very informative briefings.
facilities needs to be defined more urgently now than
                                                                 There has been an unprecedented increase in the
ever before, but that cannot be done without tackling
                                                             number of crimes and violations committed against
the causes of violence and eradicating terrorism.
                                                             children in armed conflicts, particularly in the Middle
    We welcome the progress made in the “Children,           East and Africa. Among those inhuman violations
Not Soldiers” campaign in 2014 and the efforts of            we would highlight the crime of child abduction. The
the international community, particularly the United         number of children abducted in armed conflicts since
Nations, through the Secretary-General and his Special       2002 has exceeded 25,000, and 95 per cent of them were
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,              abducted by non-State armed groups in an organized,
Ms. Leila Zerrougui. We encourage them to continue           structured manner so that they could be recruited or
their work to achieve the campaign’s objectives by 2016.     terrorized, or for the purposes of extortion.
We reiterate our support for regional and subregional
                                                                 The deficiencies in the protection of civilians at all
organizations’ leadership in and contribution to efforts
                                                             levels, particularly children in armed conflicts, result
to protect children, and we urge such organizations to
                                                             from a failure to address the threat posed by armed
intensify their efforts in that area.


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groups and the early-warning signs of armed conflicts        instruments agreed on regionally or among regional or
as soon as they appear, or to impose the necessary legal     national parties can sometimes work to the detriment of
limits. Those are the most important reasons for the         other essential components, particularly those relating
increase in the number of attacks on children in armed       to accountability and criminal prosecution. In that
conflicts, their abduction by armed groups and their         regard, we would like to underscore the importance
forced participation in criminal and terrorist acts.         of a comprehensive political process that addresses all
                                                             types of threats and security situations. It is crucial that
     We must make every effort to work together
                                                             the United Nations and the Security Council follow
to end the abduction of children and prevent it from
                                                             up such agreements to ensure that they do not fail to
spreading or being used in a systematic way in many
                                                             punish those responsible for crimes against civilians,
armed conflicts. That will require efforts, first, at the
                                                             particularly children, and that such criminals are not
national level, because the protection of civilians, and
                                                             permitted impunity.
particularly children, is above all the responsibility
of the State; secondly, at the regional level, through           The international community must take measures
cooperation among States and common strategies               aimed at working, with States’ cooperation, to halt this
to combat cross-border armed groups with a view to           phenomenon and at providing technical, logistical and
weakening them, containing them and limiting their           material assistance, particularly for fragile States that
spread; and, thirdly, at the international level, through    do not have the capacity for protection and deterrence.
the Security Council and the international legal bodies      Measures for deterring the perpetrators of these
that address the abduction of children in armed conflicts    crimes include ensuring accountability and combating
in a broader context. In that regard, I would like to        impunity, especially for crimes against children,
highlight the steps it is essential to take if the problem   whether through sexual violence or abduction, that are
is to be solved or limited, and which should continue to     prohibited and punishable as war crimes and crimes
be improved in both the medium and long term.                against humanity under international law. Crimes
                                                             and abuses of children, including abduction, should
    At the national level, we should raise awareness
                                                             be included in the mandates of sanctions committees,
about the protection of children in armed conflict
                                                             with the criminals’ names added to the sanctions list
through education and social networks, which can play
                                                             and included in the annex to the Secretary-General’s
an important role in educating people from different
                                                             reports on children in armed conflict and those
social groups in countering the media publicity
                                                             published by the relevant international organizations.
exploited by terrorist groups such as Daesh and Boko
                                                             Along with that, work must be done to document such
Haram in order to attract young people and children
                                                             crimes and violations in cooperation with national
through their mistaken beliefs. The media constitute a
                                                             Governments and through the creation of investigative
weapon every bit as dangerous as the arms that such
                                                             and fact-finding commissions on crimes committed
groups use, whether for terrorizing or killing civilians.
                                                             against children from the beginning of each and every
States should also institute the necessary judicial
                                                             armed conflict.
and legislative reforms, including by enacting and
strengthening laws aimed at criminalizing any kind               In order to ensure that these measures are
of attack on children. We should strengthen policies         implemented as well as possible, it is vital that we
designed to deal with violations against children,           promote cooperation between the Security Council
ensure access to the medical and psychiatric services        and the Secretariat. We can ensure the protection
they will need and provide programmes for victims’           of children, the most fragile members of society,
rehabilitation and social reintegration.                     by establishing links between the tasks involved in
                                                             peacekeeping, increasing the numbers of specialized
    Mrs. Adnin took the Chair.
                                                             experts and making sure that they have the resources
    At the regional level, we emphasize the importance       they need to ensure the best possible deployment of
of States exchanging security and military intelligence,     their capacities and skills in that field.
as well as the necessity for inter-State coordination.
                                                                 The report of the Secretary-General (S/2015/409)
We are currently witnessing an increase in the flow
                                                             paints a very grim picture of the violations committed
of foreign fighters across national borders, as if the
                                                             against children in armed conflict at the international
world had become an open space for them to carry
                                                             level. In our view, there is a great deal of work to be done
out their terrorist acts in. Reconciliation accords and


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if we are to ensure that those children have protection           Armed conflicts continue to have a horrific impact
and support. While the report mentionw the violations         on children and, as we heard today from both the
committed by Israel against Palestinian children during       Secretary-General and his Special Representative, last
the most recent aggression against Gaza, we were              year was one of the worst in recent memory. Recruited
shocked to see that Israel’s violations are not included in   as child soldiers, stunted by malnourishment and
the list contained in the annex to the report, despite the    starvation, forced to witness the death of their parents
fact that the report cites many other situations, entities    and siblings, abducted and turned into suicide bombers,
and countries. That runs contrary to the principles of        sold in slave markets like cattle, children in conflict
the Charter of the United Nations. Legal protection           zones are denied the most basic of human rights.
should be guaranteed at the same level to all, regardless
                                                                   Granted, in recent years there have been some
of what side they are on. It is essential to be seen to be
                                                              positive steps in the protection of children in armed
objective and transparent when it comes to including
                                                              conflicts, and we would like to express our appreciation
States and entities that commit crimes against children,
                                                              for the dedicated and passionate work of Special
and to have a clear mechanism, based on criteria that
                                                              Representative Secretary-General Leila Zerrougui
guarantee the protection of children in every region of
                                                              to that effect. The incorporation of child protection
the world and ensure legal accountability for all those
                                                              provisions into peacekeeping mandates, the inclusion
who commit such crimes, without exception.
                                                              of crimes against children among sanctions designation
    Jordan is working to offer Syrian refugee children        criteria, the campaign “Children Not Soldiers”, child
a second chance at a better future and to ensure that         protection advisers, national action plans — these have
they are protected and served as well as possible in the      all been important developments. And yet countless
wake of all that they have endured in Syria and after         children across the Middle East, in Africa and even in
the violations of their rights that they have suffered at     the middle of Europe continue to suffer from conflictthe hands of the regime and the terrorist armed groups.       related violence.
In coordination with the specialized agencies of the
                                                                   In eastern Ukraine foreign aggression and the reign
United Nations and non-government organizations,
                                                              of lawlessness imposed by illegal militants have caused
Jordan has established a reception centre for the
                                                              massive displacement, primarily impacting the elderly
children of refugees and a centre designed to promote
                                                              and children. The latter account for more than 161,000,
an educational and preventive environment for children,
                                                              or some 18 per cent, among registered internally
along with the provision, with the help of UNICEF, of
                                                              displaced persons, while the total number of children
psychological and social assistance. We have opened
                                                              affected by this conflict amounts to 1.7 million. The
the doors of our schools, public and private, to the
                                                              restricted access to medical services and education,
children of Syrian refugees, because education is the
                                                              life in temporary shelters and basements of damaged
best possible thing we can offer them so that they can
                                                              buildings and continued psychological trauma are the
build a better future.
                                                              daily reality for those children in eastern Ukraine. Child
    Finally, I would like to reiterate that Jordan supports   soldiers have been recently spotted by the monitors
the protection of children in armed conflict, the item on     of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
today’s agenda. We also support the efforts of Special        Europe among the ranks of the illegal militants.
Representative of the Secretary-General Zerrougi, and
                                                                  In Syria, the worst humanitarian crisis of our time,
we encourage all the parties to conflicts whose names
                                                              7.5 million children are in need of humanitarian aid,
are mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report to
                                                              2.6 million are deprived of education opportunities and
sign and implement action plans designed to deal with
                                                              close to 2 million are living as refugees in neighbouring
the issue of flagrant violations against children and to
                                                              countries. Across Yemen, 9.5 million children require
promote international peace and security.
                                                              humanitarian assistance, 3,600 schools, or 76 per cent
    Ms. Murmokaité (Lithuania): I would like to thank         of the country’s total, have closed due to insecurity
Malaysia for holding this open debate. I also thank the       and 1.83 million children lost over two months of
briefers for their presentations.                             school. More and more young boys are seen manning
                                                              checkpoints and involved in armed groups.
    Lithuania aligns itself with the statement to be
delivered on behalf of the European Union.                        Those are but a few cases where conflicts are
                                                              taking a heavy toll of children’s lives. The list of


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such cases, however, is devastatingly long. If we            for the time they were wielding the gun as child soldiers,
remember yesterday’s statement by the Executive              missing the false sense of empowerment it provided
Director of UNICEF on atrocities in Unity state, South       over the lives of others. Today such worrying signals
Sudan — boys castrated and left to bleed, girls as           are beginning to emerge from the Central African
young as eight gang-raped and murdered, some 13,000          Republic where the lack of options and opportunities
children forced to participate in a conflict not of their    to reintegrate into civilian life may be pushing some of
own making — it reminds us once again of the darkest         the released former child soldiers back into the hands
depths of inhumanity that we humans can reach.               of armed groups.
    Abductions of children are being increasingly used           While the release of children is of the utmost
by armed groups and terrorists as a tactic of war, to        importance, it is no less important to acknowledge
impose their murderous rule and to target particular         that release must be accompanied by comprehensive,
ethnic or religious groups. The Chibok girls abducted        creative programmes aimed at addressing the profound
by Boko Haram in Nigeria and the abduction of                damage inflicted upon the children, combining
Kurdish boys and Yezidi children by Daesh are among          measures of reintegration, training, livelihood
the best known recent atrocities and crimes against          opportunities, psycho-social assistance and community
humanity. The Lord’s Resistance Group (LRA), which           education. The role of civil society, non-governmental
the Council discussed only last week, is known to have       organizations and community leaders, including
abducted some 30,000 children, boys and girls, some as       on tackling the stigma carried by such children, is
young as six, over two decades. Abducted children are        extremely important.
forced to commit rape and torture and a re forced into
                                                                  We must remember to treat children as victims
regular combat to kill, often blurring the lines between
                                                             first, not as perpetrators. In that regard, we welcome the
the victim and the perpetrator. Daesh, known for its
                                                             steps taken by the Government of Chad in signing the
exceptional wanton brutality, has been widely reported
                                                             protocol agreement with the United Nations regarding
to turn abducted girls, some as young as 10, into sex
                                                             the handover of children associated with armed forces
slaves, sold and resold on slave markets, some as many
                                                             or groups to child protection actors. Such protocols
as 20 times.
                                                             could be a valuable tool for child rehabilitation.
     It is hard to find the right words to describe the
                                                                 As mentioned in the recent report of the Secretarypsychological trauma and the impact on children’s
                                                             General (S/2015/409), accountability for violence
minds in such situations. Over time, some of those
                                                             against children remains far too rare, even in countries
children turn from victims into victimizers themselves,
                                                             that have criminalized the recruitment of children.
as was the case of Dominic Ongwen, who was abducted
                                                             Protecting children from serious crimes and preventing
at the age of 14 on his way to school and later became
                                                             such crimes from being committed go hand in hand with
a notorious LRA commander. Former abductees face
                                                             tackling impunity and ensuring that the perpetrators
tremendous challenges of reintegrating into normal
                                                             are held to account.We welcome the transfer of Dominic
life. They are often shunned and rejected by their
                                                             Ongwen to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for
own families and communities, especially former girl
                                                             crimes against humanity and war crimes. Yet, as some
soldiers and repeated rape victims.
                                                             colleagues said earlier today, more needs to be done
    A recent article by photojournalist Marc Ellison         to combat impunity. While the perpetrators are many,
provides a telling story of several former LRA girl          the cases and judgments against them remain few and
child soldiers, including one called Mary, who was           far between. The preventive, deterrent effects of such
abducted before she was 10 and forced to become a            judgments on would-be perpetrators has yet to be felt.
rebel “wife” at the age of 12. No longer a child soldier,    As some cases remain pending, we look forward to the
she is rejected by her own community. “If she comes          continued work of the ICC to this effect, but also to
back to live, people have said they will burn her alive in   greater national efforts to pursue accountability.
our own hut”, says that girl’s mother.
                                                                 Child recruitment, killings, maimings and attacks
    No doubt it is a story common to many former             against schools are listed as sanctions triggers. In that
abductees and child soldiers, who suffer ostracism and       context, we welcome the adoption of today’s resolution
exclusion because of their past. Some of them even wish      2225 (2015), which draws attention to abductions as a



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disturbingly prevalent feature of modern armed conflict     situation of children in armed conflict should serve
and includes abductions as an additional listing trigger.   to mobilize all of the moral forces of the international
                                                            community to stop the military escalation of conflict
    In conclusion, we have a wide range of instruments
                                                            and to protect girls and boys with all available resources,
to tackle impunity for conflict-related crimes against
                                                            children who on a daily basis are traumatized daily,
children. We must close the gap between the existing
                                                            kidnapped, abused and killed.
legislation and their application, in order to put an
end to violence against children and restore them the            The Secretary-General’s report stresses that the
biggest gift they can have: a safe and secure childhood     majority of violations of the rights of children are
and the right to be who they are — children.                committed by non-State actors and that extremist
                                                            violence has intensified to unprecedented levels. We
     Mr. Ramírez Carreño (Bolivarian Republic
                                                            reiterate that the Council should take the necessary
of Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): On behalf of the
                                                            measures to guarantee a genuine commitment to stop
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we would like to thank
                                                            encouraging armed groups and other non-State actors
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Mr. Anifah
                                                            with financial or military capabilities, whose goal is to
Aman, for his presence here and for convening this
                                                            destabilize Governments and perpetuate the spiral of
open debate on children in armed conflict, a topic to
                                                            violence.
which my country attaches great importance due to
its impact on the weakest and most vulnerable part of           With regard to the references to Syria, Iraq and
the population. We would also like to thank Secretary-      Yemen contained in the report, we are deeply concerned
General Ban Ki-moon, his Special Representative for         about the situation of children in those conflicts.
Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Leila Zerrougui, and       We wonder how many more children will have to
the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Yoka           lose their lives and become martyrs to terrorism and
Brandt, for their briefings. We would also like to thank    violent extremism before the actors with influence on
Ms. Eunice Apio for her testimony and participation         the parties to the conflict understand the urgency of
today.                                                      working decisively to find a political solution to that
                                                            tragedy — a solution that should include all parties.
    Venezuela reiterates its firm rejection of the abuses
and violations of international humanitarian law and             The Secretary-General‘s report states that 557
international human rights law against boys and girls       Palestinian children were killed in 2014, the third
in armed conflict, and urges all parties to comply with     highest figure in the world for that year, and that at
their obligations under applicable international law.       least 4,249 boys and girls were wounded. At least 543
The report of the Secretary-General on children and         schools were damaged or destroyed in the State of
armed conflict (S/2015/409) that we are discussing          Palestine in 2014, which is the highest number recorded
today points out that in 2014 we saw unprecedented          in all situations of armed conflict during that calendar
difficulties in protecting tens of millions of children     year. We can therefore see that the occupying Power
who live in conflict situations. That is discouraging       in Palestine repeatedly violated at least three of the
because it undermines the future of children who            six criteria used to designate grave violations against
today are experiencing the atrocities of war and who        children in situations of armed conflict. However, we
are condemned to grow up with a culture of hate             note with concern that the military forces responsible
and violence. That must draw the attention of the           for those acts were not included on the annexes in the
international community to make children a priority         Secretary-General’s report this year. We ask what scale
and to decisively tackle grave violations of children’s     the grave violations committed by the occupying Power
rights.                                                     in Palestine against civilians, especially children,
                                                            would need to reach in order to consider including the
    In many cases, socioeconomic vulnerability,
                                                            perpetrators of those violations in the annexes to the
abuses, ethnic and religious intolerance, discrimination,
                                                            report.
exclusion and violence, which these children face as
a consequence of war, facilitate their participation in         We emphasize that failure to act in accordance
the hostilities and worsens the harmful repercussions       with the Council’s resolutions on this issue — making
that armed conflict can have on them. The report of         selective use of the criteria for listing the parties in the
the Secretary-General and the deplorable and tragic         annexes to the Secretary-General’s report — saps the



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spirit and intent of those resolutions. That weakens and    for presiding over this meeting and for Malaysia’s
calls into question the transparency and objectivity of     leadership of the Security Council Working Group
the mechanism that the United Nations and its Member        on Children and Armed Conflict. I would also like to
States should employ in that respect. We support            thank the Secretary-General, Special Representative of
accountability for violations committed against children    the Secretary-General Zerrougui and UNICEF Deputy
in armed conflicts, as the report recommends. No one        Executive Director Brandt for their briefings and their
should be exempt. States have the primary responsibilty     important work on this issue, as well as, in particular,
to put an end to impunity and to try and punish the         our guest briefer, Eunice Apio, for her powerful
perpetrators of heinous crimes against children.            words today and for the tremendous work that she and
                                                            Facilitation for Peace and Development are doing to
    We congratulate Malaysia for taking the initiative
                                                            help women and children recover from armed conflict.
to bring to the floor resolution 2225 (2015), which was
unanimously adopted today and which our country                  Let me say first that we share the outrage of Special
resolutey sponsored. The inclusion of kidnapping            Representative Zerrougui at recent reports of children
among the criteria for inclusion in the annexes to the      being unlawfully targeted and killed and sexually
Secretary-General’s reports had been a pending issue.       assaulted in Unity state, South Sudan, apparently by
We welcome the consensus achieved today among the           Government forces or Government-backed militias.
members of the Security Council and hope that the           According to UNICEF, as many as 129 children from
resolution will be effectively implemented.                 Unity state were killed during only three weeks last
                                                            month. Survivors reported that boys were castrated
     Venezuela condemns the abduction of boys and
                                                            and left to bleed to death, girls raped and children tied
girls in armed conflict such as those currently taking
                                                            together, their throats slit. Those heinous crimes must
place in Africa and the Middle East. We believe
                                                            not go unanswered, and it is for each of us to make clear
such abductions should be included in the category
                                                            to the perpetrators that their actions against their fellows
of crimes considered by the International Criminal
                                                            citizens will have a cost. The United States will work
Court. At the same time, we repudiate and condemn the
                                                            with other Member States in the Council and through
indiscriminate bombing in densely populated areas and
                                                            other forums to respond to the call to action that those
the use of weapons prohibited under international law.
                                                            barbaric crimes demand to protect the children of South
    We urge all parties to conflict to refrain from using   Sudan and to ensure that the perpetrators of those acts
schools for military purposes and goals. The use of such    are held accountable.
facilities for military purposes undermines the human
                                                                The Secretary-General‘s annual report on children
rights of children in terms of their right to education
                                                            and armed conflict should be a valuable and trusted
and constitutes an act of intolerance and barbarism.
                                                            resource for advancing accountability against the
     Finally, in our own region, we would like to           world’s most serious abusers of children. This year
highlight the consolidation of the progress being made      alone we have seen the Islamic State in Iraq and the
by Colombia, within the framework of the ongoing            Levant (ISIL) publicly execute and stone children.
peace process, with respect to the protection and           We have seen kids manipulated to literally explode
reintegration of children affected by the long conflict     themselves in the service of Boko Haram terrorists, and
in that brotherly country.                                  the continued unlawful recruitment and use of children
                                                            in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    To conclude, we would like to state that Venezuela
                                                            and the Sudan.
will continue to offer its firm support to the efforts of
the international community, including the Security              The Secretary-General’s annual report should
Council, to protect and assist the most vulnerable          contribute to our common cause to protect children
groups in areas of conflict, especially girls, boys and     by using standards that are applied uniformly when
women, in order to ensure their rehabilitation, including   documenting the actions of all parties in conflict, so that
their physical and psychological recovery and their         it is perceived as credible, objective and non-political.
reintegration into society.                                 But if that report is politicized, if it becomes more of a
                                                            political tool to advance political agendas rather than a
    Mr. Pressman (United States of America): I would
                                                            clear application of facts to objective standards, it will
like to begin by thanking Foreign Minister Aman
                                                            be seriously compromised.


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     Let us be clear. The idea that the Government of               On top of all of that, for those who have escaped
Israel would be listed on the same page as ISIL, Boko          or have been released or rescued, many have missed
Haram or Syria, as some have suggested in this debate,         whatever educational and other opportunities that may
is factually and fundamentally wrong. The comparisons          have existed. Suffering physically and psychologically
of casualty numbers that we have heard from some               and lacking opportunity, these children are not only in
today are totally misleading. Multiple United Nations          pain, they are caught in a terrible bind. That is why
agencies and this year’s report on children and armed          initiatives like the one launched by the United States
conflict (S/2015/409) have explicitly stated that the          last March, a public-private partnership that has
casualty numbers in Syria cannot be verified and are           created spaces to provide support, has deployed mobile
almost certainly underreported. Comparing those                clinics and outreach workers in Iraq and has supported
underreported numbers to documented deaths meets no            Yezidi women and girls who escaped captivity, are so
standard of credibility and seems like a blatant attempt       important.
to vilify rather than illuminate.
                                                                   Of course, the best way to give children the
    We welcome the adoption of resolution 2225                 bright future that we want them to have is to protect
(2015) and the addition of abductions as a trigger for         them from harm in the first place. That is why tools
being listed in the Secretary-General’s annex. Mass            like the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008 in the
abductions, especially of young women and children,            United States are critical. We urge other Governments
are becoming part of the extremists’ playbook for              to adopt similar legislation to help end the practice of
terrorizing communities, and the United States supports        the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers by
fully the attention that this violation will now receive.      holding accountable Governments that violate those
Today I want to highlight what we can do better to help        basic principles. Under that United States law, foreign
children victimized by armed conflict.                         Governments that unlawfully recruit or use child
                                                               soldiers, or that support armed groups that do so, are
      First and foremost, it is obviously the responsibility
                                                               subject to restrictions on certain United States security
of States and armed groups to stop taking children from
                                                               assistance and the commercial licensing of military
their homes to engage in hostilities. We have made some
                                                               equipment, as they should be.
progress in places such as the Central African Republic,
where armed groups recently agreed to stop recruiting              We also lead by example when engaged in military
child soldiers and committed to releasing the 6,000            operations. United States forces receive training in
to 10,000 child soldiers currently in their ranks. But         civilian protection throughout their careers; it is woven
promising to release children is just the beginning — in       throughout military doctrine. The imperative to avoid
fact, releasing those children from armed forces and           harming civilians, including children, has become even
armed groups is itself also just the beginning. The work       more explicit in recent tactical directives from our
of reintegrating them — meaningfully, compassionately,         commanders to their forces, directives that go beyond
respectfully — is critical and all too often overlooked.       what is required under international law and often
It is a long path to recovery, and our collective attention    result in forces having to assume additional operational
span to the challenge needs to be expanded.                    and other risks in order to minimize the possibility of
                                                               harming children. It is the right thing to do, and other
     After Boko Haram militants attacked and burned
                                                               militaries should follow that example.
down the village of a 16-year-old girl in Nigeria last
year, they made her watch as her captors brutally killed           When those engaged in or supporting peacekeeping
her neighbours. Her captors beat her when she tried to         efforts are accused of abusing the very children whom
escape. When she finally managed to escape in June, she        they are sent to protect, there must be zero tolerance.
was met with rejection and suspicion by her neighbours         There is no room in United Nations peacekeeping or in
who had survived the massacre. They stigmatized her            any regional or national missions for those who prey on
and other girls escaping from Boko Haram, taunting             the vulnerable.
them and calling them “Boko Haram wives”, leaving
                                                                   As the Secretary-General’s report shows, too many
the escaped girls isolated and alone. And that young
                                                               States and armed groups are not living up to their
girl, pregnant with the child of her captor, continues to
                                                               minimum obligations under international law. That is
struggle — like so many liberated children — through
                                                               why we have convened here today, and that is why we call
psychological and physical trauma.
                                                               on all of our colleagues to commit ourselves once again


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to documenting violations and abuses against children,        tools for effective preventive action. Meanwhile, the
to take seriously the need for rigorous standards and         protection of children in armed conflict is best achieved
methodology in monitoring and reporting across all            through a comprehensive strategy of protection and
trigger events — now including abductions — and to do         humanitarian response.
all we can to help children who have been through such
                                                                   The increasing trend in the mass abductions of
horrendous experiences in armed conflict to recover.
                                                              children is a matter of the utmost concern. Abduction
    Children who have been touched by armed conflict          is a precursor to other forms of violations of children’s
deserve to live meaningful lives that are free from           rights. Abducted children are used as messengers
violence and the painful effects of their experiences.        and porters, as spies, as human shields and suicide
They deserve to experience life beyond war, and it is         bombers. They are held as sexual slaves for ransom,
our responsibility to ensure that they will.                  retaliation and indoctrination by extremist groups for
                                                              the commission of horrendous crimes.
     Mr. Lucas (Angola): Angola thanks the Malaysian
presidency of the Security Council for convening                   Developing ways to prevent the abduction of
this open debate on an issue of critical importance,          children by armed groups would be the most effective
namely, the fate of children caught in the middle of          strategy for reducing the number of child combatants
armed conflicts and the suffering that they endure. The       under the yoke of terrorists. However, success in
international community pledged to find solutions to          preventing such trends has been disappointing. In Iraq
this problem of extreme gravity. The adoption today of        and Syria, over 1,000 girls and boys were abducted by
resolution 2225 (2015) is a further step in that direction.   the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. In Nigeria,
Children are supposed to lead their lives as children,        Boko Haram abducted hundreds of women and girls in
surrounded by love and care, and not have their childhood     major attacks in Chibok and across the country’s northstolen by war, abduction and abuse. We welcome the            east. The case of the LRA is the most notorious and
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia in presiding         abhorrent. Violence and hatred against children seems
over this debate. We also welcome the remarks by the          to be the only motivation of LRA actions. We condemn
Secretary-General and his Special Representative for          in the strongest terms the mass abduction of children
Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Leila Zerrougui. We          by armed terrorist groups and call on affected Member
also thank the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF,           States and the entire international community to do
Ms. Yoka Brandt, and the Director of the Facilitation         everything in their power to pursue the perpetrators
for Peace and Development, Ms. Eunice Apio. We                and hold them accountable for such horrific crimes.
were deeply touched by Ms. Apio’s testimony on the            We urge the immediate release of all abducted children
despicable actions of the Lord’s Resistance Army              and the provision of adequate support to permit them
(LRA) and its consequences.                                   to rebuild their shattered lives and fulfil their potential.
                                                              Appropriate measures to rehabilitate and reintegrate
    We face daunting challenges in protecting millions
                                                              those children should be put in place by concerned
of children in countries affected by armed conflict,
                                                              States and by international community actors as a
including, just to mention the most notorious cases, the
                                                              matter of priority. Angola is particularly committed to
Central African Republic, Iraq, Syria, South Sudan,
                                                              this issue. We have been affected by the phenomenon in
Yemen, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Palestine, Gaza,
                                                              the past but have been able to find acceptable solutions
Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of
                                                              for the reintegration of former child soldiers.
the Congo. Children are exposed to the most egregious
violations of their fundamental rights, among which is            We welcome the expansion of the listing criteria
the denial of the most basic one — the right to life.         in resolution 1612 (2005) to include abduction as
Extreme violence has risen to unprecedented levels. Too       an additional reason for listing in the annexes of the
often it targets children, prompting worldwide outrage.       reports of the Secretary-General and for the United
The latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2015/409)       Nations monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave
gives a tragic account of that reality worldwide.             violations against children in situations of armed
                                                              conflict. That will ensure that those responsible for
    Preventing the outbreak of conflicts is still the
                                                              abductions are identified and held accountable, without
best way to protect children, but unfortunately the
                                                              using double standards, as the President rightly pointed
international community still lacks the appropriate
                                                              out in his statement.


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     In that regard, resolution 2225 (2015), which             Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and
was adopted today and which my delegation was                  its efforts to advance the protection of children caught
honoured to sponsor, expanded the listing criteria,            up in the midst of war. We furthermore commend
thereby strengthening the Council’s response to grave          Malaysia for its efforts to advance the fight against the
violations of the rights of children, taking note of the       criminal scourge groups that abduct children and abuse
fact that abduction is a serious violation of international    and use them in committing the most abominable of
humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime or a            crimes.
crime against humanity.
                                                                   Once again, we thank the Malaysian presidency
    The report of the Secretary-General highlights the         for providing this opportunity to discuss these very
problem caused by the deprivation of liberty imposed           important and critical issues.
on children as a result of their alleged association with
                                                                   The President: I wish to remind all speakers to
extremist groups without due review to the legality of
                                                               limit their statements to no more than four minutes
such detention. The situation of the children should be
                                                               in order to enable the Council to carry out its work
carefully considered, since many of them are in fact
                                                               expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements
victims and should be treated as such. Additionally,
                                                               are kindly requested to circulate the texts in writing
Member States must ensure that trial procedures are
                                                               and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in
consistent with international juvenile-justice standards
                                                               the Chamber. I would also like to appeal to speakers
and the principle of preserving the best interest of the
                                                               to deliver their statements at a normal speed so that
child and their specific needs and vulnerabilities.
                                                               interpretation may be provided properly. I also wish to
     Currently we are witnessing an increasing trend of        inform all concerned that we will be carrying on this
attacks against schools and hospitals. Military forces         open debate right through the lunch hour, as we have a
and non-State armed groups have turned schools into            very large number of speakers.
shelters, detention facilities, barracks and military bases.
                                                                   I now give the floor to the Minister for Foreign
As a tactic of war and given their basic obscurantism
                                                               Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.
and fundamentalist hostility to the idea of granting
universal education to children, extremist groups target           Mr. Gentiloni (Italy): I wish to thank the Malaysian
schools. That constitutes an egregious social abuse, as        presidency for convening today’s open debate and for
it deprives children of their basic right to education and     introducing resolution 2225 (2015), which recognizes
endangers the safety and lives of students and teachers.       abductions in armed conflict as a listing criterion in
Member States and the international community must             the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual report on
do more to protect or help protect schools, students and       children and armed conflict (S/2015/409).
teachers in situations of armed conflict and ensure that
                                                                    I also thank the Secretary-General, his Special
schools remain a safe place, while also respecting their
                                                               Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and the
civil-society character.
                                                               Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF for their work
    We recognize that United Nations peace operations          in identifying ways that will help us better prevent and
play a vital role in the protection of children, the           respond to the scourges that continue to afflict children
fulfilment of which requires adequate training, and            in armed conflict. I am here to reaffirm Italy’s strong
we welcome the engagement and progress made by the             support for the Council’s endeavours.
“Children, Not Soldiers” campaign in its first year of
                                                                    Abductions are often a precursor to other grave
existence.
                                                               violations, from recruitment to mental and physical
    We further encourage the Member States that have           abuse and other harmful practices, such as forced
not yet done so to sign and ratify the Convention on           marriage. They can be used in retaliation by non-State
the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on           actors such as Daesh, Boko Haram and other terrorist
the involvement of children in armed conflict and to           groups that neglect children’s right to education and
adopt and implement legal measures to prohibit and             deny their empowerment, especially that of adolescent
criminalize the recruitment and use of child soldiers.         girls, and target ethnic and religious communities. We
                                                               believe that our common efforts to counter violent
    We conclude by praising the Malaysian delegation
for its commitment as Chair of the Security Council


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extremism should also be aimed at eradicating that                Our own lessons learned from those and other
plague.                                                      programmes have been that, in the short term, success
                                                             lies in the ability to rapidly re-establish family, social
    Resolution 2225 (2015), which we adopted today,
                                                             and institutional protection networks and set up direct
is a very relevant tool for addressing the increasing
                                                             relief initiatives. Short-term success, however, is not
use of abduction. But even more relevant will be its
                                                             enough. Medium- and long-term actions are crucial to
concrete implementation through the work of the
                                                             safeguarding the security and development of children
Security Council and its bodies, supported by the entire
                                                             in situations of crisis and conflict. This requires the
international community.
                                                             adoption of a multidimensional approach that is able
    As a non-permanent member of the Security                to address the root causes of poverty, lack of education
Council in 2007, Italy strongly supported the inclusion      and basic services, and the militarization of societies.
of specific provisions on the protection of children
                                                                 Mr. Aman took the Chair.
in the mandates of United Nations peacekeeping
operations. The targeted training of United Nations              Lastly, at this juncture, as we approach the
personnel on children’s rights remains paramount to          adoption of the postagenda, allow me to reaffirm
ensuring effective peacekeeping on the ground.               that the needs and rights of children and adolescents,
                                                             particularly adolescent girls and those living in poverty
    Italy is continuously engaged in such efforts through
                                                             or otherwise excluded, must be a cross-cutting priority
our training centres. The review of peacekeeping
                                                             in our development efforts.
operations will no doubt be an opportunity to provide
concrete recommendations on how this important                   The President: I now give the floor to the Minister
topic may be considered in planning and conducting           for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala.
peacekeeping operations.
                                                                  Mr. Morales (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): We
     Accountability at the national and international        would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs
levels is also key to ensuring that perpetrators are         of Malaysia and his delegation for having organized
brought to justice. National authorities have the duty       this open debate and for his concept note (S/2015/402,
to enforce the rules and investigate and prosecute           annex), which contains valuable guidance to focus our
violations and abuses. At the same time, we must             discussions today on those who are most vulnerable, that
spare no effort in supporting the international criminal     is, children. We would also like to thank the Secretaryjustice system.                                              General, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Deputy
    Prompt action is vital so as to reduce the exposure
                                                             Executive Director of UNICEF and the representative
of children to serious risk factors, while promoting and
                                                             of civil society for their very powerful briefings.
implementing long-term initiatives for the recovery and
social integration of former child soldiers and victims          In the past year we have seen a disproportionate
of conflicts.                                                increase in suffering, mass abduction, violent attacks,
                                                             the use of children as human shields and in suicide
    According to UNICEF, approximately 14 million
                                                             attacks. Such abuses are not only a violation of
children have been impacted by conflicts in Syria and
                                                             international humanitarian law, refugee law and human
Iraq. Italy pays particular attention to their condition.
                                                             rights law, but also represent an affront to our humanity,
Last year, we allocated a total of €2 million for projects
                                                             deprive our children of the hope of a better world and
carried out by UNICEF in support of children in
                                                             have devastating consequences for victims and their
Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. They included social and
                                                             families, as well as the communities where they live.
educational activities that involved the creation and
management of child and family protective facilities.            There is room for improvement in the Security
We funded programmes, such as UNICEF’s “No                   Council’s comprehensive strategy for protection,
Lost Generation” initiative, aimed at tackling child         prevention and response vis-à-vis children, who are
malnutrition and providing psychological assistance          at greater risk in armed conflict because they are the
and support for minors and their families. In the            objects of abduction and recruitment by armed groups
Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq, since January             and are victims of abuse, rape and sexual exploitation.
2015 we have financed assistance to young Christian          We must ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration
and Yazidi girls who are victims of violence.                through educational and training programmes, in


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keeping with the principle of the best interests of the     addition of child abduction as one of the violations that
child and respecting the overriding status of the child     could trigger listing within the annexes to the Secretaryas a victim.                                                General’s report on children and armed conflict.
    With respect to the release of child soldiers by             While Guatemala believes that in these reports the
armed groups, this is only the first step in the process    emphasis should be placed on the victims rather than
of reintegration. We must also address the resulting        on the countries involved, we deem regrettable the
trauma so as to prevent any repetition of the cycle of      inconsistencies contained in the most recent report of
conflict. In this respect, we urge Governments and          the Secretary-General (S/2015/409), because the serious
the international community as a whole to ensure            human rights violations perpetrated against children in
that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration          Gaza, the West Bank and Israel are not mentioned in
programmes receive the resources necessary to be able       the annex to that document. We must be the voice of
to function effectively.                                    the voiceless and ensure for them the protection and
                                                            justice that they deserve. In some cases, such as that of
    We welcome the fact that through the Children, Not
                                                            Colombia, we have seen tangible progress in the quest
Soldiers campaign, eight Governments have committed
                                                            for peace that will benefit the most vulnerable and that
to putting an end to and preventing the recruitment
                                                            our region welcomes.
and use of children in national security forces by the
end of 2016. Accountability is crucial to preventing            I wish to highlight the importance of Member
such serious violations and must be at the very core of     States improving their cooperation at every level
national and international responses. We must ensure        through the sharing of intelligence and information so
that the necessary political and financial support is       as to develop best practices to prevent, document and
made available so as to ensure the institutionalization     address violations against children in armed conflict.
and sustainability of the progress made to date. We
                                                                The fight against impunity must remain a pivotal
urge those that have not yet done so to sign and endorse
                                                            aspect of our efforts, not only in the context of
a United Nations action plan.
                                                            reacting to grave violations against children but also in
    We must put an end to the military use of schools by    preventing them.
armed groups. Initiatives such as the Lucens Guidelines
                                                                We must take advantage of and improve the tools
can help to prevent the military use of schools and
                                                            available to the Council and use them consistently so as
universities, as they call on both State and non-State
                                                            to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,
actors to immediately cease their attacks and threats
                                                            by including them in sanctions regimes, redoubling our
against schools and to refrain from actions that hinder
                                                            efforts to enhance national capacities in the judicial
children’s access to education. Along these lines, we
                                                            sector and strengthening the international justice
welcome the adoption of the Safe Schools Declaration,
                                                            framework by, inter alia, referring perpetrators to the
on 29 May, in Oslo, Norway.
                                                            International Criminal Court.
    We firmly condemn the use of explosive weapons
                                                                The sentencing of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and the
in densely populated urban areas, because this increases
                                                            referral to the Court of the Bosco Ntaganda case are
the vulnerability of children, resulting in an increased
                                                            clear messages concerning the penal consequences of
number of deaths and incidents of mutilation, as well
                                                            child recruitment, which is considered a war crime. We
as prolonged suffering, destruction and chaos. We
                                                            are in favour of strengthening our dialogue with the
must incorporate provisions concerning the protection
                                                            Court and its mandate in this area.
of children in ceasefire negotiations as well as peace
agreements.                                                      We call on the Secretary-General and his Special
                                                            Representative to ensure that the armed groups listed
     We also unreservedly condemn the appalling acts
                                                            in the annexes to his annual report are informed of such
committed by extremist groups such as the Islamic
                                                            listings and ensure that action plans are implemented
State in Iraq and the Levant and Boko Haram, as well
                                                            that are aimed at putting an end to such violations. We
as the mass abductions of children carried out in recent
                                                            also call upon all Member States that have not yet done
months in Nigeria, Syria and Iraq. We reiterate our call
                                                            so to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the
for the immediate release of the boys and girls who are
                                                            Child and its three optional Protocols.
still being held captive. In that context, we support the


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    The President: I now give the floor to the                backed terrorists who stand behind the murders of
representative of Ukraine.                                    Ukrainian children. There have also been abductions
                                                              and illegal transfers of children to Russia. For example,
    Mrs. Zerkal (Ukraine): First of all, I would like
                                                              61 orphans were abducted on 26 July 2014 from an
to thank you, Mr. President, for Malaysia’s initiative
                                                              orphanage in Luhansk and illegally transferred to
to hold this important debate. Let me also express my
                                                              Russia. A group of 16 children was allegedly abducted
gratitude to today’s briefers, in particular to the Special
                                                              and transferred to Russian Federation territory on
Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
                                                              12 June 2014 by armed groups and returned to Ukraine
and Armed Conflict for her hard work.
                                                              on 13 June 2014.
     The delegation of Ukraine aligns itself with the
                                                                  Rising concerns about abductions were expressed
statement made by the observer of the European Union
                                                              during an open debate of the Security Council in March
and would also like to make a number of points in its
                                                              2015 (see S/PV.7400). Yet Ukrainian authorities, along
national capacity.
                                                              with the OSCE monitors, have continued to report
    Ukraine welcomes the latest report of the Secretary-      numerous incidents of child abductions by Russian-General on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409).          backed terrorists. According to current data, 126
We consider this document to be an extremely important        occupants of the Krasnodon regional orphanage, of
tool in preventing children from engaging in conflict.        whom 80 are children, are still being held in the zone
                                                              controlled by militants. Most of those in the institution
    Unfortunately, as stated in the report, there were
                                                              are seriously ill and are not able to move on their own.
unprecedented challenges in 2014 with regard to the
                                                              The 195 people in the Rovenky regional orphanage, of
protection of the tens of millions of children growing
                                                              which 27 are children, have also not been evacuated.
up in situations affected by conflict. It also notes that
                                                              In addition, two children’s tuberculosis facilities in
mass abductions of civilians, including children, have
                                                              the city of Alchevsk cannot be evacuated from the
become an increasingly prevalent feature of conflict in
                                                              zone affected by the conflict. Horrific facts have
many situations. We regret to say that our country has
                                                              confirmed the cynical and manipulative attitude of the
been suffering from such outrageous acts for more than
                                                              militants towards children. Decree No. 17 of the soa year as a result of Russia’s ongoing aggression.
                                                              called Council of Ministers of the Donetsk People’s
    Despite the fact that the current report of the           Republic, dated 25 June 2014, forbids moving children
Secretary-General’s does not cover the situation in           outside the Donetsk region, although the same decree
Ukraine, I would like to draw the Council’s attention         allows children to be moved exclusively to the Russian
to some striking statistics previously unimaginable in        Federation.
my country. As a result of the Russian Federation’s
                                                                  Furthermore, Russian-backed terrorists are
aggression against Ukraine, the number of internally
                                                              reportedly recruiting child soldiers to fight against
displaced persons (IDPs) is constantly growing. As
                                                              the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian people. Many such
of June, Ukrainian authorities have reported more
                                                              facts have been registered by the OSCE monitoring
than 1,325,000 IDPs, 150,481 of them children. As of
                                                              mission. Among those manning the checkpoint at the
31 March 2015, 1,086 children had lost their parents.
                                                              north-eastern entrance to Shyrokyne in the so-called
At least 68 children have been killed and 176 wounded
                                                              Donetsk People’s Republic, the monitoring mission
in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian
                                                              reported seeing young female and male armed persons.
Federation’s aggression. The human rights mission in
                                                              Some of the male individuals appeared to be minors. At
Ukraine and the World Health Organization believe that
                                                              a checkpoint on the outskirts of the so-called Donetsk
the actual number of fatalities is considerably higher.
                                                              People’s Republic-controlled city of Makiivka, 10
     Seven children’s hospitals and three schools have        kilometres east of Donetsk, OSCE monitors observed
been destroyed in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as          a child, approximately 12 to 14 years old, wearing a
a result of shelling, and 47 medical facilities and 177       camouflage uniform and holding an AK-47 rifle.
educational institutions have been heavily damaged.
                                                                   Against such a tragic background, I would like to take
The whole world is witnessing, and the Organization
                                                              this opportunity to urge, as we have time and again, the
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special
                                                              Russian Federation to stop providing weapons, military
Monitoring Mission has confirmed, that it is Russianequipment, financial resources and mercenaries to the


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illegal armed groups in eastern Ukraine. I would like        (S/2015/409) as a consequence of what many would
to stress that the outrageous accusation made today by       consider undue political pressure. It is of paramount
the representative of the Russian delegation that the        importance that the Office of the Special Representative
Ukrainian army was allegedly killing children in the         on Children and Armed Conflict be allowed to exercise
eastern region of Ukraine is indeed a brutal attempt         its responsibilities with independence and objectivity,
to lay the blame at someone else’s door. The United          free from politicization and within the mandate
Nations and other international actors should be granted     established by the General Assembly and the Security
full access to the conflict zone in order to monitor the     Council.
situation. That is the only way to prevent the further
                                                                 The abduction of innocent children during armed
suffering of our children in the territories in the Donbas
                                                             conflicts is often linked to some of the worst humancurrently under the control of the terrorists.
                                                             rights abuses, including sexual slavery, enslavement,
    At the same time, my country reiterates its              hostage-taking, enforced disappearances, forcible
commitment to the promotion and protection of the            population transfers and child recruitment. Those
rights of the child and will work as hard as possible        violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against
to support the efforts being exerted to that end within      humanity under the Rome Statue of the International
the framework of the United Nations system, regional         Criminal Court. They are also tragically frequent. Let
organizations and civil society in support of the            me recall that over 24,000 child abductions during
“Children, Not Soldiers” campaign. In that regard, we        conflicts have been reported since 2002. While
are ready to provide the Special Representative of the       the crime of abduction is already proscribed under
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict            international humanitarian and human-rights law
with all available data on the situation with respect to     and has been included among the six grave violations
children in Ukraine and the violations of their rights       against children established by the Council, we believe
as a result of foreign aggression, so that they can be       there is still room for strengthening our legal and
properly reflected in the next thematic report.              political framework to tackle serious violations.
    The President: I now give the floor to the                   Mrs. Adnin took the Chair.
representative of Brazil.
                                                                 Brazil therefore supports the inclusion of child
     Mr. De Aguiar Patriota (Brazil): Let me express         abduction among the listing criteria for the annexes to
the appreciation of the Brazilian delegation to you,         the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and
Mr. President, for presiding over this meeting and for       armed conflict. That would send a strong signal to all
convening this very important debate. I am also grateful     would-be perpetrators that abducting girls and boys
to the Secretary-General, to Special Representative of       is unacceptable conduct under any circumstance. We
the Secretary-General Leila Zerrougui, to UNICEF             expect this issue to be addressed in all future action
Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt and to                 plans aimed at preventing violence against children to
Ms. Eunice Apio for their briefings.                         be signed by the parties in a conflict situation.
     While the Security Council framework for the                An area in which we are achieving progress,
protection of children affected by armed conflict            notwithstanding recent tragic and alarming cases, is
has been decisively reinforced since the turn of the         the imperative to prevent attacks against educational
twenty-first century, more needs to be done in terms         facilities, as well as their use for military purposes.
of implementation and accountability. Every year,            Brazil was pleased to endorse the Safe Schools
thousands of vulnerable and innocent girls and boys          Declaration, signed in Oslo last month, in which
still bear the brunt of wars fought by adults. Brazil        38 countries agreed to abide by the Guidelines for
resolutely condemns all acts of violence against             Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use
children in situations of armed conflict and expects all     during Armed Conflict.
violators to be brought to justice. We are particularly
                                                                 As we discuss practical ways to further develop our
concerned by the alarming reports that certain parties
                                                             legal tools to protect children from the impact of war,
that have committed serious violations against girls and
                                                             allow me to recall the essential distinction between
boys in the context of war may have been omitted from
                                                             armed conflicts, on the one hand, and situations of
the lists in the annex to the Secretary-General’s report
                                                             domestic law enforcement, on the other. While both


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categories are considered in detail in the annual report,         their discourse and reducing the numbers who
they should not be amalgamated in any way, because                willingly enlist.” (S/2015/409, para. 16)
they pertain to different domains. Armed conflicts
                                                                  The Peacebuilding Commission can play a key
and situations that represent a threat to international
                                                              role in promoting policies in countries emerging from
peace and security, as established by the Council, are
                                                              conflict so as to foster social cohesion and thereby
subject to the norms of international humanitarian
                                                              render children and youth less vulnerable to recruitment
law, such as the obligation on all parties to protect
                                                              and abuse, including by terrorist groups.
civilians, including girls and boys. Issues of internal
law enforcement, however, fall clearly outside the                In conclusion, allow me to reiterate my country’s
purview of the Security Council and should be tackled         enduring commitment to the advancement of the
by Governments through national legislation and               children and armed conflict agenda in the Security
international cooperation, with international human-          Council and also to the wider debate, in various forums,
rights law — including the Convention on the Rights of        on the protection of all girls and boys who suffer from
the Child — as the paradigm to be followed.                   violence and abuse. This crosscutting concern must
                                                              be at the heart of all activities and endeavours of the
    Like others who spoke before me, including the
                                                              United Nations.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Children and Armed Conflict herself in her statement              The President: I now give the floor to the
today, I would like to mention Colombia, the only             representative of Colombia.
Latin American country to be referred to in the annual
                                                                  Mrs. Mejía Vélez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish):
report. We believe that Colombia’s efforts to develop
                                                              I would like to thank you, Madam President, and your
policies to protect children in armed conflict while at
                                                              country for holding this important debate. I would
the same time conducting peace negotiations should
                                                              also like to thank the Special Representative of the
be acknowledged by the United Nations and, perhaps,
                                                              Secretary-General, the representative of UNICEF, and
better reflected in future reports.
                                                              Ms. Eunice Apio for her testimony.
    The five most deadly conflicts for children in
                                                                   In March, we met here in the Council to discuss
2014, according to the annual report, were those of
                                                              the serious human-rights violations affecting children
Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Darfur. There is
                                                              (see S/PV.7414), and the enormous concern over the
an underlying pattern in that dismal list. Most of those
                                                              worsening situation in many parts of the world was
hostilities could have been avoided through inclusive
                                                              palpable. Today, four months later, despite the efforts
dialogue, peaceful negotiations, good offices and other
                                                              and involvement of the international community, we see
diplomatic measures. Conflict prevention remains the
                                                              in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2015/409) that the
most ethical and effective approach to shielding all
                                                              situation in that regard is referred to as unprecedented.
civilians, including children, from the plight of war.
                                                              That shows us how great the present challenge is. In
Conversely, inconsistent strategies that prioritize the
                                                              this difficult global context, Colombia, which is not on
use of force tend to aggravate the suffering of those
                                                              the Security Council’s list, is, however, mentioned in
whom we ought to protect. That reasoning is also
                                                              the report, as a result of the prolonged internal conflict,
relevant to our joint efforts against terrorism and violent
                                                              lasting over five decades, which has affected our
extremism conducive to terrorism. We believe that the
                                                              development and our civilian population, particularly
international community should focus its efforts on
                                                              the most vulnerable segment of it — our children.
addressing the root causes that lead to the emergence of
such extremist groups.                                            Three years ago, President Juan Manuel Santos
                                                              and the entire nation courageously sought a negotiated
     We agree with the Secretary-General’s assessment
                                                              end to the conflict, the sole one in the Americas. That
that:
                                                              enabled the Government to implement pioneering
    “Recognizing and addressing social deprivation            legislation at the international level, reflected in the
    and alienation of communities, strengthening              Law on Victims and Land Restitution and the joint
    efforts to grant access to education and other key        agreement on clearing anti-personnel mines. Moreover,
    social services will contribute to isolating the          we have made progress on three out of the five items on
    leaders of extremist groups through delegitimizing        the agenda of the peace talks, and have subsequently



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improved the living conditions of the civilian population.         Colombia and my delegation have done everything
As the Special Representative mentioned, the Fuerzas           possible to achieve that goal. We have opened all
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia announced that             channels of communication: we have promoted meetings
they would remove children younger than 15 years of            with all relevant authorities; we have approached the
age from their ranks. That is why my country is deeply         Office of the Special Representative with openness:
perplexed by our country’s portrayal in the Secretary-         and, in that spirit, we would respectfully ask the Special
General’s report. It does not reflect the present situation,   Representative to take full account of the substantive
nor the progress achieved. The terms used to describe          considerations of the Colombian State reflected in
the situation in Colombia in 2014 cannot be the same as        the current report, which we hope to see corrected in
those that would have applied in 1999. Challenged by           the final draft. We have made significant progress in
enormous difficulties, we have taken brave steps in the        protecting our children and ensuring their rights. We
peace negotiations, because we see that as the best way        will continue working with full determination and
to restore the rights of all persons affected by the armed     conviction to that end.
conflict — especially our children.
                                                                    Dialogue and cooperation are undoubtedly the best
     Less than a year ago, in August 2014, I was here          tools available to the United Nations for working with
at the United Nations for the official presentation of         States. I therefore reiterate that the Colombian State
the Secretary General’s Guidance Note on reparations           is completely prepared to continue to make progress
for conflict-related sexual violence (see S/2014/181),         in this area within a respectful relationship based on
in which Colombia was held up as a paradigm for                accuracy and objectivity. I would also reiterate to you,
the efforts that it has implemented. In the Note, the          Mr. President, our determination to work for the good
implementation of our historic law regarding victims           of the children of Colombia and the whole world.
was recognized as an effort without precedent in the
                                                                   The President: I now give the floor to the
context of armed conflicts elsewhere in the world.
                                                               representative of India.
Those developments complement the public policies
implemented by the Colombian Government. I would                   Mr. Mukerji (India): We would like to thank
like to mention just two examples.                             our briefers in this debate and to congratulate you,
                                                               Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of
     First, Colombia had a great number of displaced
                                                               the Security Council for the month of June. On this day
persons, but the country has made every effort to
                                                               I would also like to convey our greetings to you at the
deal with the problem and its impact on our children.
                                                               start of the month of Ramadan.
Furthermore, I would point out that during the period
under review in the report, our country reported a                 As is evident from the Secretary-General’s report
noteworthy reduction of 47 per cent in the phenomenon          (S/2015/409) on the topic before us, despite the progress
of internally displaced persons. That reduction has not        in United Nations peacekeeping initiatives and the
been referred to in the report.                                “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, tens of millions of
                                                               children continue to be the worst affected in situations
    Secondly, in 2014, the Intersectoral Commission
                                                               of armed conflict. Extreme violence against susceptible
for the Prevention of Recruitment, which involves 27
                                                               children, including shocking cases of abductions in
State agencies, implemented urgent prevention and
                                                               some parts of the world in 2014, call for greater political
protection measures, given the risk of the recruitment
                                                               will and constructive dialogue among all the relevant
of girls and boys in more than 200 municipalities in
                                                               stakeholders to address the worsening situation. We
Colombia. In September 2014, I addressed the Council
                                                               believe that constructive and close engagement with
on that very issue. I said,
                                                               the national Governments concerned is essential and
    “[m]y task ... is to build up a harmonious and             integral to establishing durable peace, security and
    stable relationship of mutual respect with the             development.
    [United Nations] system through which it can be
                                                                    The impunity of non-State armed groups and newly
    possible to improve conditions on the ground,
                                                               emerging extremist organizations that violate the rights
    so that Colombia ... is never again included in
                                                               of the child can be overcome only through resolute action
    the Secretary-General’s report on this issue.”
                                                               by the Governments on whose territory such entities
    (S/PV.7259, pp. 31-32)
                                                               operate. The international community must extend all


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possible assistance to such Governments to strengthen               In conclusion, we would like all States Members
their national capacities to deal effectively with this         of the United Nations to give explicit priority to the
threat. We are of the view that sustained capacity-             prevention of destructive and grave violations against
building in national institutions and governance should         susceptible children as we prepare to adopt an ambitious
be a key focus area. It is also our firm belief that credible   and far-reaching postdevelopment agenda in
and verifiable data for any monitoring and reporting            September.
mechanisms can most effectively be collected by such
                                                                    The President: I now give the floor to the
national institutions.
                                                                representative of Sweden.
    On the basis of our extensive experience, acquired
                                                                   Mr. Skoog (Sweden): I have the honour to speak
over six decades of United Nations peacekeeping, we
                                                                on behalf of Finland, Iceland, Norway and my own
feel that the allocation of more resources to peace
                                                                country, Sweden.
operations and the deployment of the necessary number
of child protection advisers is a prerequisite for the               At the outset, we would like to warmly thank the
success of programmes designed to protect, reintegrate          Malaysian presidency, and particularly the Minister for
and rehabilitate child victims and survivors. Such              Foreign Affairs, Dato Sri Anifah Aman, for taking the
allocation should be facilitated in consultation with           initiative of holding this open debate and for showing
both the national Governments and the peace operations          leadership on this important topic. We would also like
concerned.                                                      to acknowledge the crucial role played by the Special
                                                                Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila
     The concept note (S/2015/402, annex) and the
                                                                Zerrougui, and her Office, as well as the important
Secretary-General’s report refer to abductions as
                                                                work of UNICEF and other United Nations agencies,
trigger violations. India condemns the use of abduction,
                                                                and non-governmental organizations in the field. We
which we view as a tactic of terror. While abductions
                                                                would like to thank the Secretary-General and the other
are to be condemned, however, we must not lose sight
                                                                keynote speakers for their valuable contributions this
of the fact that the Secretary-General’s report must
                                                                morning.
not exceed the terms of Article 99 of the Charter of
the United Nations. We are concerned about reported                 In 2015 we celebrate the tenth anniversary of
attempts to exert undue political pressure in the               resolution 1612 (2005). The unprecedented challenges
process of compiling this report. With regard to the            we see today for the protection of children growing up
list, the overriding objective should be to have listing        in countries affected by conflict illustrate the enormous
and delisting carried out in a transparent and judicious        importance of that resolution. We very much welcome
manner under the close supervision of Member States.            today’s adoption of resolution 2225 (2015), which we
                                                                are all proud to sponsor.
     India, for its part, has engaged constructively in
the ongoing efforts to make the work of the United                  The Secretary-General’s annual report (S/2015/409)
Nations more relevant and effective in addressing the           paints a very gloomy picture of the situation around
issue of children and armed conflict. We are party to           the world for children in armed conflict. The Islamic
all the relevant major international instruments, which         State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been listed as
demonstrates our commitment in that regard. We are              committing all the trigger violations involving violence
disappointed that, although the Secretary-General’s             against children, a result of their appalling atrocities.
mandate regarding children and armed conflict is                In Syria, the systematic use of indiscriminate aerial
clearly spelled out in paragraph 16 of resolution 1379          weapons, such as barrel bombs, accounts for the
(2001), his report continues to include references to           overwhelming majority of civilian casualties, including
other situations of concern, which cannot be considered         children. This cannot be allowed to continue. In addition,
to “threaten the maintenance of international peace             during the hostilities in Gaza last summer, civilians,
and security” as set out in Article 99 of the Charter.          including children, bore the brunt of the suffering. At
Any consideration of such references by the Security            least 540 Palestinian children were killed and hospitals
Council will, we feel, only distract its attention from         and schools, including United Nations facilities, were
issues that actually fall within its mandate.                   severely damaged or destroyed. The scale of the impact
                                                                on children was unprecedented and unacceptable.



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     These facts and all other incidents listed in the      extent of the law. Individual responsibility must be
report are profoundly disturbing and raise serious          upheld; that means that all perpetrators must be held
concerns regarding the observance of the rules of           accountable and punished accordingly, regardless
international humanitarian law, including the principles    of their status or capacity. The Children in Armed
of distinction, precaution and proportionality, and         Conflict Accountability Framework is a step in the right
respect for international human rights law, including,      direction and provides a methodology to both redress
let it be said, in the Security Council.                    past violations and prevent future violations. My own
                                                            country, Sweden, will launch this tool in cooperation
    Given that armed non-State actors account for
                                                            with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Kinshasa
the vast majority of violations, further reflection on
                                                            this autumn. The International Criminal Court plays
forms of engagement is needed. In thata regard, we
                                                            an important role in ensuring accountability and we
thought that interesting proposals were presented at
                                                            welcome the initiative of the Prosecutor’s Office to
the open debate presided over by France in March (see
                                                            develop a comprehensive policy paper on children.
S/PV.7414).
                                                                 Thirdly, and lastly, we must have a stronger policy for
    In 2014, the world bore witness to several appalling
                                                            protecting children’s rights in peacekeeping operations.
cases of mass abduction of children in armed conflict.
                                                            The recent serious allegations in the Central African
We therefore particularly welcome the addition of
                                                            Republic bear tragic witness to that. It is essential that
abduction as a fifth trigger violation in the report,
                                                            personnel deployed in the field have adequate training
which we hope will send a strong signal to all parties to
                                                            in the rights of the child. Two of the many steps needed
armed conflict around the world.
                                                            could be the inclusion in all missions of child protection
    I want to highlight three areas of particular concern   structures, including child protection focal points, and
to us.                                                      making predeployment training of peacekeepers in
                                                            child protection mandatory.
    First, the right of children, particularly girls, to
high-quality education in war and disasters is vital            Before concluding, we would like to once again
to the protection of children during conflict, because      congratulate the Special Representative and UNICEF
attendance at school can create a sense of normality        on a successful first year of the “Children, Not Soldiers”
and a vision for a better future in an otherwise chaotic    campaign. They have our wholehearted support, but, as
situation. It is therefore all the more disturbing that     today’s debate has shown, we have a lot of work in front
there were attacks on education facilities in at least      of us.
70 countries between 2009 and 2013. Since then, the
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
problem has only escalated in a number of conflicts.
                                                            representative of Algeria.
We must intensify our efforts to uphold the right to
education, even in conflict situations. By making               Mr. Boukadoum (Algeria): I have the honour to
schools safer for children today, we are protecting         deliver this statement on behalf of the Arab Group.
the future. The Safe Schools Declaration expresses a
                                                                The Security Council is holding this very important
commitment to protecting education from attack. It
                                                            open debate a few days after N’Djamena, the capital
merits our full consideration and we hope that it will
                                                            of Chad, was stricken by heinous terrorist attacks that
be endorsed by as many States as possible. We are
                                                            resulted in many dead and wounded, including children.
also concerned by the severe impact on children of the
                                                            I would like to express our sincere condolences and
continued use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
                                                            deep sympathy to the families of the victims, and our
Such indiscriminate use of weapons is prohibited under
                                                            solidarity with the Chadian authorities.
international humanitarian law and we would support
practical steps to stop it.                                      I would also like to congratulate Malaysia on its
                                                            assumption of the presidency of the Security Council
    Secondly, there is still a lack of accountability
                                                            for this month and on its organization of today’s debate
for violations of international law committed against
                                                            on children and armed conflict. I wish to commend the
children in armed conflict. It is crucial to fight
                                                            work of the President in his capacity as Chair of the
impunity and ensure that victims have access to justice.
                                                            Working Group on this very issue. I would like also to
Crimes against children must be independently and
                                                            thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2015/409)
impartially investigated and prosecuted to the full


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on global trends related to the situation of children in    acts on children, this negative trend continues to grow.
armed conflict. Our special thanks go to Ms. Leila          The Arab Group believes the Security Council should
Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-         consider the possibility of expanding the criteria for
General, for her briefing and for her steadfast, faithful   inscribing names of the perpetrators of such crimes
and continued commitment to the cause of children.          in the lists annexed to the Secretary-General’s report.
                                                            Abduction is one of the criminal actions used by
     The Arab Group would like to emphasize some
                                                            extremist groups in various countries to intimidate
principles and elements that we deem extremely
                                                            or influence local ethnic or religious communities.
important in dealing with the present issue. Above
                                                            Girls in particular are victims of sexual slavery and
all, we cannot support any difference of opinion
                                                            other indescribable violations. They are deprived of an
when children and their well-being and future are at
                                                            education, raped and forced into marriage. The recent
stake. Regardless of the situation, location or political
                                                            savage attacks on and abductions of girls by Boko
differences between States, or even in situations of
                                                            Haram and Daesh and the selling of girls to terrorist
open conflict, children should be protected. That is a
                                                            fighters are other challenges we must overcome.
moral and legal obligation.
                                                                With regard to peacekeeping operations, the Arab
    We now have criteria that can be used to define when
                                                            Group calls for the inclusion of child protection advisers
a child is a victim and when violations are committed,
                                                            in the mission mandates. They must be on the ground
and it is a fundamental principle that we must act on
                                                            to ensure that children affected by armed conflict
that — “we” meaning the international community,
                                                            are protected as they should be in the framework of
and above all the Security Council, with the Secretarypeacekeeping operations. We must submit reports on
General as a whistleblower. The Secretary-General has
                                                            those efforts.
a responsibility to tell, and the Security Council has a
responsibility to act. Children’s playgrounds must be in        The issue of the collective abduction of civilians,
their schoolyards and secure homes, not in battlefields.    including children, is one that we are seeing increasingly
Regardless of their religion, citizenship, ethnicity        in situations of armed conflict. The abduction of
or social position, we should make no distinction.          children leads to other violations, such as murder,
Children are children, and we should ensure that they       maiming, recruitment and sexual violence. The Arab
do not become victims, soothe them when required and        Group condemns such violations committed against
reconstruct their future when necessary. Children must      children in Syria and Iraq by the terrorist group Daesh,
remain off limits with regard to adults’ quagmires.         which murders, rapes and forcibly displaces children,
                                                            as well as denying them access to education by closing
    We continue to witness the increasing recruitment
                                                            schools and using them for combat purposes.
and use of children in armed conflict, including acts
of sexual violence, killings, attacks on schools and/or         While the Council is looking at the issue of children
hospitals and recurring attacks or threats of attacks       and armed conflict around the world, the Arab Group
on protected personnel, in violation of international       urges it not to forget the children of Palestine, who
legal standards. This year, as we celebrate the tenth       are suffering under acts of aggression and oppression
anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005),      and grave violations of human rights owing to the
we should note that significant progress has been made      Israeli occupation. That conflict has been going on
in seeking the cooperation and compliance of national       for more than 70 years, and Israel, the occupying
security forces on this issue, since almost all of them     Power, has continued to seriously violate international
now have their own action plans for addressing it.          law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, the
However, we should also note that this did not stop         Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Charter of
children from being the primary victims of conflicts        the United Nations and the relevant Security Council
in 2014.                                                    resolutions. That situation systematically exhibits three
                                                            of the six criteria for evaluating violations against
(spoke in Arabic)
                                                            children. The war in Gaza last year resulted in the
    As we mark the first anniversary of the “Children,      deaths of more than 500 Palestinian children who
Not Soldiers” campaign, and despite the significant         were targeted and killed deliberately as they played on
efforts of Governments and agencies of the United           the beach or sought refuge in United Nations centres.
Nations to demonstrate the harmful effects of terrorist     Around 3,000 children were disabled for life, schools


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were attacked, 54,000 children left homeless, and            Those facts are well documented in the current report
at least 373,000 children in Gaza are now in need of         and similar past reports.
psychological and social support. None of what was
                                                                 According to the criteria established by the Security
destroyed has been rebuilt yet.
                                                             Council, such actions would trigger a listing among the
     The Arab Group reiterates its confidence in Special     grave violators identified in the annexes to the report.
Representative Zerrougui, which it demonstrated              One qualifies to be on the list of shame whether Boko
recently when the League of Arab States and the United       Haram figures there or not. If one meets the criteria,
Nations signed an agreement aimed at strengthening           then one has to be there. Political considerations should
the protection of children affected by armed conflict        not be the basis for removal because some abhorrent
in the Arab world. It constitutes an important measure       terrorist organization is on the list.
to ensure the protection of children. The Arab Group
                                                                  Yet Israel was not included in that list, as political
believes it is essential that the mandate of the Office of
                                                             pressures were again blatantly exerted to shield
the Special Representative be strengthened by providing
                                                             it from censure and measures of accountability,
the financial and human resources it requires.
                                                             notwithstanding the objective recommendation of the
   The President: I now give the floor to the                experts in the United Nations system. We salute those
Permanent Observer of the observer State of Palestine.       experts for their professional and honest position. They
                                                             recommended Israel’s inclusion, but political pressure
    Mr. Mansour (Palestine): I would like to wish a
                                                             led to the deletion of Israel from the list of shame.
blessed Ramadam to all. I salute His Excellency the
                                                             This glaring omission and the failure to hold Israel
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Mr. Anifah
                                                             responsible for its crimes come at a heavy cost to our
Aman, and the President of the Security Council for
                                                             innocent children, who are being denied the protection
convening this timely debate on children and armed
                                                             of the law, their rights violated, their suffering deepened
conflict. This matter is of highest priority and urgency
                                                             and their lives, dreams and futures shattered, without
for the State of Palestine, whose children’s lives are
                                                             consequences.
gravely endangered by the Israeli occupation. I also
thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Ms. Leila                    Israel’s brutality increased against Palestinian
Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-          children in 2014, causing the third-highest number
General for Children and Armed Conflict; Ms. Yoka            of child fatalities in armed conflicts worldwide. As
Brandt, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; and             reported, 557 Palestinian children were killed. My
Ms. Eunice Apio, Director of Facilitation for Peace and      statement, which will be circulated, contains an annex
Development, for their important briefings.                  with a list with the names of all those children and their
                                                             ages. The majority are from the Gaza Strip, who were
     We come before the Security Council anguished
                                                             killed during the Israeli military assaults of July and
by the Secretary-General’s decision to exclude Israel
                                                             August 2014. There are 340 boys and 200 girls, from
from the list of shame of parties committing grave
                                                             one-week-old babies to youth 17 years old. As time
violations against children in his annual report on
                                                             constraints do not allow me to read out the names of
children and armed conflict (S/2015/409). Israel, the
                                                             all of those beloved children to properly memorialize
occupying Power, is without doubt a flagrant violator of
                                                             their lives and souls, we are distributing the list of their
children’s rights. Israel systematically commits crimes
                                                             names with the copies of our statement today.
against Palestinian children. Its actions contravene
its obligations under human rights law, including the             The Palestinian people still grieve this massive loss
Convention on the Rights of the Child and international      of human life and innocence. Among them are 19 children
humanitarian law, which obligate the occupying Power         of the Abu Jama’a family, the youngest a 6-monthto ensure the well-being and safety of the civilian          old girl, Bisan, who were massacred in an Israeli air
population under its occupation. Evidence verified           strike on their home that killed 25 family members
by the United Nations and numerous human rights              in total. They suffered the same disaster inflicted on
organizations affirms that Israel continues to kill and      142 families who lost multiple members — mothers,
maim children, attack schools and hospitals and prevent      fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
humanitarian access, with devastating impact on the          cousins — in such criminal assaults, with 89 families
rights, lives and well-being of Palestinian children.        totally decimated.



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     The grim reality is that the Israeli occupying forces        The average 8-year-old in Gaza has witnessed three
killed an average of 10 children per day in Gaza, most       acts of major military aggression but has never set foot
of whom had not yet celebrated their twelfth birthday.       outside Gaza. Too many young lives have been cut short
Children were killed on beaches as they played in broad      by the violence and terror of the occupying forces and
daylight before the eyes of the world, in the sanctity of    extremist settler militants, who, along with the Israeli
their homes, in their beds as they slept, in schools, in     Government, should be included in the list of violators,
playgrounds, in the arms of their parents who could not      the list of shame.
save them from the Israeli onslaught. And an estimated
                                                                  The children who survive this constant aggression
3,000 children were injured and maimed by the
                                                             are left to cope with deep physical and psychological
deliberate Israeli strikes and bombardments of civilian
                                                             wounds, which gravely impairs their lives. Those
areas. One thousand of those children will be disabled
                                                             wounds result from the loss of family members, with
for life. These facts, documented and verified by United
                                                             at least 1,500 children orphaned in the last Israeli
Nations agencies on the ground, cannot be disputed,
                                                             war alone. There have been detentions and arrests,
distorted or justified by any shameless propaganda.
                                                             with children as young as 12 seized from their beds
    In addition to these horrific facts, 1,218 Palestinian   in the dead of night, detained, interrogated, beaten,
children were injured in 2014 by the occupying forces        blindfolded, strip-searched, forced to endure solitary
in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, more          confinement and other acts amounting to torture and
than half of whom were under 12 years of age. Many           prosecuted in the only juvenile military court system
were critically wounded, and 13 were killed. Among           in the world. There is also the illegal blockade by
them were Mohammed Abu Khdeir, aged 16, who was              which Israel has inhumanely deprived the Palestinians
abducted and burned alive by terrorist settlers, and         in Gaza, isolated them from the world and obstructed
Nadim Siam Nuwara, aged 17, who was killed as he was         humanitarian assistance and recovery. Forced
returning home from school during the Day of Nakba in        displacement has been endured repeatedly by many
May 2014. I am honoured to have his father here with us      children, with the destruction of their homes and loss
today as we appeal again to the Security Council to act      of their life possessions.
to redress the crimes perpetrated against his son and
                                                                 Where else in the world would such deplorable
our people and to bring an end to this 48 years of illegal
                                                             treatment of children be permitted? How long will the
occupation and decades of injustice.
                                                             Security Council allow Israel to act as a State above the
    Moreover, along with rampant Israeli strikes on          law, perpetrating such grave violations against children
hospitals and homes that have caused death and injury        with impunity?
to children, the report indicates that Israeli attacks
                                                                  This shameful situation renders meaningless the
damaged or destroyed 543 schools in Palestine, the
                                                             law and the obligation to protect civilians in armed
highest recorded number of all time. This includes
                                                             conflict, and the accountability mechanisms established
schools of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
                                                             for this purpose. The failure to apply the same standards
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, where many
                                                             and demands for compliance to Israel undermines the
Palestinian families, the majority of whom were
                                                             credibility of the international system and proves that
refugees seeking protection under the United Nations
                                                             it is broken. This accountability gap clearly fosters
flag, met a tragic fate at the hands of the occupying
                                                             Israeli impunity, as shown in its callous response to the
forces, who killed at least 42 people, including 16
                                                             report and the persistence of its violations against our
children, and injured 230 in strikes on the schools.
                                                             children, who are left to fend for themselves against
    Generations of Palestinian children have been            Israeli savagery. As the Council knows, had Israel
traumatized by the depravity of the Israeli occupation.      been added to the list of grave violators, a process of
As noted by the Secretary-General in the report,             increased oversight would have been initiated. The
                                                             United Nations and Israel would have had to negotiate a
    “The cumulative impact on children and the civilian
                                                             time-bound, mandatory action plan to protect children.
    population in general of these military operations,
                                                             Listing would also have provided the Council with the
    and the ongoing military occupation in the State of
                                                             tools to prevent and respond to future Israeli violations.
    Palestine, is devastating” (S/2015/409, para. 110).
                                                             Israel’s exclusion from the list, despite the expert
                                                             advice of the Special Representative of the Secretary-


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General and the United Nations agencies monitoring the      warring factions and belligerent entities with no respect
situation in Palestine, is a missed opportunity to hold     for international humanitarian law and the welfare
Israel accountable and to save the lives of Palestinian     of our children. Current world events indicate that
children.                                                   children are suffering in massive numbers as a result
                                                            of armed conflicts. It is most deplorable that armed
    In 2009, the Secretary-General came before the
                                                            conflicts continue to take a heavy toll on children.
Council and stated that “All countries and all groups
must put the protection of children in situations of             The progress made on this front has unfortunately
armed conflict above politics.” (S/PV.6114, p. 3). We       been more than overshadowed by the exacerbation of
echo that appeal today in the light of the tragic plight    conflicts and an increase in indiscriminate attacks in
of Palestinian children under Israeli occupation.           some countries of our region. At the same time, we have
Israel must be held accountable for its crimes. We are      witnessed the proliferation and growth of extremist
convinced that only collective international action can     groups that systemically violate the rights of children.
compel it to cease its violations and respect the law.      Those extremist groups pose a significant challenge
Our pursuit of accountability and commitment to             for our region. They perpetrate acts of violence against
international law are evident in our accession to the       children, launch indiscriminate attacks on civilian
Rome Statute and other international treaties. While the    populations, target schools and health facilities and
Israeli Government continues to demonstrate in word         abduct children in large numbers.
and deed that it has no interest in peace and the rule of
                                                                 The trend of violent extremists infringing on the
law and insists on denying the Palestinian people their
                                                            rights of children should be of particular concern
rights and entrenching its occupation, the Palestinian
                                                            to the international community. The nature of those
leadership remains committed to peace.
                                                            groups and their form and structure mean that many
     To salvage the prospects for peace, we implore the     standards and proven methods used by the international
international community, with the Security Council          community to protect children may be considerably
at the forefront, to act to uphold international law and    less effective, if not futile. The complete disregard for
United Nations resolutions towards ending Israel’s          civilians, including children, by Daesh, Jabhat Al-Nusra
illegal occupation and achieving freedom and justice        and Al-Qaida affiliates, especially in Syria and Iraq,
for the Palestinian people. Until then, we again appeal     has been particularly shocking, and the proliferation of
for protection of the Palestinian people, beginning with    these tactics among such groups is worrisome.
our children.
                                                                Violent extremists have adopted widespread
    The President: I now give the floor to the              abduction as a feature of their operations to inflict terror
representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.             and for the purpose of political brainwashing, ransom,
                                                            retaliation or sexual exploitation. The Boko Haram
     Mr. Khoshroo (Islamic Republic of Iran): I would
                                                            gangs have been ravaging the parts of Nigeria and
like to begin by congratulating Malaysia on assuming
                                                            surrounding areas primarily by terrorizing children.
the presidency of the Security Council and for
                                                            The targeting of the children of religious and ethnic
organizing this open debate in a timely manner on the
                                                            minority groups is likewise a matter of grave concern.
very important matter of children and armed conflict.
I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for             The situation of children in Yemen is worrisome
presenting his annual report on children and armed          as well. According to UNICEF reports, at least 279 of
conflict (S/2015/409), which covers global trends on the    the dead and 402 of the wounded have been children.
subject. My thanks go also to Special Representative of     That marks an exponential and unacceptable jump
the Secretary-General Zerrougui and the other briefers      compared to the entire year of 2014 and makes clear
for their valuable inputs to this debate.                   that the intensity of the conflict in Yemen can lead
                                                            to humanitarian crises for some time to come. The
    The year 2014 was sadly one in which we saw
                                                            systematic bombing and destruction of the logistical
many setbacks in the fight to protect children in armed
                                                            infrastructure of a country that imports 90 per cent of
conflict. As the recent report of the Secretary-General
                                                            its food, for example, will undoubtedly have long-term
and other reports in the United Nations system on this
                                                            consequences.
issue indicat, that year was an especially horrific one
for children trapped in conflict zones and targeted by


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     As the Secretary-General’s report indicates, and         leadership in countering the propaganda of violent
as evidenced in reports by United Nations agencies, in        extremism, used for both the recruitment of children in
Gaza alone, between 8 July and 26 August 2014, 540            faraway places and the indoctrination of abductees, as
Palestinian children were killed and 2,955 injured,           well as in protecting, rehabilitating and reintegrating
among them 1,000 estimated to be permanently disabled         children saved from the grips of those elements.
as a result of the latest Israeli invasion. The number
                                                                   Without strong action from the United Nations and
of schools, kindergartens and hospitals damaged or
                                                              a genuine commitment from the community of nations,
completely destroyed by Israeli forces during the
                                                              this issue will have significant consequences and ripple
same period is the highest recorded number of all such
                                                              through generations. As the targeting of children has
situations in 2014. Israel’s denial of humanitarian access
                                                              become a growing trend among violent extremists
to the entire occupied Palestinian people endangers the
                                                              and an ever more prevalent feature of violent conflict,
survival and well-being of Palestinian children, which
                                                              the world should expect this issue to only grow more
adds yet another record for the Israeli regime’s ignoring
                                                              brutal if it is not blunted by the will of the international
international humanitarian law without being held
                                                              community.
accountable for its grave violations against children.
                                                                  The President: I wish to remind all speakers
     We would like to take this opportunity to call
                                                              to keep their statements concise in view of the long
for accountability for the war crimes and violations
                                                              speakers list.
committed by Israel during its recent military aggression
against the Palestinian civilian population and for the           I now give the floor to the representative of
wanton destruction of vital civilian infrastructure in        Liechtenstein.
the Gaza Strip. The international community, including
                                                                  Mr. Wenaweser (Liechtenstein): We welcome this
the Security Council, should ensure serious follow-up
                                                              debate and extend a special welcome to the Special
efforts to bring an end to Israel’s impunity and to secure
                                                              Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
justice for the victims.
                                                              and Armed Conflict, who is with us throughout the
     The Security Council has identified six specific         debate today. We very much appreciate and value her
criteria for grave violations that the Secretary-General      work and the work of her Office.
should use to update his lists of grave violators against
                                                                   The Secretary-General’s report (S/2015/409) once
children in armed conflicts around the world, contained
                                                              again shines a light on the many ways in which children
in the annexes of his reports. The overwhelming
                                                              are affected by armed conflict, on the increasing number
evidence indicates that systematic and gross human
                                                              of horrendous crimes committed against them and on
right violations perpetrated by the Israeli regime and
                                                              the perpetrators of this violence. We support many of
army against Palestinian children under its occupation
                                                              the recommendations in the report, in particular the
clearly meet those criteria for listing. We therefore
                                                              one on the need to include abductions of children as
join the many Member States that deeply regret the
                                                              a trigger mechanism for listing. My brief intervention
decision not to list Israel in the annex of the most recent
                                                              will focus on three points today.
report of the Secretary-General on children and armed
conflict, despite the recommendation of the Special               First, we are pleased to see a strong call for
Representative of the Secretary-General in that regard.       accountability among the recommendations. It is of
                                                              the utmost importance to demand full respect for
    Warring parties must make greater efforts to
                                                              international humanitarian law, human rights law
protect children from conflict. Respect by all parties
                                                              and refugee law. We are concerned about the sexual
for the civilian nature of schools, the inclusion of
                                                              exploitation and abuse case in the Central African
policies regarding the rights of children in peace talks
                                                              Republic and the systemic weaknesses within the
and treaties, and the regular institution of humanitarian
                                                              United Nations system it has brought to light. We
pauses in the fighting can be significant steps towards
                                                              welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to establish
achieving that aim. The international community must
                                                              an independent investigation and look forward to its
redouble its efforts to protect children in conflict by
                                                              results. Thirty per cent of the victims of reported cases
taking a more aggressive stance against those who
                                                              of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations
are persistent perpetrators and those who abduct and
                                                              peacekeeping missions in Haiti, Liberia, South Sudan
victimize children. Nations need to show greater


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and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were                 motivation and recruitment policies and processes
minors. The United Nations proclaimed zero-tolerance          is still limited. We must not forget in this discussion
policy will be ineffective as long as accountability          that we are talking about children, whose judgment
mechanisms remain opaque or simply not in place and           and resulting behaviour is that of legal minors. We
reporting remains difficult or even dangerous.                therefore look forward with great interest at so-called
                                                              soft-handed approaches based on the assumption that
    The challenges in ensuring accountability for
                                                              poverty, discrimination, lack of socialization and
sexual exploitation and abuse have been discussed for
                                                              the absence of effective integration are often at the
many years, but with few tangible results. There is a
                                                              root of radicalization. Instead of an exclusive focus
persistent danger that the important work of so many
                                                              on criminalization, those strategies make use of
could be publicly discredited owing to the unethical
                                                              psychosocial counselling and help returnees find jobs or
and criminal acts committed with impunity by a few.
                                                              education opportunities. We do not claim to know that
Troop-contributing countries have to ensure speedy
                                                              one approach works better than another, but we certainly
domestic investigations and prosecutions for violations
                                                              see value in exploring a stronger focus on reintegration.
committed by their nationals. Otherwise, the United
                                                              What seems to be clear is that a comprehensive response
Nations role and its crucial function in the area of
                                                              is needed that covers prevention, psycho-social support
peacekeeping will be compromised.
                                                              and integration assistance to complement necessary
     Secondly, the list of perpetrators in the annexes        legal measures and action.
to the Secretary-General’s reports can be a very
                                                                  In conclusion, I would like to draw the Council’s
powerful tool to influence the behaviour of parties to
                                                              attention to the Safe Schools Declaration, which
a conflict. However, for this to be the case, the listing
                                                              endorses the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and
and delisting process needs to be fair, consistent and
                                                              Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.
transparent. The vast majority of parties listed are
                                                              We welcome that elaboration on existing international
non-State actors, with whom it can be difficult to
                                                              humanitarian law and call upon others to join those
engage. The International Committee of the Red Cross
                                                              of us that have already endorsed the Guidelines at the
and certain non-governmental organizations, such as
                                                              recently held safe schools conference in Oslo.
Geneva Call, are uniquely positioned in that regard,
and their experience should inform the Council’s work             The President: I now give the floor to the
in this area.                                                 representative of Japan.
    Some parties to conflicts seem to have made clear             Mr. Okamura (Japan): I would like to begin by
commitments to engage, are eager to cooperate and have        expressing my sincere appreciation for your leadership,
signed so called deeds of commitment to stop violations       Mr. President, in convening today’s open debate. Let
against children. Nevertheless, not a single non-State        me also thank His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, United
actor/entity has been able to qualify for delisting so far,   Nations Secretary-General; Ms. Leila Zerrougui,
due, inter alia, to a lack of knowledge and assistance        Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
throughout the process. This has caused frustration           Children and Armed Conflict; Ms. Yoka Brandt,
and is also a missed opportunity to motivate other            Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; and Ms. Eunice
non-State actors to cooperate with a view to delisting.       Apio, of Facilitation for Peace and Development, for
It is therefore important to support organizations            their briefings.
that assist non-State actors in their efforts to achieve
                                                                  Today, I would like to focus on three issues:
delisting. We as Governments can further facilitate
                                                              the abduction of children, child soldiers and the
such processes through the ratification of the Optional
                                                              rehabilitation and reintegration of child victims.
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which           First, with regard, abduction, I would like to draw
creates the necessary framework for engagement.               the Security Council’s attention to the disturbing,
                                                              increasing trend of mass abductions of children. Last
    Finally, I would like to briefly touch upon the
                                                              year, it was reported that 276 schoolgirls had been
issue of underage foreign terrorist fighters. We are
                                                              kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. There were 153
obviously struggling to find a response to this complex
                                                              Kurdish boys and 412 Yazidi children abducted by the
phenomenon. Our knowledge of the root causes,
                                                              Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in Syria


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and Iraq. According to the Watch List on Children           from a normal social life. In the worst cases, those
and Armed Conflict, at least 24,422 children were           children become fiends and deviants or mindless
kidnapped between 2002 and 2013, of which 95.8 per          monsters, brainwashed and knowing nothing other than
cent were taken by non-State armed groups.                  how to use a Kalashnikov. Those children may have no
                                                            families or homes to return to. Even if they do make
    The international community, especially the
                                                            it back, they may not be accepted or may be unable to
Security Council, should take all the measures necessary
                                                            readapt to society. They have lost the opportunity to
to alleviate such cruel and inhumane actions by
                                                            become members of society. Bringing such children
organizations like Boko Haram and ISIL. In that regard,
                                                            back to a normal life should be an essential part of their
we support and have sponsored the new resolution 2225
                                                            rehabilitation process.
(2015), which was just adopted today. The addition of
abductions as a trigger for the inclusion of parties in         With that aim in mind, in the past fiscal year
the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual report        Japan provided a total of $23 million in contributions
will make a difference. It is essential, however, that      for programmes to support the rehabilitation and
the relevant parties implement resolution 2225 (2015)       reintegration of child soldiers. Such programmes have
through action plans and other mechanisms.                  been implemented in countries such as the Central
                                                            African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the
     Moreover, Japan would like to pay tribute to the
                                                            Congo and South Sudan. For instance, in South Sudan,
efforts made by all stakeholders in drafting the Lucens
                                                            we supported efforts to reunite approximately 1,000
Guidelines. We welcome the fact that the international
                                                            children with their families. That project also provided
community’s recognition of the issue of protecting
                                                            them with psychological care. In addition, medical
schools and education is expanding. Japan will continue
                                                            care and counselling are being provided to women and
keeping an eye on the development of the discussion on
                                                            children who have experienced sexual abuse.
the issue.
                                                                 We should not leave anyone behind — especially
    Secondly, Japan is commemorating the tenth
                                                            the children. When we are dealing with crimes that
anniversary of resolution 1612 (2005). Japan took in the
                                                            have been committed against children, preventing and
adoption of the resolution as a member of the Council
                                                            rescuing children from such crimes is not sufficient. I
at the time. The resolution marked an important
                                                            reiterate the necessity of also providing support to the
milestone, by establishing a monitoring and reporting
                                                            victims for their rehabilitation and reintegration into
mechanism on the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
                                                            society. By doing so, they can return as fully committed
The “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign further
                                                            members of society.
promotes the provisions set out in the resolution. Japan
has repeatedly expressed its support to the campaign.           The President: I now give the floor to His
The achievements made so far via the campaign are           Excellency Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting, Head of the
to be commended, including the delisting of Chad and        Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations.
the release of 400 child soldiers in Myanmar. In that
                                                                Mr. Mayr-Harting: I have the honour to speak on
context, Japan has provided support for child soldier
                                                            behalf of the European Union and its member States.
victims through UNICEF. It is important to note that
                                                            The candidate countries the former Yugoslav Republic
the goal of the campaign is to prevent and end the
                                                            of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania; the
recruitment and use of children by national security
                                                            country of the Stabilization and Association Process
forces by 2016. In order to achieve that ambitious
                                                            and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; as
goal, further enhancements and commitments are
                                                            well as Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and
required. Japan will continue to look into furthering its
                                                            Ukraine, align themselves with this statement.
contributions to support the campaign.
                                                                 I want to begin by warmly thanking in particular
    Lastly, the rehabilitation and reintegration of child
                                                            Special Representative of the Secretary-General
victims deserves as much attention as the prevention
                                                            Zerrougui, whom we strongly support. We also want to
of abduction and recruitment, as mentioned in the
                                                            thank the Malaysian presidency of the Security Council
Secretary-General’s current annual report (S/2015/409).
                                                            for organizing this important debate.
The victims of child abduction and recruitment have
been deprived of love and affection and remain aloof



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    The year 2014 has frequently been cited as the worst    in March (see S/PV.7414), under the French presidency,
year for children affected by armed conflict. In his new    we discussed possible measures to effectively address
annual report to the Council (S/2015/409), the Secretary-   this phenomenon. We are grateful for the non-paper
General speaks of “unprecedented challenges in 2014         circulated by France that compiles a summary of the
with regard to the protection of tens of millions of        proposals presented during that debate. We believe
children growing up in situations affected by conflict”     that many of those proposals merit concrete follow-up.
(S/2015/409, para. 5). Protracted armed conflicts and       Unconditional access for the United Nations to non-State
current crises affect far too many children around the      armed actors is essential for the adoption of action plans
world, keeping them away from school and exposing           to end and prevent violations and, more important, for
them to the risk of recruitment and use as soldiers.        steps towards their effective implementation.
Atrocities against children that have made headlines,
                                                                In order to prevent future violations, it is vital to
including Boko Haram’s abduction of hundreds of
                                                            hold those responsible accountable. A high number
women and girls in Chibok and the abductions in Syria
                                                            of the parties have been listed for at least five years,
and Iraq committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the
                                                            and are therefore considered persistent perpetrators.
Levant, serve to remind us of the special vulnerabilities
                                                            Fighting impunity needs to be part and parcel of our
and needs of girls in this context.
                                                            actions and, whereas the primary responsibility lies
     The “increase in the frequency and scale of            with States, the International Criminal Court has an
abductions”, as noted in paragraph 8 of the Secretary-      essential role to play in this regard.
General’s report, is alarming. In view of that increase,
                                                                 Furthermore, the inclusion of child protection
but also in view of the fact that abductions are one of
                                                            provisions in the mandates of peace operations and
the six grave violations that are being reported on under
                                                            mandatory predeployment training on child protection
the monitoring and reporting mechanism, it is only
                                                            for all United Nations troops and police contingents are
logical to add abduction as a fifth trigger that leads
                                                            crucial measures to ensure the effective protection of
to listing in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s
                                                            children on the ground. In that context, the European
report. In many cases abductions are a precursor of
                                                            Union is strengthening its capacity on child protection
other violations, such as recruitment and use of sexual
                                                            both at its headquarters and at operational level. We are
violence. We therefore very much welcome today’s
                                                            mainstreaming the issue of children affected by armed
unanimous adoption of resolution 2225 (2015), which
                                                            conflict in our Common Security and Defence Policy
that adds abduction as a trigger, and we are grateful for
                                                            missions and operations. This year, the Union is again
Malaysia’s leadership in that regard. We hope that in
                                                            organizing specific training on children and armed
consequence this will lead to the conclusion of action
                                                            conflict for its staff and that of its member States.
plans with listed parties that commit abductions. We
                                                            Predeployment child protection training modules
strongly condemn abductions of children and call on
                                                            for civilian and military personnel have also been
all parties to release all abducted children immediately.
                                                            finalized and are taught in the context of preparations
    In several cases, extremist groups have abducted        for deployment of European Union and third-country
school children to punish them for attending school.        personnel as part of the various civilian stabilization
That serves to remind us of the importance of               missions.
education not only for children’s development, but also
                                                                 The successful reintegration of children back into
as a powerful tool to contribute to the prevention of
                                                            society is a matter of primary concern for achieving
violent extremism and of conflict. Consequently, more
                                                            sustainable peace and development. That is the reason
has to be done to better protect schools from attack
                                                            that we are funding reintegration measures for released
and to deter the military use thereof in accordance
                                                            child soldiers, for example in South Sudan. This
with international law. We welcome the Council’s
                                                            year, we plan to launch a specific call for proposals
commitment, stated inter alia in resolution 2143 (2014),
                                                            from civil society organizations on future projects on
for enhanced monitoring of, and reporting on, the
                                                            children associated with armed forces and groups as
military use of schools.
                                                            well as children impacted by violence. The European
   Many of the abductions are committed by                  Union and its member States also continue to support
non-State armed actors, which also make up the vast         the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign of Special
majority of listed parties. During the last open debate     Representative of the Secretary-General Zerrougui and


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UNICEF. We welcome the progress achieved so far and           against children. Today’s resolution 2225 (2015), which
hope for a successful conclusion in 2016.                     Israel sponsored, is a positive step forward.
    The tenth anniversary of the adoption of ground-               Last week, the Secretary-General published his
breaking resolution 1612 (2005) in July this year should      annual report (S/2015/404) on children and armed
provide a new impetus to the United Nations and its           conflict. With all the regimes, with all the organizations
States Members to give the protection of children             that intentionally and strategically target children
affected by armed conflict the highest priority and to        throughout the world, it is simply absurd that the report
ensure that everything is being done to provide children      disproportionately focuses on Israel. The report has
with better prospects for their future.                       17 paragraphs on Syria, 9 on Yemen, 8 on Iraq, 6 on
                                                              Libya and no less than 32 paragraphs on Israel. Yes, the
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                              Council heard right: twice as much space was dedicated
representative of Israel.
                                                              to Israel than to Syria, where approximately a quarter of
    Mr. Roet (Israel): The girls and boys of today            a million people have been killed, including, according
represent the hope for a better tomorrow. When a              to The New York Times, more than 3,500 children just
child is a victim of war, his world, his family and his       this year, while the report misleads by inexplicably
community lose their most precious possession: their          putting the number at 368.
hope for a brighter future. The loss of any child is an
                                                                   The reason for that skewed presentation is evident.
incomparable tragedy. The deliberate infliction of harm
                                                              Instead of being balanced, neutral and focused on fact,
on children is an inhumane crime. Protecting children
                                                              the report’s discussion of Israel is politicized, stained
is our highest obligation.
                                                              with interests and distorts reality. What about Hamas,
     According to the Jewish tradition, whoever saves         a terrorist organization that as we speak runs military
one life it is as if he has saved the entire world. Seventy   summer camps for elementary school children? Surely
years after the establishment of this institution, there      a report about the use of children in warfare would
are far too many lives we fail to save. The painful fact      discuss it in detail. Well, read through the report and
is that children all over the world are suffering from        try to count how many times the name Hamas even
unprecedented cruelty and inhumanity.                         appears. Finding Hamas in this report is harder than
                                                              finding a needle in a haystack. In reality, Hamas and
    In Nigeria, Boko Haram has already abducted
                                                              other terrorist organizations launched approximately
1,000 children, many of whom were placed on the
                                                              4,000 rockets and mortars during last summer’s
front line to act as human shields. In the Democratic
                                                              conflict. Those missiles were deliberately directed
Republic of Congo, civilians, including children,
                                                              at Israel’s civilian population. In the words of Hamas
are being beheaded, mutilated and raped. In Yemen,
                                                              spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum,
Saudi Arabia’s massive and indiscriminate air strikes
have hit hospitals and schools and killed hundreds of             “Our rockets are aimed at the Hebrews, the
civilians, including many children. The Houthis are               murderers, the Israelis, the criminals. Our missiles
recruiting boys as young as 14 to use as child soldiers,          accurately target the homes of the Israelis and the
arming them with Kalashnikovs and sending them to                 Zionists.”
the front lines. In Iraq, the Islamic State in Iraq and
                                                                  More than 15,000 rockets and mortars have
Syria (ISIS) is forcing young girls to call their parents
                                                              been fired at Israel from Gaza since 2001. There is a
to detail being gang-raped by dozens of men. In Syria,
                                                              generation of children in Israel that lives under daily
ISIS forces abducted and tortured Kurdish children and
                                                              threat of Hamas rockets and mortars.
forced them to watch footage of ISIS beheadings and
attacks.                                                          Not only did Hamas deliberately target Israeli
                                                              civilians and children, it also demonstrates complete
    When we look at the world today through the
                                                              disregard for the lives of Palestinian children. While
eyes of children, we see a terrifying picture. Too
                                                              Israel tried to save Palestinian lives by warning them to
many dreams are being shattered, too many hopes are
                                                              leave combat areas, Hamas threatened their lives if they
being extinguished and too many are robbed of their
                                                              did. While Israel takes every precaution to avoid harm
childhoods by unimaginable brutality. It must stop.
                                                              to non-combatants, Hamas voids international law by
The Security Council must act to end those atrocities
                                                              launching rockets from schools, hospitals, mosques and


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other places in which children would usually be safe.         Such practices contradict the relevant Security Council
The military use of schools by Hamas is dreadful. As          resolutions and guidelines to involve Governments as
today’s resolution states, such use is “in contravention      an integral part throughout the process.
of applicable international law” (resolution 2225 (2015),
                                                                   We are extremely troubled by the fact that internal
para. 4).
                                                              sensitive information that was supposed to be known
     Omitted from the report was one clear fact: this         only to the Office of the Special Representative of the
was not a war that Israel wanted. Israel deeply regrets       Secretary-General and to United Nations officials was
the harm caused to the Palestinian civilian population        leaked to the press in an intentional attempt to pressure
during Operation Protective Edge. That operation              and dictate the final outcome to include Israel in the
was in response to more than 450 rockets and mortars          report’s annex. Have members ever heard anywhere a
launched from the Gaza Strip, including more than 60          consideration of the Special Representative with regard
in just one day, while Israel did not react. Israel took      to listing or not listing countries except this time? Such
all measures to de-escalate the conflict by accepting         unauthorized and irresponsible leaks should not be
ceasefire after ceasefire, while Hamas rejected all           tolerated. They serve only to undermine the credibility
attempts. In a war forced on Israel by Hamas Israel,          of the report, the Office of the Special Representative
took unprecedented precautions to avoid the loss of life      of the Secretary-General and the entire United Nations
of innocent civilians, going beyond what is required by       system. This conduct should be investigated.
international law and what is done by any army in the
                                                                  No organization is perfect, and no procedure is
world.
                                                              immune to criticism. Raising concerns with regard to
     The Israel Defense Forces used leaflets, phone           the practices and procedures of the Office of the Special
calls and text messages to warn the civilian population       Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
to evacuate rocket launch sites. It aborted or suspended      and Armed Conflict should not be automatically
operations against terror targets when it became              perceived as mere national interest and is essential for
apparent that civilians would be harmed. And, even            the protection of children.
while attacked by the ruling authority in Gaza, Israel
                                                                   I must express as well deep concern about the
kept the flow of humanitarian assistance to the people
                                                              report’s statement that the question of intent when
of Gaza.
                                                              determining responsibility will not be a crucial
    I ask myself why all of these clear and crucial           consideration. The laws of armed conflict provide one
facts are absent from the report of the Special               of the critical barriers preventing war from descending
Representative. Is it possible that they simply failed to     into unrestrained barbarism. Ignoring intention would
notice? Unfortunately, the failure of this report goes far    be contrary to existing international law and would
deeper than mere oversight. The drafting of the report        play into the hands of those who intentionally target
was marked at every level by widespread, systematic           and use civilians in combat and leave children more
and institutionalized biased conduct against Israel.          vulnerable. Without attention to intentions, those who
                                                              are responsible for harming children will remain free
    From the outset, the regional working group
                                                              to repeat their crimes, and we will fail in our sacred
conveniently forgot to inform Israel of the writing of
                                                              obligation to the children of the world.
the report, nor did they deem it necessary to seek input
from the Israeli authorities. Time after time, Israel tried       The Bible tells us that all children are a gift of God.
to provide official evidence and facts to the working         We have an obligation to do all we can to protect the
group, but we were flatly refused. Yet non-governmental       lives of the most vulnerable among us, no matter who
organizations with a publicly available record of             they are or where they are from. Israel’s concern for
notorious anti-Israel activity were welcomed with open        the life and well-being of children knows no colour,
arms as an integral part of the working group.                no ethnicity, no nationality or faith, and it knows no
                                                              borders. Israel’s commitment to the protection of
    Furthermore, the Office of the Special Representative
                                                              children is absolute. We will remain committed to
left no real opportunity for Israel’s extensive
                                                              safeguard the lives of all children in accordance with
reservations to even be considered, thus making it
                                                              our democratic values, our moral conscience and our
evident that the engagement with Israel by that Office
                                                              belief in the sanctity of human life.
was a mere formality for the sake of checking the box.


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    The President: I now give the floor to the                resolutions explicitly condemn attacks on schools and
representative of Mexico.                                     hospitals.
    Mr. Sandoval Mendiolea (Mexico) (spoke in                     Mexico believes it is useful that in the Security
Spanish): We wish to thank the delegation of Malaysia         Council, the United Nations and States Members
for having convened this open debate, and Ms. Leila           reinforce our response to these serious violations,
Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-           including through existing mechanisms. We recognize
General for Children and Armed Conflict, for her              the usefulness of monitoring and of the inclusion
valuable input to the annual report of the Secretary-         of a list of parties in conflict that are violating these
General (S/2015/409).                                         standards in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s
                                                              reports. Recent successful cases of the release of
    The report underscores the increase in extreme
                                                              children associated with armed conflicts through
violence recorded in 2014 and its relation with the serious
                                                              United Nations facilitation is proof of how effective
violations of the rights of girls and boys. This fact alone
                                                              these measures can be.
must serve to reaffirm our collective determination to
keep this issue at the core of the international agenda.           We underscore the importance of penalizing this
                                                              crime in national legislation, as well as prosecuting
    Our participation today reflects the commitment of
                                                              perpetrators in national tribunals or, if those tribunals
Mexico to continue to contribute to raising awareness
                                                              are unable or unwilling to do that, at the International
about this issue. We did so when we chaired the
                                                              Criminal Court, as a preventative measure and in order
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in
                                                              to combat impunity. Similarly, we consider it necessary
2009 and 2010, which led to resolution 1882 (2009),
                                                              to strengthen actions to ensure effective protection of
in which the Security Council firmly condemns the
                                                              places such as schools, hospitals and recreation centres
abduction of children in situations of armed conflict.
                                                              for children and adolescents in order to prevent acts of
We also underscore the practical progress achieved on
                                                              violence that not only take innocent victims but also
the ground, such as plans of action and the monitoring
                                                              diminish the possibilities of providing safe places for
and reporting mechanism on the six serious violations
                                                              children and their development in conflict and postcommitted against children.
                                                              conflict situations.
     Mexico has explicitly condemned acts carried out
                                                                  We must not forget that violence and abductions
by extremist groups, particularly during the violent
                                                              have devastating psychological effects on children
events of 2014, and it is with great concern that we note
                                                              and that in order to correct that impact and care for
that the most recent report of the Secretary-General on
                                                              those children and their families we need greater
children and armed conflict highlights the increase in
                                                              psychological, medical and legal assistance, and that
abductions of children in conflict situations. Although
                                                              involves considerable cost for the countries involved in
the records are insufficient, the Secretary-General
                                                              conflict.
reports that more than 2,750 children have been
abducted in 12 conflict areas. Of those cases at least            The extreme violence that we saw in 2014
1,730 were abducted by the self-proclaimed Islamic            committed by the actors referred to in the Secretary-State and 500 by Boko Haram.                                  General’s report will have a serious and lasting impact
                                                              on the children who have been their victims. Therefore
    The international community cannot ignore or
                                                              we, the international community, will face additional
tolerate this situation. The abduction of children
                                                              long-term challenges in providing comprehensive
may well constitute a crime against humanity and
                                                              reintegration programmes. Those challenges pose
a war crime. To meet this challenge we have an
                                                              a potential additional risk for the resurgence of
extensive normative framework, such as the Geneva
                                                              violent acts in some regions where the situation is not
Conventions, the Convention on the Rights of the Child
                                                              improving.
and international humanitarian law, which together
establish an obligation to ensure humane treatment for            We welcome the adoption of resolution 2225
civilians and attention to the specific vulnerabilities of    (2015) today, in which the Secretary-General is
children, including prohibiting the taking of hostages,       requested to include cases involving the abduction of
among other things. A number of Security Council              children in the annexes to his reports on children and
                                                              armed conflict. We recognize that cases such as that


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of Dominic Ongwen of the Lord’s Resistance Army               country’s recovery. In Syria almost 900 schools were
show how contemptible such crimes against children            partially or entirely destroyed by the end of 2014. Last
in armed conflict are. They are clear proof of how            year, 60 attacks against schools were documented, and
violence in conflicts feeds upon itself and is repeated       two thirds of those attacks were perpetrated by Syrian
when children are not protected. We therefore urge the        governmental forces. The regime does not hesitate to
international community to take relevant measures             bomb its own population in public areas, including
to halt the growing trend of child abductions and to          using barrel bombs, which indiscriminately sow death
establish and strengthen the necessary mechanisms to          in their wake, as in the recent attacks committed in the
keep such crimes from happening.                              province of Aleppo. In the regions occupied by Daesh,
                                                              schools, meant to be places of intellectual emancipation,
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                              are transformed into places for indoctrination or simply
representative of Luxembourg.
                                                              closed.
     Ms. Lucas (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): Please
                                                                  We call on all States to take specific measures
allow me to congratulate Malaysia on having organized
                                                              to dissuade parties in conflict from using schools for
this public debate. Resolution 2225 (2015), just adopted
                                                              military purposes, in accordance with resolution 2143
today by the Security Council, is a key contribution
                                                              (2014) and today’s resolution 2225 (2015). Last month
to strengthening the agenda on children and armed
                                                              in Oslo, Luxembourg, together with 36 other countries,
conflicts, which, as is well known, is of particular
                                                              endorsed the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and
importance to Luxembourg. I should also like to thank
                                                              Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict
the Secretary-General, his Special Representative for
                                                              by endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration. We hope
Children and Armed Conflict, and the representative
                                                              that other Member States will also be able to endorse
of UNICEF, for their statements and briefings. We have
                                                              those guidelines.
also listened with great attention to the testimony of
Ms. Eunice Apio, who shared her experience on the                 We welcome the progress achieved through the
ground based on her work with Ugandan child victims           “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, aimed at preventing
of the Lord’s Resistance Army.                                the recruitment and use of children by national
                                                              security forces in times of conflict. We encourage all
     Luxembourg also fully aligns itself with the
                                                              actors concerned to redouble their efforts to ensure
statement made by the observer of the European Union.
                                                              the success of that initiative. At the same time, it is
     The annual report of the Secretary-General on            urgent to develop specific strategies to deal with the
children and armed conflict (S/2015/409) reflects             issue of non-State armed groups, which make up the
the unprecedented challenges encountered in                   great majority of the parties listed in the annexes to
2014 — recruitment, murders, sexual violence and              the Secretary-General’s annual report on the subject.
abductions ­— the daily fate of tens of thousands of          The scale of abuses committed by extremist groups
children during conflicts. We all remember the military       such as Daesh and Boko Haram demands a determined
offensive last year in the Gaza Strip, which cost the lives   response from the international community.
of 557 Palestinian children trapped by the hostilities,
                                                                  In that context, we welcome the fact that resolution
as well as 4 Israeli children. Those violations are
                                                              2225 (2015) adds child abductions as a new trigger for
abundantly documented in the current annual report.
                                                              the inclusion of parties responsible for such crimes
We condemn in the strongest terms all violations
                                                              in the annexes to the annual report. That is a key
committed against all children. A child affected by
                                                              contribution to the existing normative framework and
conflict is a victim, no matter the nationality. Also, the
                                                              will draw attention to a violation that has at times been
perpetrators of those violations, no matter who they
                                                              wrongly considered simply a consequence of child
are, must be held responsible for their actions.
                                                              recruitment or sexual violence. The addition of that new
    Education is also threatened more and more in             trigger should encourage us to mobilize even more in
armed conflicts, whether during attacks against schools       support of the signing and implementation of new plans
or in the context of their use for military purposes. In      of action so as to end all violations against children.
either case the lives of children are directly threatened.
                                                                  I should like to stress the importance that my
Such actions deprive future generations of education,
                                                              delegation places on programmes for disarmament,
with the harmful consequences that that causes for the


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demobilization and reintegration. For children scarred        for tailor-made approaches. We have a responsibility
by war, reintegration must be the beginning of a new          to take the necessary measures to safeguard children,
chapter in their lives. It is crucial that post-conflict      especially in areas where rebel groups are active.
plans, programmes and strategies for rebuilding and
                                                                   When prevention fails, as it has in several cases
reconstruction prioritize issues dealing with children
                                                              mentioned in the annex to the Secretary-General’s
affected by the conflict. That also requires the
                                                              report on children in armed conflict (S/2015/409), the
availability of the necessary resources.
                                                              monitoring and reporting of abductions are crucial. The
     There should be no impunity for those who commit         reference to such cases in the report of the Secretarythe worst atrocities against children. They must know         General provides a strong political signal. It forms the
that they will be held accountable, including before the      basis for condemning abductions and clearly shows
International Criminal Court. Our sense of justice is at      the international community where to focus its efforts.
stake. The protection of children is at stake.                We therefore reiterate our full support for designating
                                                              abductions as a fifth criterion for listing in the annex to
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                              the Secretary-General’s annual report.
representative of the Netherlands.
                                                                   We need to ensure accountability for violations
    Ms. Samson (Netherlands): I should like to thank
                                                              of international humanitarian law in general and for
Malaysia, as President of the Council for this month,
                                                              violations that affect civilian populations and children
for organizing today’s open debate. I should also
                                                              in particular. Whereas the International Criminal
like to thank today’s briefers, in particular Special
                                                              Court (ICC) can play an important role, the primary
Representative Ms. Zerrougui, whom we wish to
                                                              responsibility to hold perpetrators accountable lies
reassure of our continued strong support.
                                                              with States. Therefore, national capacity has to be
    The Netherlands aligns itself with the statement of       strengthened where needed. We need to be aware
the European Union.                                           of the fact that often perpetrators were once victims
                                                              of abduction themselves. Tragically, in many cases
    Each year thousands of children are abducted
                                                              abductees are recruited and become perpetrators
in armed conflicts, taken from their secure home
                                                              themselves when they are forced to commit atrocities
environment, leaving behind destroyed families and
                                                              against their own families and friends. It is therefore
destabilized communities. Their future is often filled
                                                              crucial to consider alternative non-judicial measures
with horrific crimes such as systematic violence,
                                                              and a comprehensive package of psycho-social support
rape, indoctrination, forced conversion and forced
                                                              for children who escape from rebel groups.
recruitment as child soldiers. We need to step up our
efforts to protect children, especially when they are the          The Ongwen case at the International Criminal
most vulnerable, that is, in armed conflict situations.       Court is an extreme example of an abductee who turned
Because of the abhorrent consequences of abduction,           into a perpetrator. After being abducted at age 10, he rose
such as child recruitment and sexual exploitation,            through the ranks of the Lord’s Resistance Army and
abductions should trigger increased attention from the        became one of the top commanders and has now been
international community.                                      indicted by the ICC for atrocious crimes. The dilemma
                                                              of victims becoming perpetrators raises important
    In this intervention I should like to focus on the link
                                                              questions about how to ensure accountability. More
between the indoctrination and the recruitment of child
                                                              importantly, it confirms the importance of preventing
soldiers and will touch upon prevention, monitoring
                                                              abduction and child recruitment, as that can reinforce
and reporting and accountability.
                                                              conflicts.
    States are primarily responsible for protecting their
                                                                  As long as the root causes of conflicts are not
populations from atrocity crimes. Special focus should
                                                              addressed, children remain vulnerable to abduction
be placed on protecting the most vulnerable groups,
                                                              and recruitment. We believe that children are often
such as children. The Netherlands remains strongly
                                                              deliberately used as weapons in conflicts. Children
committed to the principle of the responsibility to
                                                              are specifically targeted by extremist groups, such
protect. We believe that prevention is at the core of
                                                              as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Boko
the responsibility to protect. We have a growing tool-Haram, indoctrinated with extremist ideology and then
box of prevention instruments to work with, allowing


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deployed as fighters. We should address those new                  New challenges have emerged since 2005. As
threats and risks in an overall child-protection strategy      evidence shows, non-State actors have become more
and interrupt the cycle of abduction, indoctrination and       involved in grave abuses and violence against children
recruitment of children.                                       in situations of armed conflict. Hence, the success
                                                               or failure of child-protection efforts today depends
     In conclusion, I should like to underline and reiterate
                                                               primarily on how the issue of non-State actors is
our support for the Safe Schools Declaration and the
                                                               addressed. We believe that, owing to the unique context
underlying guidelines, which usefully complement
                                                               of each conflict, it is necessary for the key childexisting international law and include incentives for
                                                               protection stakeholders in the United Nations system
all actors involved in armed conflict to respect student
                                                               to work in close consultation with the Governments
safety and the right to education. In addition, let me
                                                               concerned in cases involving non-State actors, and that
reiterate our strong support for the United Nations
                                                               in accordance with their respective mandates.
“Children, Not Soldiers” campaign. Momentum is
building, and the goal of the campaign is within reach.            Another issue of concern to us is the abduction
Such initiatives directly contribute to a better situation     of children. We have therefore closely followed the
for children in conflict and deserve strong support from       current discussion in the Working Group regarding
all of us.                                                     the recommendation in the Secretary-General’s report
                                                               to expand the tools available to gather information
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                               and report on this issue, which in our view needs
representative of Thailand.
                                                               careful consideration by all concerned. As a matter of
     Mr. Plasai (Thailand) (spoke in French): Let me           principle, protecting children from all forms of violence
join others in congratulating Malaysia on its assumption       must be a priority when considering the mandates of
of the presidency of the Security Council for this month.      peacekeeping operations.
Let me also express my appreciation to the Secretary-Let me also commend the success of the “Children,
General for his latest report on children and armed
                                                               Not Soldiers” campaign in preventing the recruitment
conflict (S/2015/409), the Special Representative of the
                                                               of child soldiers and enhancing public awareness that
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,
                                                               children have no place in an armed conflict. The success
and the representatives of UNICEF and other civil
                                                               of the campaign should be replicated so as to deter other
groups for their insightful briefings.
                                                               grave violations of children’s rights. At the same time,
    We welcome the holding of this debate on children          efforts must be made by the international community
and armed conflict for the second time this year, which        to reduce the impact of armed conflict on children,
reflects the continuing importance that the Council            with a long-term strategy to lessen past traumas for
and United Nations States Members attach to this               the victims and to secure long-term resources for their
issue. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how best        successful reintegration and rehabilitation.
the international community can lessen the impact of
                                                                   The Secretary-General’s report on children and
armed conflict on future generations.
                                                               armed conflict is useful in assisting Member States in
    We align ourselves with the statement that will be         determining how to direct limited resources to protect
made on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian           children where they are needed most. We encourage
Nations (ASEAN) by the representative of Viet Nam.             closer consultation and engagement between Member
                                                               States and the Office of the Special Representative of
    At this important juncture, the tenth anniversary of
                                                               the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
resolution 1612 (2005), which established the Council’s
                                                               so as to ensure that, to the fullest extent possible, the
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict,
                                                               report is based on objective, accurate, reliable and
let me express our confidence that, under Malaysia’s
                                                               verifiable information. That commitment is critical to
able chairmanship, the Working Group will positively
                                                               the protection of children in various situations and must
contribute to the ongoing international efforts to end
                                                               not be underestimated. In that regard, we endeavour
impunity and ensure accountability, and thus create an
                                                               to seek better ways of establishing engagement and
environment in which children are far removed from
                                                               dialogue, based on the best interests of our children, in
armed conflicts.
                                                               support of that mandate.



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    For our part, we have consistently remained              some would like to call “moderate”, have pounded the
engaged with the Office of the Special Representative        cities of Aleppo and Damascus and the rural areas with
of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed              all kinds of missiles, shells and mortars, and have set
Conflict regarding the report. We find that dialogue         off booby-trapped cars over the past two days. Those
to be extremely necessary. Indeed, events taking place       groups have spared no residential area, school or
in our Kingdom that are mentioned in the report are          hospital from their acts. That has resulted in the death
duly addressed by the Royal Thai Government, which,          and injury of hundreds of civilians, the majority of
with its sovereign responsibility, has been taking action    whom are women and children.
to maintain law and order in accordance with Thai
                                                                  That was the subject of two letters that I sent to the
law and the Kingdom’s international obligations. We
                                                             President of the Security Council and the Secretarynevertheless stand ready to develop further dialogue
                                                             General on 16 June, hoping that the information
with the Office in the future in that regard.
                                                             contained in those letters would be taken seriously by
     Allow me to conclude by reiterating the Kingdom         the leaders of this international Organization and not be
of Thailand’s commitment to combating violations             omitted from their future reports. We have had to deal
of children’s rights, anywhere and by any parties.           with this problem in the past, and we are still facing the
Suffering by children is not acceptable. That must end       same problem in the report of the Secretary-General
immediately, and those responsible must be brought to        under discussion today (S/2015/409).
justice.
                                                                 Just yesterday 7,000 mortar shells and rockets fell
    The President: I now give the floor to the               on the city of Aleppo. That figure could be useful to the
representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.                  representative of Luxembourg, who just had the floor. I
                                                             would like to enlighten her cultural understanding and
     Mr. Ja’afari (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke
                                                             knowledge of the situation in Syria.
in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to wish you,
Mr. President, a blessed Ramadan. Allow me to                    We are discussing the third report on children and
congratulate my dear friend His Excellency Dato Sri          armed conflict issued by the Secretary-General based
Anifah Aman, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and his           on the recommendations of his Special Representative
friendly country, Malaysia, on its assumption of the         Ms. Zerrougui. These reports should have taken into
presidency of the Security Council for this month and        consideration the information received from all the
for holding this important meeting.                          parties concerned — particularly all Governments,
                                                             including the Syrian Government — with regard
     I would like to start with two pieces of news before
                                                             to the situation of the children in our country.
I read out my statement. The first is that Daesh herds
                                                             Regretably, however, what we have witnessed over
of Israeli settlers attacked and set fire to the Church of
                                                             the past years, despite our close cooperation with the
Loaves and Fishes on Lake Tiberias, in Upper Galilee,
                                                             Special Representative of the Secretary-General and
Palestine. That church was so named because Jesus
                                                             her Office, is a dubious disregard by that Office of
Christ multiplied the fishes there. Today, the Daesh
                                                             much correspondence and documented governmental
herds of Israeli settlers have burned it down and on its
                                                             evidence refuting the allegations included in this report
walls wrote malicious graffiti offensive to humankind
                                                             and the preceding reports.
and to religions. The second piece of news is directly
related to the topic under discussion. According to the           We have sent to the Office of the Special
Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, the Turkish regime has         Representative a list of the names of the children killed
backed down from transporting 1 million detonators to        by the terrorists and a list of the schools and hospitals
terrorist groups in Syria via Jordan. I wanted to bring      that they targeted. We have sent her all the information
those two pieces of news to the Council’s attention.         that is relevant to her mandate and have provided
                                                             her with hundreds, even thousands, of documents on
    At the time when the Government of Syria is
                                                             actions committed by the terrorist armed groups against
receiving the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General
                                                             the children in Syria since the onset of the crisis. The
for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, in Damascus, in
                                                             latest of this correspondence was dated 30 March, and
keeping with its serious commitment to eliminating
                                                             in it we provided Syria’s detailed reply with regard to
terrorism and to finding a Syrian political solution to
                                                             the allegations against the Government in Syria. That
the crisis in Syria, the terrorist armed groups, which


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reply and the evidence we provided were not taken into          We have witnessed the horrendous and appalling
consideration in this report. Not one of those actions we   massacre committed by Al-Nusra Front terrorist
detailed were mentioned in the report. That is a source     operatives against 40 Syrian civilians in the village
of concern for us and tarnishes the image of those who      of Qalb Al-Loza in rural Idlib last week. More than
drafted the report.                                         half of the victims were children. The massacre was
                                                            carried out because the villagers had refused to recruit
     That leads us to one conclusion: the people who
                                                            their children into the Al-Nusra terrorist group. In this
wrote these reports have become a tool in the hands
                                                            connection, our country supports adding the crime of
of some influential countries in this international
                                                            the abduction of children as a form of grave violation,
Organization with a view to tarnishing the image of the
                                                            identifying those responsible for such crimes and listing
Syrian Government. The drafters of these reports will
                                                            them in the annexes to the report of the Secretarynot accept any view that has not been endorsed by those
                                                            General. We must recall here that the crimes committed
influential countries. That accounts for the lack of any
                                                            by Daesh and the Al-Nusra Group have their roots in
recommendation to add the Israeli armed forces to the
                                                            the Middle Ages, with the Seljuks, the Ottomans and
lists in the annex of the report as the party responsible
                                                            the Janissary army.
for the killing of thousands of Palestinians under
occupation over the last six months. It also accounts            Despite all of that, the Syrian Government is
for the failure by the Special Representative of the        making every effort to protect its children from this
Secretary-General over the last years to even mention       terrorist extremist ideology. We have been successful in
the suffering of the Syrian children in the occupied        reopening 207 schools in the area of rural Hasakah, but
Syrian Golan.                                               more than 532 schools are still closed because they are
                                                            controlled by Daesh operatives. These schools are used
    Despite what has been said, I think the general
                                                            to stockpile weapons. The Special Representative of the
line of thinking behind this report is to ignore facts
                                                            Secretary-General is accusing the Syrian Government
and only mention the numbers of the victims. It fails
                                                            of targeting schools without really explaining the
to mention the real causes behind the crisis and denies
                                                            situation or indicating who is using them for terrorist
the role played by sponsor countries, especially their
                                                            purposes. The Syrian Government has spared no effort in
role in increasing the grave violations of the rights of
                                                            fostering cooperation with the Special Representative’s
our children, especially the recruitment of children by
                                                            monitoring and reporting team; we have provided
terrorist and extremist groups.
                                                            her Office with fully documented information on the
    Despite all those acts, our country has assumed its     hundreds of crimes and grave violations committed
responsibility and provided protection for its citizens.    by these groups, in the hope that these acts will be
I think we have to refute all the allegations against       immediately investigated.
the Syrian Government, which is actually fighting
                                                                 Some say that two thirds of the schools that were
terrorism, instead of accusing the countries that sponsor
                                                            destroyed were destroyed by the Syrian Government, as
terrorism in the country.
                                                            if they had counted these schools one by one and thus
     In Syria and the neighbouring refugee camps, the       reached this conclusion. As I mentioned earlier, the
heinous ways used to recruit children are unprecedented.    Syrian Government has spared no effort in cooperating
They have targeted 4-year-old children. I do not believe    with the Special Representative in the area of monitoring
that we have just been imagining the propaganda videos      and reporting. However, we have not seen any effective
released by Daesh depicting children, some under 10         or concrete actions to that end.
years old, collectively executing dozens of detainees
                                                                 What is required today is to put an end to the
held by that terrorist organization, either by shooting
                                                            policies adopted by terrorism-sponsoring Goverments;
or beheading them.
                                                            some of these countries are members of the Council.
    How have children come to commit these                  It is also important to take measures to hold these
murderous massacres? Regrettably, terrorist groups          Governments accountable and to implement the
have indoctrinated our children by teaching them their      Security Council resolutions on combating terrorism,
murderous ideologies, after abducting them from their       especially resolution 2199 (2015). It is also important
loved ones and instructing them on how to commit such       to provide support for the Syrian Government, with a
crimes, on the basis of takfiri and Wahhabi teachings.      view to rehabilitating and reintegrating children into


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their communities. Otherwise, ammunition and fuel for             Bearing in mind the provisions contained in the
this war will continue to flow into the country from          preamble to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
outside Syria. New generations within and outside             and the desire expressed therein for children to grow up
Syria will be raised against the backdrop of bloodshed
                                                                  “in a family environment, in an atmosphere of
and violence, which will only further the agendas of
                                                                  happiness, love and understanding”,
terrorist organizations and their backers and prolong
the crisis, which may spread worldwide.                       we are of the opinion that the international community
                                                              should undertake all possible steps to eradicate the root
    The President: Once again, I wish to remind all
                                                              causes and consequences of the involvement of children
speakers to keep their statements concise, as we are
                                                              in armed conflict.
only halfway through our speakers’ list.
                                                                   Comprehensive action plans should be elaborated
    I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.
                                                              to help children recuperate and more effectively adjust
     Mr. Winid (Poland): Poland aligns itself with the        to living conditions during hostilities and in the poststatement delivered by the observer of the European           war period. In this context, ensuring universal access to
Union. I should like to add a few remarks in my national      education must be a priority. Poland is therefore proud
capacity.                                                     to have been one of the first countries to endorse the
                                                              Safe Schools Declaration, signed in Oslo, which aims
     First, I would like to thank the Malaysian presidency
                                                              to prevent the military use of schools during armed
for organizing this timely and important debate, and I
                                                              conflict.
welcome the adoption of the resolution on the abduction
of children (resolution 2225 (2015)), which Poland                I would like to thank in particular Ms. Zama
co-sponsored. I also thank today’s briefers, in particular    Coursen-Neff, director of the Children’s Rights Division
Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the            of Human Rights Watch, who is actively promoting the
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,            concept of safe schools. I also thank Ambassador Geir
for her moving update.                                        Pedersen of Norway and Ambassador María Cristina
                                                              Perceval of Argentina for their Governments’ leadership
    Children are the ones that suffer most in the course
                                                              and engagement in promoting this crucial initiative.
of and following armed conflicts. Growing up in a
hostile environment has an immense impact on a child’s            We are concerned that in South Sudan, Syria,
health, physical integrity, education and social abilities.   the Congo and Mali, children are being abducted or
                                                              recruited as soldiers, thus becoming active participants
     Although there are no exact figures and the
                                                              in armed conflicts. Their recruitment is carried out in
numbers are constantly changing, tens of thousands
                                                              a violent and cruel way. Some of them enter military
of children continue to serve in Government forces or
                                                              service voluntarily, just to escape poverty or protect their
armed opposition groups. It is high time to intensify
                                                              families. In that context, let me recall that resolution 2143
our efforts to suppress this dreadful trend. As the main
                                                              (2014) underscores the importance of mainstreaming
initiator of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
                                                              child-protection issues when undertaking securityadopted almost 26 years ago, Poland is doing its utmost
                                                              sector reform, including age-assessment mechanisms
to raise awareness about children’s rights and ensure
                                                              to prevent underage recruitment and the establishment
that they are respected in their own countries and
                                                              of child-protection units in national security forces.
internationally.
                                                                  Last but not least, it is of the utmost importance, in
    In this regard, recently the Polish Government has
                                                              our opinion, that all countries sign, ratify and effectively
provided assistance to a number of Syrian families
                                                              implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention on
suffering from the horror of conflict. As a sign of
                                                              the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children
solidarity with those persecuted, we have committed to
                                                              in armed conflict. Along those lines, violators of
helping Syrian children resume normal lives in Poland.
                                                              those provisions should ultimately face international
I wish to seize this opportunity to extend my warm
                                                              accountability mechanisms, such as the International
thanks to the Governments of Jordan and Lebanon for
                                                              Criminal Court.
their support in the evacuation of Syrian refugees on
route from the conflict area to Poland.                           The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                              representative of Estonia.


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    Ms. Lind (Estonia): First, I want to warmly               by the conflict. Over 68 children had been killed and
thank today’s briefers and, in particular, Special            176 wounded in eastern Ukraine as of the end of March
Representative of the Secretary-General Leila                 2014, and the actual numbers are probably higher. We
Zerrougui, for her briefing and her tireless efforts. We      would ask the Special Representative of the Secretaryalso thank the Malaysian presidency for organizing this       General for Children and Armed Conflict to look into
important debate.                                             those grave violations against children in Ukraine.
    Estonia aligns itself with the statement delivered            We see impunity as clearly one of the main reasons
by the observer of the European Union.                        for the recurrence of those grave violations against
                                                              children. It is only by consistent prosecution that we
    We would like to thank the Secretary-General for his
                                                              can deter the commission of such crimes. In order to
report (S/2015/409), which provides a solid — although
                                                              achieve that, we reiterate the important role of the
deeply concerning — basis for today’s debate.
                                                              International Criminal Court (ICC) in situations where
    It is extremely worrying that violence rose to            States are unable or unwilling to bring perpetrators
unprecedented levels in 2014, leading to a dramatic           to justice domestically. In order to make good on
increase in grave violations against children. Last           its commitment to deal effectively with persistent
year was full of challenges for the protection of tens        perpetrators, the Council could increase pressure on
of millions of children growing up in, among other            them by including violations against children in the
countries, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria,       mandate of all sanctions committees and by including
South Sudan, Syria and, most recently, in Yemen, where        individuals sought by the ICC on sanctions lists. In
the security situation has deteriorated.                      the context of today’s discussion, we also welcome
                                                              the Court’s efforts in preparing a policy paper on the
     We strongly support the initiative of Malaysia to
                                                              protection of children. However, when talking about
introduce the abduction of children as an additional
                                                              accountability, we should not close our eyes to actions
criterion in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s
                                                              committed by the United Nations system personnel. All
reports on children and armed conflict. The abduction
                                                              violations by United Nations staff and United Nations
of children is unfortunately indeed a prevalent feature
                                                              peacekeeping troops need to be addressed.
of contemporary armed conflict. It is used as a tactic of
war to terrorize, suppress and humiliate communities.              Finally, allow me to mention Estonia’s contribution
According to the Secretary-General’s report, in Iraq          to the advancement of the children and armed conflict
and Syria alone, more than 1,000 girls and boys were          agenda. We recently supported UNICEF’s work in South
abducted by the Islamic State in the Levant in 2014.          Sudan, the Central African Republic, Gaza, Syria and
In that regard, we welcome the adoption of resolution         Somalia. I am glad to announce that Estonia will support
2225 (2015) in the Council today, which adds abduction        the Office of the Secretary-General on Children and
as a trigger for listing. As a next step, we need to ensure   Armed Conflict this year with a contribution of €30,000.
that child-protection provisions are incorporated in the      Children deserve a safe and happy environment to grow
most efficient way into peace processes, negotiations         up in. If the Organization — and by that I mean us,
and ceasefires.                                               its Members — can do something to ensure that goal,
                                                              we should not hesitate to seize every opportunity to do
    A considerable number of violations against
                                                              so. I hope that today’s debate represents a tangible step
children are carried out by non-State armed groups,
                                                              forward in that regard.
which was one of the focuses of our previous debate
on the subject (see S/PV.7414). We commend the                    The President: I now give the floor to the
work of Special Representative of the Secretary-              representative of Belgium.
General Zerrougui in addressing the challenging task
                                                                  Ms. Frankinet (Belgium) (spoke in French): I thank
of engaging with armed groups, and the case-by-case
                                                              you, Madam President, for allowing my delegation to
approach aimed at ending the recruitment and use of
                                                              speak in this debate.
children. However, more needs to be done by all those
concerned.                                                        Belgium fully aligns itself with the statement
                                                              delivered by the observer of the European Union and
    I would also like to draw attention to the situation
                                                              would like to make the following statement in its
in Ukraine, as 1.7 million children there are affected
                                                              national capacity.


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     My country welcomes the annual report of the                Mr. Schieb (Germany): I thank you, Madam
Secretary-General on today’s topic (S/2015/409) and          President, for hosting today’s debate. I also thank all
deplores the fact that armed conflict continues to           the participants who have provided us with insightful
affect children disproportionately. In fact, the annual      briefings. Germany also extends its appreciation to the
report notes that we faced unprecedented challenges          Secretary-General for his annual report (S/2015/409).
in 2014 in attempting to ensure the protection of
                                                                Germany aligns itself with the statement made on
tens of millions of children growing up in countries
                                                             behalf of the European Union.
affected by conflict. One phenomenon that is becoming
increasingly common, according to the report, is                 We consider it to be of great value that the Council
that of the mass abduction of civilians — including          continues to pay close attention to the children and
children. The information contained in the report            armed conflict agenda. Parties to conflicts that hurt
shows that, given the increased frequency and number         children for the sake of strategic advantage are guilty of
of abductions, children need to be better protected.         some of the worst crimes imaginable. The perpetrators
Belgium supports the request of the Secretary-General        show an abominable degree of treachery and cowardice.
to the Council to increase the types of tools available,     They destroy not only the lives of children but the very
which include those used by child-protection agencies        foundation of societies. Germany therefore strongly
to collect and share information on child abductions.        believes that it is the Security Council’s responsibility
In that regard, Belgium believes that it would be useful     to firmly oppose such practices wherever they occur.
to add the abduction of children as a trigger violation      We need to shed light on those who use and abuse
in compiling the lists annexed to the annual report. For     children in the most horrible ways. We must hold them
that reason, my country decided to sponsor resolution        accountable and, even more importantly, we must
2225 (2015), adopted by the Council today.                   redouble our efforts to prevent such crimes from being
                                                             committed. Germany therefore welcomes the Council’s
    The report also shows that children continue to
                                                             decision to list abductions as a trigger for inclusion
be victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence.
                                                             in the annex to the Secretary-General’s annual report
The impunity that the perpetrators of sexual violence
                                                             (see S/2015/409). As a strong supporter of the children
enjoy remains a subject of deep concern. A climate
                                                             and armed conflict portfolio, Germany was pleased to
of impunity, characterized by a lack of disciplinary
                                                             co-sponsor resolution 2225 (2015), adopted today.
procedures, sanctions and criminal prosecutions,
contributes to creating an environment filled with                Allow me to make three points. First, the Secretaryrisks for children. Belgium wishes to underline the          General’s report notes that the number of abductions
importance of ensuring effective access to justice for       is increasing. That is a matter of great concern, all
victims of sexual violence.                                  the more so because abductions are a precursor to
                                                             other grave violations. The heinous abuse of children
     In conclusion, we would like to stress that the
                                                             at the hands of such terrorist groups as Boko Haram
indiscriminate use of weapons — including barrel
                                                             and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),
bombs — is prohibited under international humanitarian
                                                             for example, shows this fact clearly. We hope that the
law. We are shocked by the indiscriminate attacks in
                                                             additional trigger and the mechanism associated with
civilian areas in Syria, which continue to kill and maim
                                                             it will be effective in preventing future abductions. We
thousands of people — many of whom are children. In
                                                             would find it particularly helpful if the next report of
that context, Belgium would also like to reiterate its
                                                             the Secretary-General indicated where abductions are
concern over the use of explosive weapons — particularly
                                                             occurring beyond the well-known cases in Nigeria, Iraq
in densely populated regions — and calls on all parties
                                                             and Syria, and away from the media spotlight.
to armed conflict to renounce their use. My country also
calls on those States that have yet to ratify the relevant        Secondly, we reiterate our call to use the existing
international instruments, to do so as soon as possible,     sanctions regimes more effectively to increase
particularly the conventions banning anti-personnel          accountability for grave violations against children. The
mines and cluster munitions.                                 sanctions committees must define designation criteria
                                                             relating to children and armed conflict and encourage
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             the Special Representative to share information with
representative of Germany.
                                                             them. The Security Council must not shy away from



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using the information collected through the monitoring       entire communities. Children are also being abducted
and reporting process.                                       for the purposes of recruitment and exploitation for
                                                             all sorts of tasks, including their use as human shields
    Thirdly, I would like to point out that those
                                                             or as suicide bombers. Many are used as combatants,
entrusted with the protection of children must never
                                                             messengers, sex slaves, spies or traffickers, or even as
become perpetrators themselves. We condemn all
                                                             beasts of burden to transport ammunition. Snatched
cases of sexual abuse in the context of peacekeeping
                                                             from normal life, school and the bosom of their families,
missions led or mandated by the United Nations.
                                                             they are carried off by armed groups and thrust into a
We therefore welcome the Secretary-General’s zero
                                                             world of violence and horror. Their abduction is often a
tolerance approach. We call on all troop contributors
                                                             precursor to other grave violations against them, such
and the Secretariat to hold all perpetrators accountable.
                                                             as murder, mutilation, recruitment, exploitation and
We call for stronger internal oversight in the Secretariat
                                                             sexual violence.
and in its justice mechanisms, and for the protection of
whistle-blowers. We look forward to the results of the           Another source of concern is their detention
independent external review initiated by the Secretary-      and the denial of their basic liberty in response to
General with regard to reported abuse.                       their presumed association with extremist groups.
                                                             Children should be treated as victims. The prohibition
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             of violence, in particular murder, mutilation, cruel
representative of Morocco.
                                                             treatment and torture, against civilians, in particular
    Mr. Hilale (Morocco) (spoke in French): Allow me         children, is a principle of international customary law,
to begin by thanking the Minister for Foreign Affairs        universally applicable to all armed conflicts. The illegal
of Malaysia, His Excellency Mr. Dato Sri Anifah              and arbitrary detention of children is prohibited under
Aman, for his presence, and to take this opportunity         international humanitarian and human rights law.
to congratulate the Ambassador of Malaysia, His
                                                                  No cause can justify the abduction of children.
Excellency Mr. Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, for his commitment
                                                             They have the right to be protected at school, at home,
and tireless efforts as Chair of the Security Council
                                                             in their environment and in their community. Those
Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict. I would
                                                             abducted by State or non-State armed groups and
also like to thank Ms. Leila Zerrougui, the Secretarysubsequently released have lived through terrible scenes
General’s Special Representative for Children and
                                                             and psychologically traumatic experiences during
Armed Conflict, for her courage and dedication to the
                                                             their captivity. How can such children be expected to
thorough implementation of her mandate and the high
                                                             get over their suffering, their traumas, and be able to
quality of her report. I would also like to thank the
                                                             rebuild their life or start it anew? They need our support
representative of UNICEF for her briefing.
                                                             as a matter of priority. As Ms. Zerrougui emphasized
    A year after the launch of the “Children, Not            this morning in her statement, the continuation of and
Soldiers” campaign and 10 years after the adoption           increase in child recruitment in armed conflict, in
of resolution 1612 (2005), much progress has been            particular by jihadi armed groups including the Islamic
made. Children continue, however, to be the first            State, and the abduction of hundreds of girls by the
victims of conflicts. The year 2014 saw an alarming          terrorist group Boko Haram, demand our attention
intensification and a dangerous recurrence of conflicts,     and the coordination of the efforts of the international
which are becoming increasingly complex, with                community.
unprecedented forms of violence, destructive effects
                                                                  Morocco condemns in the strongest possible terms
and the involvement of violent extremist groups, all of
                                                             all forms of violence against children, their abduction
which has made clear the great vulnerability of tens of
                                                             by State or non-State armed groups, their use as shields
millions of children.
                                                             near arms depots or military camps, their being taken
    The mass abduction of children by Daesh and              as hostages or their recruitment at refugee camps.
Boko Haram has become an increasingly widespread             Morocco also condemns attacks on schools or hospitals
characteristic of conflict situations. The whole world,      and the use of such facilities for tactical purposes.
powerless, frustrated and outraged, is witnessing a
                                                                 It is the international community’s duty to take
wave of child abductions being systematically used as
                                                             strong emergency measures to hold accountable all
a military tactic to terrorize, subjugate and humiliate


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those who continue to flout international law and            targets, particularly for violent extremists, with
the rules for the protection of children, wherever           abductions, recruitment and the use of child soldiers in
they are. The coordination of such efforts among the         active hostilities and the violent radicalization of youth,
various stakeholders in the United Nations system is a       as well as sexual exploitation and abuse which, as we
guarantee of effectiveness and success, but the primary      note with great concern and dismay, has sometimes
responsibility falls above all on the parties to conflict,   been perpetrated by personnel attached to peace
who must comply with their international obligations in      support operations.
accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council
                                                                 The international community was horrified by Boko
and the relevant international conventions.
                                                             Haram’s abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria in the
    Although today’s debate has the merit of                 spring of last year. Less well known but also deplorable
remobilizing all the stakeholders in the international       were the abductions by the Islamic State in Iraq and
community, it must, unfortunately, be acknowledged           Syria of 153 Kurdish boys in Syria and hundreds of
that the efforts made so far to end violence against         Yazidi children in western Iraq, as well as the case of
children and their involvement or use in armed               89 schoolboys kidnapped in South Sudan. While mass
conflicts are insufficient. My delegation believes that      abductions draw the media limelight, hundreds of
the international community’s efforts would benefit          children have been abducted by such groups both before
from being part of a composite, strategic approach           and since those events. Canada strongly condemns the
that not only addresses ongoing conflict situations but      abductions and calls for the immediate release of all
also emphasizes prevention through the establishment         abducted children without delay. The international
of democracy and the upholding of human rights, the          community must work to ensure that the children
enhancement of good governance and the promotion             receive the support they require and are reunited with
of sustainable development. At the same time, the            their families immediately.
approach must be pragmatic, combining incentives
                                                             (spoke in French)
with more binding measures, in particular with regard
to accountability and the struggle against impunity.             Sadly, abductions are often simply the precursors to
                                                             other grave violations such as forced recruitment, forced
    Lastly, the resettlement of children who have been
                                                             conversion and sexual violence. They have especially
victims of terror and scenes of horror during their
                                                             horrible consequences for girls, who are exposed to
abduction, and their reintegration into society, must be
                                                             sexual violence, slavery and forced marriage, as well as
given a high priority. There is no single solution, but
                                                             forced recruitment. Furthermore, they face difficulties
various methods are effective in reducing, for example,
                                                             once they are released, since they are often the victims
the number of child soldiers in non-State armed groups,
                                                             of social stigmatization that hinders their reintegration
including the strengthening of the rule of law, the
                                                             into their communities.
mobilization of resources for rehabilitation programmes
and the analysis of the social, political and economic           We are horrified that armed groups are abducting
dynamics that result in children allowing themselves         children from schools. When parents fear that their
to be enlisted. It is time that crimes committed against     children might be abducted, they are less likely to send
children in armed conflict be considered crimes against      them to school, and the repercussions of that decision
humanity, for children are the future of their nations.      are particularly hard on girls. This is very worrying,
                                                             given the fact that education is a very powerful tool for
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             ensuring the achievement of many development goals,
representative of Canada.
                                                             including improved maternal, newborn and child health
    Mr. Rishchynski (Canada) (spoke in French):              and the eradication of child, early and forced marriage.
I would like to begin by thanking the Malaysian
                                                             (spoke in English)
presidency for enabling us to participate in this debate
on children and armed conflict.                                  Canada condemns the unlawful use of schools
                                                             by armed parties for military purposes. We call on
(spoke in English)
                                                             all parties to armed conflict to respect international
   In the past year we have seen horrific situations in      humanitarian law and refrain from using schools as
armed conflict in which children have been primary           bases, barracks, weapons caches or detention centres.



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We urge Member States to undertake preventive                 we would like to shine a spotlight on the heinous
measures to guard against children’s abductions. We           practice of targeting children. Canada condemns in the
must hold those who commit abductions to account, and         strongest terms all forms of sexual abuse or exploitation
ensure safe conditions for children who are released.         of children by any party to a conflict. Our country is
We therefore welcome the adoption today of resolution         committed to ensuring that the rights of children are
2225 (2015), on abductions, of which Canada was               protected in all settings, particularly in situations
honoured to be a sponsor.                                     of armed conflict. I would like to assure the Council
                                                              that we will continue to work with all members of the
    Ten years ago, the international community
                                                              international community to ensure that all children, all
established the monitoring and reporting mechanism on
                                                              over the world, have safe spaces in which to grow and
grave violations against children in situations of armed
                                                              learn. That is our duty and our responsibility.
conflict, designed to systematically monitor, document
and report on such violations. Canada is proud to have            The President: I now give the floor to the
supported that initiative, and while the problem is far       representative of Austria.
from solved, we have seen some small glimmers of
                                                                  Mr. Riecken (Austria): Austria fully aligns itself
hope. This year saw the delisting of Chad, a decline
                                                              with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of
of violations in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and the
                                                              the European Union.
release of hundreds of child soldiers.
                                                                   In my national capacity, I would like to thank the
(spoke in French)
                                                              Malaysian presidency of the Council for convening
    Canada was deeply saddened to learn that many             today’s open debate. Austria welcomes the discussion’s
children, both Israeli and Palestinian, were injured          particular focus and condemns the extremely worrying
and killed during the conflict that erupted in Gaza           rise in abductions of children by parties to armed
in the summer of 2014, for which Hamas is solely              conflict, in contravention of the applicable international
responsible. As the Secretary-General notes in his            law.
report (S/2015/409), the indiscriminate firing of rockets
                                                                   We appreciate the Secretary-General’s submission
by Palestinian armed groups from populated areas
                                                              of his most recent annual report on children and armed
endangered civilian populations in both Israel and Gaza
                                                              conflict (S/2015/409), including the list of perpetrators
and led to deaths and injuries among children.
                                                              in its annexes. We support his call to the Council to add
     Canada is disappointed, however, that in his report,     abductions as a fifth trigger violation for listing in the
rather than calling on all parties to take steps to protect   annexes, and therefore welcome today’s adoption of a
children affected by armed conflict, the Secretary-           resolution (resolution 2225 (2015)) that adds abduction
General demonstrates an overt bias in singling out            as a trigger. We also welcome the hard and committed
Israel for one-sided and disproportionate criticism.          work of Special Representative Zerrougui, as well as
The fact that 32 paragraphs in the report are devoted         that of UNICEF, the Departments of Peacekeeping
to Israel — giving it far more attention than any other       Operations and Political Affairs and the Resident
Member State, including Syria, the Central African            Coordinators as co-Chairs of the country task forces,
Republic and the Sudan — speaks to the need to provide        along with that of the task force members and recognized
a more honest, impartial and balanced view of the             partners in the field. Together with the Working Group
situation on the ground than the one in this document.        on Children and Armed Conflict, chaired by Malaysia,
This biased view undermines the integrity of such an          they implement the Security Council’s well-established
important document. Moreover, the United Nations              framework for protecting children in armed conflict.
should better address the significant underreporting of
                                                                   The signing of action plans, especially with
the deaths of children in situations such as in Syria, so
                                                              non-State armed actors, which make up the vast majority
that Member States can have an accurate view of the
                                                              of listed parties, must be facilitated and efforts must
effects on children of that deadly conflict.
                                                              made to implement them. The Governments concerned
(spoke in English)                                            should play a supportive role in that process and
                                                              allow the United Nations access to the relevant areas.
   Any sexual abuse or exploitation is simply
                                                              Furthermore, provisions on child protection should be
unacceptable. With regard to today’s debate, however,
                                                              included in peace talks and agreements. Austria stresses


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the importance of fighting impunity and ensuring           practices, and we encourage countries to support him
accountability under national and international            in that regard.
jurisdictions. And we should pay special attention to
                                                               Finally, we urge Member States who have not yet
the victims of armed conflict, especially girls. Crimes
                                                           done so to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention
must not go unpunished, and their effective prosecution
                                                           on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children
must be ensured through regional justice mechanisms
                                                           in armed conflict.
and the International Criminal Court if efforts at the
national level do not produce the expected results.            The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                           representative of Slovenia.
     Every child should have access to education,
including in regions of armed conflict. Recent events          Mr. Logar (Slovenia): I first wish to thank
have shown the timeliness of a focus on protecting         Malaysia for organizing this timely high-level debate
schools against attacks and avoiding their use for         and to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other
military purposes. Austria actively supported the          speakers for their briefings.
consultations on the Safe Schools Declaration, adopted
                                                               Slovenia aligns itself with the statement made
at the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools at the end of
                                                           earlier today on behalf of the European Union.
May. We are pleased to see how many countries have
already endorsed the Declaration and encourage all              Slovenia shares the concerns expressed by many
other Member States to do so. Furthermore, Austria         other delegations that 2014 was the worst year for the
urges all parties to armed conflicts to use the Lucens     tens of millions of children affected by conflicts around
Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities         the world and deplores all grave violations committed
from Military Use during Armed Conflict.                   against them. Children should not be recruited as
                                                           soldiers, used as suicide bombers, trafficked or sold
    We strongly condemn the recruitment of children
                                                           for use in hostilities, forcibly married, raped or used as
by armed forces. We support the disarmament,
                                                           sex slaves. They should not serve as deliberate targets
demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers and
                                                           of killing or maiming, including as a consequence of
children affected by war and reiterate our commitment
                                                           unexploded remnants or landmines.
to the 2014 United Nations Children, Not Soldiers
campaign. Monitoring and reporting on the detention            My delegation has been very concerned about
of children for their association with armed forces or     the increased prevalence of mass abductions in 2014,
groups must continue. Austria actively supported the       particularly those by extremist groups. Abductions
elaboration of the United Nations Model Strategies         by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and by
and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence      Daesh in Syria and Iraq and by Boko Haram in
against Children in the Field of Crime Prevention and      Nigeria and neighbouring States are just examples of
Criminal Justice (General Assembly resolution 69/194,      the most striking cases. Abductions have long-term
annex) and calls on Member States to use them.             consequences, not only for the abducted children and
                                                           their families, but for communities. Sometimes, as
    We commend the Secretariat’s efforts, including
                                                           outlined in the Secretary-General’s latest annual report
the expert seminars organized in the past two years
                                                           on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409), such
by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
                                                           acts also impact national and international peace and
Affairs in London and Oslo, to raise awareness
                                                           security.
about the devastating humanitarian consequences of
explosive weapons for civilians, including children,            In addition, abductions may trigger the recruitment,
and to restrict their use in populated areas where they    mobilization and indoctrination of children and can
cause indiscriminate harm. Austria itself will host an     be seen as an early warning signs for mass atrocities.
expert meeting in Vienna on 21 and 22 September 2015.      Those issues were discussed at the conference Rights
We welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendation          for Peace: Challenges and Opportunities, organized by
to avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide-area       Slovenia earlier this year. Slovenia therefore welcomes
effects in populated areas and the Secretariat’s efforts   the Security Council’s decision in resolution 2225
to develop practical measures and guidance to reduce       (2015) to add abductions as a trigger for listing parties
their humanitarian impact. In that regard, we welcome      in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual report.
the Secretary-General’s initiative to study national


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    We would also like to reiterate our concern             effective means to improve their situation. The adoption
regarding the increased number of attacks and the           of a new resolution today is an important step in that
military use of schools in 2014, such as the attacks by     direction, and for that reason, Slovenia was proud to
the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan and by Boko         join other Member States in co-sponsoring it.
Haram in Nigeria. In that regard, we would like to
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
recall resolution 2134 (2014) and call on all parties to
                                                            representative of the Republic of Korea.
the conflict to respect the civilian character of schools
in accordance of international humanitarian law.               Mr. Oh Joon (Republic of Korea): I would like to
                                                            congratulate Malaysia on its Council presidency for the
     On the other hand, we would like to take note with
                                                            month of June.
appreciation of the progress made in 2014 towards ending
and preventing the recruitment and the use of children           Since the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005) 10
by armed forces and groups. We note with appreciation       years ago, the international community has continued
the progress this Council has made in including issues      to raise awareness regarding the protection of children
of children and armed conflict in country-specific          in armed conflicts. Our efforts, however, have often
resolutions, presidential statements, sanctions regimes     been hampered by blindness and savagery. In 2014,
and mandates of relevant peacekeeping and political         we witnessed how countless children were sacrificed
missions, in the work of the Security Council Working       in conflicts for which they were not responsible.
Group on Children and Armed Conflict, and in briefings      Our concern is that victimizing children is not only
to the Council by relevant United Nations stakeholders.     unacceptable in itself but sows the seeds for conflicts
                                                            in future generations.
    However, there is a gap in the implementation of the
Council’s decisions on the ground. In the 10 years since        As the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, launched
the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), the normative       by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
framework on children and armed conflict has been set,      Zerrougui and UNICEF, points out, children are not
and efforts to transform this framework into actions        soldiers. No responsible member of the international
by the Council have been addressed. We now need to          community should use children for military purposes.
translate Council decisions into concrete actions on the    Nor should the sacrifice of children be accepted as a
ground. We agree with the Secretary-General’s report        mere unintended consequence of military actions. “An
on the need to address the lack of accountability and the   eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”.
issue of impunity that accompanies it, and we therefore
                                                                 We support the Secretary-General, who stresses our
welcome the inclusion of the call to fight impunity in
                                                            common humanity and calls upon all Member States not
resolution 2225 (2015), adopted today. Perpetrators
                                                            to lose sight of the vital objective of protecting children,
of such violations must be held accountable in order
                                                            which is both a moral imperative and a legal obligation.
to prove that crimes committed against children in
                                                            We also support the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance
conflict are inadmissible.
                                                            policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. Accountability
    Ten years ago, the Security Council adopted that        is the key to ending gross violations against children
landmark resolution, 1612 (2005), which established         and preventing their recurrence. Monitoring and
the monitoring and reporting mechanism and the              reporting, listing in the Secretary-General’s report,
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.               targeted sanctions and enhanced justice mechanisms
Slovenia has always paid particular attention to the        have proved to be effective in seeking accountability.
plight of children affected by armed conflict, especially
                                                                 We welcome resolution 2225 (2015), adopted today,
their physical and psychosocial rehabilitation. In 2014
                                                            which includes abductions as a new trigger for listing
and 2015, we have supported projects focusing on the
                                                            in the Secretary-General’s annual report. Enriching
rehabilitation of children from Ukraine, Belarus and
                                                            our toolkit for the protection of children is a signal
Palestine, implemented by the International Trust Fund
                                                            that our shared vision is expanding, while pressuring
Enhancing Human Security, which is based in Slovenia.
                                                            all stakeholders to join us. It is encouraging that, this
    Finally, let me use this opportunity to encourage       year, armed groups in the Central African Republic and
the Security Council to continue to address the issue       South Sudan have released children under their control.
of children and armed conflict and to seek the most         Extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic



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State in Iraq and the Levant, however, are likely to       with international law by those actors. In that regard,
remain persistent. That is when a more fundamental         we welcome the non-paper prepared by France for
and determined approach should be taken.                   the March 2015 debate, which called for Member
                                                           States to ensure that in their fight against terrorism
    Lastly, we stress that children cannot be completely
                                                           and violent extremism they comply with international
safe from devastating armed conflicts once they break
                                                           humanitarian, human rights and refugee law and that
out. Prevention is the best strategy. As a member of
                                                           they avoid criminalizing any contact initiated for
the Peacebuilding Commission, the Republic of Korea
                                                           exclusively humanitarian reasons with non-State armed
will continue to make efforts to prevent relapses into
                                                           groups considered extremist. We strongly urge the
conflict. When prevention fails, a political solution
                                                           international community to support organizations such
should be swiftly sought. We should be especially
                                                           as the International Committee of the Red Cross and
vigilant with respect to situations in which the
                                                           Geneva Call, which have direct access to such groups
overwhelming sacrifice of children is overshadowed by
                                                           and which can make a difference through dialogue,
the political and military context and perceived as an
                                                           awareness-raising and training aimed at implementing
inevitable part of armed conflicts.
                                                           action plans and at ending violations against children.
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                               Switzerland calls on States to view children
representative of Switzerland.
                                                           primarily as victims and to draw up measures that
    Mr. Seger (Switzerland) (spoke in French): Like        will not adversely affect them, in accordance with
other delegations, Switzerland is deeply concerned by      international humanitarian law and human rights. My
the scale of violence perpetrated against children.        country believes that we should avoid the detention of
                                                           children suspected of having or determined to have
    First of all, the abduction of children is becoming
                                                           links to armed groups considered violent extremists.
a war practice used in systematic campaigns of
                                                           In addition, the international community should give
intimidation and reprisals against civilian populations.
                                                           higher priority to youth awareness-raising programmes
Switzerland is particularly concerned by those
                                                           aimed at the prevention of all forms of extremism and to
developments, because they are often the precursor
                                                           include a deradicalization component in disarmament,
to many other serious violations committed against
                                                           demobilization and reintegration programmes.
children, such as torture, sexual violence and enforced
disappearances.                                                Finally, Switzerland believes that the international
                                                           community should send a clear signal that there will
     Switzerland therefore welcomes the decision of the
                                                           be no impunity for crimes committed against children.
Security Council to make the abduction of children a
                                                           While States have the primary responsibility to take the
criterion for listing in the Secretary-General’s annual
                                                           necessary steps to bring the perpetrators of such acts
report on children and armed conflict, and that is why
                                                           to justice, the International Criminal Court, as others
my country decided to co-sponsor the resolution.
                                                           have noted, can play an important role when States are
    Secondly, many non-State armed groups are              unable or unwilling to do so,
attacking children’s education, either by forcing
                                                              I cannot conclude my remarks without thanking
children to stop attending classes and to join their
                                                           Ms. Leila Zerrougui and her team, whose important
ranks while exploiting them for propaganda purposes
                                                           work Switzerland thoroughly supports.
or by misusing educational facilities. Schools should be
safe places where children can learn and should in no          The President: I now give the floor to the
case be used as shields or shelters for combatants. In     representative of Argentina.
that regard, Switzerland welcomes the signing of the
                                                                Mr. González Serafini (Argentina) (spoke
Safe Schools Declaration by 37 States that committed
                                                           in Spanish): I would like to thank Malaysia for its
themselves to ensuring that schools would no longer be
                                                           initiative in organizing this debate and for the concept
targeted in conflicts.
                                                           note (S/2015/402, annex) it distributed to guide today’s
    Thirdly, violations against children by non-State      discussion. I would also like to acknowledge the presence
armed groups remain a major challenge, as others           of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and to
have already noted. Switzerland believes that it is        recognize the work of his country in its leadership of
urgent to find measures to strengthen compliance           the Security Council Working Group on Children and


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Armed Conflict. We also thank the Secretary-General         political missions, as well as in the Council’s
for his statement and his Special Representative for        endeavours in the area of peacebuilding, by integrating
Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Leila Zerrougui, as        more specialists into the different missions this body
well as the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and         authorizes. It is also important for States in this
Ms. Eunice Apio, for their briefings.                       Organization to ensure that training and preparation
                                                            for the adequate protection of the rights of children in
    A few days from now it will be 10 years since the
                                                            situations of armed conflict is not limited exclusively
adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), which Argentina
                                                            to personnel who are directly responsible for protecting
firmly supported as a member of the Council at that
                                                            children on the ground.
time. That resolution was particularly significant
because it authorized the creation of an oversight               In fact, it is vital to incorporate in training
and reporting mechanism to monitor, document and            programmes for military, police and civilian personnel
systematically report grave violations of children’s        comprising the missions of the United Nations a focus
human rights. It also created the Security Council          on human rights and full awareness of the rights of
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict with           children and adolescents, as well as knowledge and
the aim of recognizing, guaranteeing and protecting the     understanding of strategies and processes for the
rights of children in situations of armed conflict.         demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of
                                                            children in situations of armed conflict. We also agree
    In that framework, it bears repeating that Argentina
                                                            on the need to involve various stakeholders in order
decisively supports the work of the Council to prevent,
                                                            to advocate for an end to the involvement of children
avoid and halt grave violations of the rights of children
                                                            in armed forces and groups, including, among others,
in the context of armed conflicts. That commitment
                                                            human rights activists, teachers, representatives of
has been repeatedly demonstrated, as we were one of
                                                            civil society, family members, health workers, religious
the first States to ratify the 2002 Optional Protocol
                                                            leaders and other community actors.
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the
involvement of children in armed conflict and to have            Beyond the legal advances on the issue and the
actively promoted the adoption of resolutions 1261          accomplishments of the Security Council Working
(1999), 1612 (2005) and 2143 (2014). By the same token,     Group on Children and Armed Conflict, there is still
we joined in co-sponsoring resolution 2225 (2015),          much room for improvement. We must fight impunity in
which the Council adopted this morning.                     an unequivocal way for all those groups or individuals
                                                            who commit these crimes. In that connection, this
     Moreover, we highlight the progress achieved
                                                            Council established two international tribunals — those
in the area of prevention and protection of the rights
                                                            for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Today we
of children through the coordinated activities of the
                                                            have a system of international justice for the most
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict
                                                            serious crimes, including war crimes, no longer based
and the efforts of the Special Representative of the
                                                            on ad hoc tribunals but on a permanent court: the
Secretary-General in collaboration with UNICEF and
                                                            International Criminal Court established by the Rome
other United Nations organs. We firmly support the
                                                            Statute in 1998. In March 2012, the Court issued its
need to agree and implement measures to increase
                                                            first judgement, which found Thomas Lubanga Dyilo
the pressure on both State and non-State actors who
                                                            guilty of the war crime of recruiting children under
continue to commit violations. In that connection,
                                                            15 years to participate in hostilities in the Democratic
we repeat that there is need for greater coordination
                                                            Republic of the Congo. With that ruling, the Court made
between the system for the protection of children in
                                                            a significant contribution to the doctrine of protecting
armed conflicts and the different sanctions regimes so
                                                            children in armed conflicts.
that sanctions can be imposed on the perpetrators of the
most flagrant violations committed against children in          Argentina, like the international community, is
conflict situations.                                        fully aware of the devastating effects on children of
                                                            armed conflicts as a result of their recruitment, their
    The protection of children from a human rights
                                                            abduction, indiscriminate attacks against civilian areas
perspective must continue to be our priority. For that
                                                            or direct attacks against civilians by explosive weapons,
reason, it must be taken into account in defining the
                                                            air strikes, or the use of terror tactics that cause an
mandates of peacekeeping operations and special
                                                            unbearable number of casualties among children.


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    We recognize the outstanding work of the Special        of the perpetrators of such crimes through an effective
Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Leila          system of accountability before the relevant national
Zerrougui, during the last year, particularly the United    and international legal systems.
Nations Children, Not Soldiers campaign, to put an
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
end to the recruitment and use of children by security
                                                            representative of Greece.
forces of Governments in conflict situations before
the end of 2016. We welcome those Governments that              Mr. Pouleas (Greece): I would like to congratulate
have already joined that campaign to ensure that in the     the Malaysian presidency for convening this open
near future we end the inconceivable practice of having     debate on children and armed conflict, a topic which
child soldiers.                                             has been high on the agenda of the Security Council.
                                                            We would like to thank the Secretary-General, his
    In closing, we also express our concern over and
                                                            Special Representative Ms. Leila Zerrougui and the
strongly condemn the increasing use of schools for
                                                            other speakers for their thought-provoking briefings.
military purposes and the increase in attacks against
schools and hospitals. We believe this matter merits            Greece aligns itself with the statement delivered by
particular attention from the international community       the observer of the European Union. We would like to
since it radically affects the right to education and the   add a few words in our national capacity.
health of thousands of children worldwide. Therefore
                                                                At the outset, allow me to acknowledge the
Argentina is committed to the process of the Lucens
                                                            importance of the monitoring and reporting mechanism
Guidelines to Protect Schools and Universities from
                                                            pertaining to mass and grave violations against children
Military Use during Armed Conflict.
                                                            in armed conflict. The latest report of the Secretary-To that end, we wish to highlight in particular        General (S/2015/409), which lays out gross violations
the adoption last May of the Oslo Declaration on Safe       committed against children in armed conflicts, is
Schools, which was promoted by Norway and Argentina,        particularly important. Sadly, it includes some of the
among other countries. To date 39 countries have joined     worst human rights violations a child could experience,
it. That Declaration commits States to implement the        including death, abduction and forced recruitment,
Lucens Guidelines to Protect Schools and Universities       which take place from Syria and Iraq to Nigeria and
from Military Use during Armed Conflict, thereby            South Sudan.
ensuring the right to education and protection of
                                                                 Among the unprecedented challenges highlighted
children and young people in armed conflicts. We call
                                                            in the report, it is particularly alarming that in 2014
on States Members of the United Nations, particularly
                                                            there was an upward trend in the abduction of children
members of the Council, to endorse the Declaration.
                                                            by armed groups. Abductions of children have been
    Finally, we stress once again the need to adopt an      used as a tactic to terrorize ethnic groups or religious
unequivocal focus that sees children as victims and not     communities. In Iraq and Syria, over 1,000 girls and
as perpetrators, because their alleged involvement in       boys were abducted by the so-called Islamic State. In
armed conflict has been forced through recruitment,         Nigeria, Boko Haram abducted hundreds of women and
kidnapping and other methods, including physical,           girls in Chibok. Abductions are often followed by other
sexual, psychological and economic violence and             grave human rights violations, such as recruitment,
subjection to sexual slavery. In that regard, we wish       rape or even killing.
to highlight and to welcome the adoption tomorrow
                                                                 It is crucial that abductions are included in the
by the General Assembly of a resolution establishing
                                                            criteria for listing in the Secretary-General’s report
19 June, the date of adoption of Security Council
                                                            on children in armed conflict. Greece welcomes and
resolution 1820 (2008), as the International Day for
                                                            co-sponsored today’s Security Council resolution
the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. We
                                                            2225 (2015), which adds abductions to the criteria for
believe that the establishment of such an international
                                                            including responsible parties in the Secretary-General’s
day will contribute in a significant way to raising the
                                                            report. The unanimous adoption of this resolution
international community’s awareness of the need to
                                                            is an important step in enhancing the international
combat the crimes of sexual violence in conflict, and
                                                            community’s ability to face this alarming trend and
also to provide multisectoral and multidimensional
                                                            to bring perpetrators to justice. However, much more
assistance to victims and put an end to the impunity


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needs to be done to further strengthen international       proposals for dealing with non-State armed groups
efforts to protect children in armed conflicts.            and their consistent and grave violations of children’s
                                                           rights.
    It is imperative to ensure that children are able to
grow up in a safe environment, free from exploitation,         Croatia aligns itself with the statement made earlier
abuse and any form of violence. In that connection we      by the observer of the European Union and welcomes
strongly encourage all States to sign, ratify and fully    the adoption of resolution 2225 (2015) this morning,
implement the international human rights framework         which we were glad to sponsor.
for the protection of children, including the Optional
                                                                I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
                                                           report on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409) and
on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
                                                           to acknowledge the existing list of persistent violators
    In Greece, by virtue of national legislation in        as a useful tool against those responsible for committing
2011, the recruitment of children in armed conflicts       crimes against children. We fully support the report’s
constitutes a war crime under the Rome Statute of the      recommendations.
International Criminal Court and is punished as such
                                                                Croatia welcomes in particular all the efforts of
by the national judicial system with at least 10 years
                                                           the Special Representative for Children and Armed
of imprisonment. In addition, the competent Greek
                                                           Conflict, who intensively and tirelessly advocates for
authorities are currently elaborating an action plan
                                                           the rights and well-being of children affected by armed
on the rights of the child, which has a distinct chapter
                                                           conflict across the globe. Her active engagement in a
on children and armed conflict. More specifically,
                                                           case-by-case approach has significantly contributed
an awareness-raising campaign in schools is being
                                                           to the integration of child protection into a number of
developed, to be launched with a view to organizing
                                                           peacemaking activities. While there are no new parties
information seminars on the Optional Protocol on the
                                                           listed in the report, in our view her role is indisputable
involvement of children in armed conflict.
                                                           and must be further strengthened.
    Furthermore, Greece was among the 39 countries
                                                               We share the concern of the Secretary-General
that joined the Safe Schools Declaration in Oslo on
                                                           about egregious violations to which children were
29 May, which calls upon parties to an armed conflict to
                                                           subjected during the reporting period, encompassing
avoid using educational buildings for military purposes
                                                           also those children who were detained under the
or making them targets of attack. We believe that the
                                                           suspicion of being associated with extremist groups.
Safe Schools Declaration provides a concrete way for
                                                           In that regard, we have to be more than clear — it is
countries to commit to protecting children’s education,
                                                           better to say “adamant” — that those children have to
even during armed conflict.
                                                           be treated primarily as victims and not as perpetrators.
    In conclusion, let me reiterate that we remain
                                                                Violations committed against children during
committed to effectively ensuring respect for and
                                                           armed conflict are today, more than ever, part of the
protection of the fundamental rights of children as
                                                           changing nature of the armed-conflict landscape.
a crucial guarantee for the future of our societies.
                                                           We are continuously witnessing grave violations of
My country fully subscribes to the need to intensify
                                                           children’s rights committed by Boko Haram and the
international and regional efforts to strengthen
                                                           Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, putting children’s
cooperation in putting an end to the grave violations
                                                           lives in danger and robbing them of their childhood. We
against children in situations of armed conflict around
                                                           fully condemn the appalling atrocities committed by
the world.
                                                           Boko Haram, including abductions of girls, as well as
    The President: I now give the floor to the             sexual abuse and all other acts of cruelty that directly
representative of Croatia.                                 or indirectly affect children.
    Mr. Drobnjak (Croatia): I will start by thanking           All of those acts represent grave violations
the Malaysian presidency of the Council for convening      of international human rights and international
this debate, which provides us with an opportunity         humanitarian law. However, due to their extreme nature
to continue our fruitful debate from March (see            and the scale of threat they pose to citizens, they are
S/PV.7414), when we were glad to contribute concrete       also acts of terrorism. In that vein, the real response to



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this challenge requires serious and broad international      the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia,
assistance through counter-terrorism measures.               Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and my
                                                             own country, Viet Nam.
     Croatia believes that the mistreatment of children
must be addressed decisively and reiterates its support           I congratulate you, Madam President, on
for the inclusion of abduction among the listing criteria    Malaysia’s assumption of the Council presidency and
in our efforts to ensure that perpetrators are held          its chairmanship of the Working Group on Children
accountable. Furthermore, let me once again add our          and Armed Conflict. It is indeed a pleasure to see a
voice to those demanding that all perpetrators must          fellow ASEAN member steering the work of the
be brought to justice, for which we cannot adequately        Council. We also commend Malaysia’s initiative to
stress the importance of significantly strengthening         hold this important debate on children and armed
the role of domestic courts. However, it is also of the      conflict. We are grateful to the Secretary-General, his
utmost importance that the Security Council refer            Special Representative and the other briefers for their
cases of serious crimes to the International Criminal        comprehensive statements and briefings.
Court, in accordance with its supplementary role and
                                                                 Last year saw unprecedented challenges to the
with due regard to the fact that children are specifically
                                                             protection of tens of millions of children in countries
protected by the Rome Statute.
                                                             affected by conflicts. Children continue to suffer the
    Croatia fully supports the campaign “Children, Not       most, especially given the unparalleled rise of violent
Soldiers” and its aim to end and prevent recruitment         extremism. As the Secretary-General states in his
and use of children by Government armed forces in            report (S/2015/409), it is an affront to our humanity.
conflict by 2016. In that regard, we welcome the results
                                                                 ASEAN is particularly alarmed by the rise in
recently achieved in Myanmar and Chad.
                                                             abduction as a tactic of war. In conflicts across regions,
     We would also like to use this opportunity to call on   major armed terrorist groups are now increasingly
all countries to become party to the Optional Protocol       employing the abduction of children as a means to
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the          terrorize and indoctrinate and, most worryingly,
involvement of children in armed conflict, as well as to     to sustain themselves. We therefore commend the
support the efforts of Somalia to join the family of the     Malaysian presidency for its efforts towards the
parties to that Convention.                                  Council’s adoption of resolution 2225 (2015) today, to
                                                             strengthen measures for protecting children in armed
     The issue of the protection of children during armed
                                                             conflict, including steps to address the issue of the
conflict needs to remain on the agenda of this body,
                                                             abduction of children. The resolution also stresses
with the goal of preventing further child recruitment
                                                             the importance of strengthening national capacities in
as well as to fully reintegrate former child soldiers. In
                                                             providing protection and relief to all children affected
that regard, we note the tenth anniversary of resolution
                                                             by armed conflict.
1612 (2005), which established the Security Council
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict,                    ASEAN shares the view that a comprehensive
which continues to actively contribute to the mission        approach is needed to protect children in armed conflict,
and vision for a world without child soldiers and without    particularly in addressing the issue of abduction.
child abuse in times of conflict.
                                                                  While stressing the primary responsibility and
    We pledge here today our full and unequivocal            authority of States, ASEAN once again emphasizes the
support to finally bridging the gap between the              need to address the root causes of the hardships that
commitments towards and the actual practice of               children must bear in situations of armed conflict.
ensuring childhoods free from fear and violence.             It is also equally important that the Council and the
                                                             international community continue their efforts to
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             address the impacts of armed conflict on children.
representative of Viet Nam.
                                                                 ASEAN believes that the inclusion of abduction
    Mrs. Nguyen Phuong Nga (Viet Nam): I have the
                                                             as an additional criterion for listing in the annexes of
honour to speak on behalf of the 10 member States of
                                                             the Secretary-General’s report could help strengthen
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
                                                             mechanisms for monitoring violations against children.
namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia,


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    ASEAN also believes that prudence must be                 situations. Let us work closely together to ensure a
exercised so as to avoid unnecessarily complicating           better future for children, to make sure that children are
issues on the ground, especially in situations not on         not soldiers and not among those who suffer, because
the agenda of the Council. All listing efforts should be      children are our common future.
objective and comprehensive. They should be based on
                                                                  The President: I now give the floor to the
credible and impartial information, take into account
                                                              representative of Iraq.
the efforts made by Member States, and be in line with
the responsibility and authority of States.                        Mr. Alhakim (Iraq) (spoke in Arabic): At the
                                                              outset, allow me to congratulate the delegation of
    Furthermore, in implementing the mechanism and
                                                              Malaysia on its assumption of the presidency of the
action plans already in place, it is important that all the
                                                              Council for this month. I also wish to pay tribute to
relevant actors are properly informed and coordinated.
                                                              the Mission of Lithuania for its excellent stewardship
Children’s alleged associations with extremist groups
                                                              of the Council’s work last month. I would also like to
should not be reason to deprive them of liberty. Parties
                                                              say how much my country’s delegation appreciates the
concerned should also refrain from military actions if
                                                              annual report of the Secretary-General on children and
risks to children are associated with such actions.
                                                              armed conflict (S/2015/409), which has been presented
     The Council should also continue to take a               to the Council.
cooperative approach and provide necessary assistance
                                                                  We fully align ourselves with the statement to be
to relevant parties that are cooperating with the United
                                                              delivered on behalf of the League of Arab States. We
Nations through the implementation of action plans to
                                                              also congratulate all Muslims on the celebration of
end grave violation against children in armed conflicts.
                                                              Ramadan.
     In our region, ASEAN has been stepping up
                                                                  A simple glance at the issues debated in the Council
efforts to tackle issues that children are faced with,
                                                              concerning Iraq — the direct threat to international
at both the national and the regional levels, as well as
                                                              peace and security, the threats to Iraq’s national unity
in institutional and practical areas. In 2015, ASEAN’s
                                                              and stability, the humanitarian crisis, the issue of foreign
priority is to strengthen its regional mechanism in order
                                                              terrorist fighters and the violations of the rights of
to give effect to the high-level commitment to make
                                                              women — leads us to note that all of those phenomenons
progress on this issue. The ASEAN Commission for
                                                              stem from one single source, namely, terrorism. The
the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Women
                                                              Council and the international community can bear
and Children is now developing a regional plan of
                                                              witness to the fact that Iraq is under threat because of
action for the implementation of the Declaration on the
                                                              Daesh. We are all unanimous in recognizing that as an
Elimination of Violence against Children, as adopted
                                                              international problem, because there is an international
at the twenty-third ASEAN Summit in 2014, including
                                                              coalition that supports Iraq in its efforts to combat that
through regional outreach activities. ASEAN has also
                                                              international terrorist organization, which is putting
consulted and cooperated closely with United Nations
                                                              the region and even the entire world at risk.
agencies and mechanisms, including UNICEF and the
Secretary-General’s Special Representatives on related            Today we are addressing the issue of the protection
issues.                                                       of children in armed conflicts. Regardless of the
                                                              reality — there are no actual conflicts in Iraq, because
     Much remains to be done, yet there are grounds
                                                              there are no warring parties — Iraq is suffering
for optimism. It goes without saying that since the first
                                                              from the scourge of international terrorism, which
time the Council substantively addressed the issue of
                                                              is affecting all of its citizens. The crimes committed
children and armed conflict (see S/PRST/1998/18),
                                                              by Daesh fall under the six categories of the grave
the international community has made great strides
                                                              violations identified by the Security Council, namely,
in reducing the suffering that children have to bear in
                                                              the killing and maiming of children, the recruitment
conflict situations. Awareness on this acute issue has
                                                              and use of children as soldiers, sexual violence against
been raised; institutions have been established; criteria
                                                              children, attacks on schools and hospitals, the denial of
put forth and initiatives launched and implemented.
                                                              humanitarian assistance and the abduction of children.
    ASEAN remains strongly committed to addressing            Daesh has also carried out the displacement of and
issues that children are facing, especially in conflict


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trafficking in Iraqi children in the regions under its       we would like to express our reservations concerning
control.                                                     certain paragraphs in the report that do not faithfully
                                                             reflect the current reality in Iraq and that weaken the
     My country’s delegation would like to make the
                                                             international front of solidarity aimed at combatting
following comments concerning the portion relating
                                                             terrorism, as they lack precision and objectivity. In
to Iraq in the report of the Secretary-General. My
                                                             fact, we have sent an official letter in that regard to the
country’s delegation subscribes to the report’s finding
                                                             Under-Secretary-General.
that underscores the exacerbation of the level of
violence in my country beginning in the second half               The Iraqi Government, has done its best, within its
of 2014. There was, indeed, during that period an            resource constraints, to ensure the protection of children
unprecedented increase in accidents and security             and to promote their rights. The Iraqi law on military
incidents and violence targeting civilians in general        service punishes anyone who uses children under 18 in
and children in particular, owing to the barbaric attacks    the military for any reason, because this deprives them
perpetrated against a large portion of my country by         of their childhood. We would like to underscore that
the Daesh terrorist organization, especially after Daesh     three days ago, the Iraqi entity that deals with issues
occupied the city of Mosul and other Iraqi cities and        related to children, under the leadership of Mr. Haider
towns. Daesh has committed the worst crimes and              Al Abadi, held a conference with broad participation
attacks against Iraqi children, which has reached            at the regional and international levels, including the
alarming levels in their cruelty and criminality and can     United Nations and other international organizations
be classified as crimes against humanity, in accordance      involved with children, on the protection of children.
with the reports drafted by the competent international      The conference focused on the need to move children
bodies.                                                      far away from conflict zones and to prevent their
                                                             recruitment in Iraq, highlighting the forced recruitment
    Daesh has also targeted the educational sector in
                                                             of children by Daesh in the areas that they control.
many ways. It has closed many schools and put them
                                                             Iraq also extended an official invitation to Ms. Leila
to use for their criminal ends. It has also changed the
                                                             Zerrougui to attend the meeting.
educational curriculum by adding subject matter that
fuels hatred and incites violence and extremism and              To conclude, my delegation would like to reaffirm
terrorism so as to influence the beliefs and values of       that Iraq is currently the victim of the most horrific
children through miseducation and prepare them to            attacks that this society has ever seen. Daesh is seeking
accept terrorist and extremist ideas with a view to          to change human values, thoughts and ideas to make
creating a new generation of terrorists and murderers.       them extremist and barbaric, thereby victimizing all
                                                             of society. It is also trying to put an end to all of the
     Daesh recruits children by force to commit acts
                                                             national and regional relationships on which Iraqi
of war in the service of that terrorist organization by
                                                             society has always been based, as peaceful coexistence
carrying out widespread brainwashing operations in
                                                             was always its fundamental pillar.
order to use children at a later point for suicide attacks
and in other acts of war and terrorist acts. Beyond the           We would therefore ask the international community
above-mentioned crimes, the attacks by Daesh against         to support all of the segments of Iraqi society in foiling
peaceful Iraqi cities have led to the greatest wave of       these barbaric attacks, so that Iraqi children can return
internal displacement that Iraq has ever experienced, as     to their families and live in dignity.
civilians have fled the terrorist cruelty of Daesh. That
                                                                 The President: I now give the floor to the
has increased the suffering of children in Iraq, who
                                                             representative of Indonesia.
have become displaced persons and have been deprived
of their education and a peaceful life in their cities.          Mr. Percaya (Indonesia): Let me first thank Malaysia
                                                             for having convened this open debate and express my
    The Government of my country affirms its
                                                             delegation’s warm welcome to His Excellency Dato Sri
appreciation for the role played by the Office of the
                                                             Anifah Aman, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on
                                                             We also thank the Secretary-General and the Special
Children and Armed Conflict and its role in monitoring
                                                             Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
of the situation of children in armed conflict and
                                                             and Armed Conflict, along with the Deputy Executive
protecting them from the horrors of war. However,



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Director of UNICEF and the Director of Facilitation for       necessary to ensure that parties to armed conflicts
Peace and Development, for their presentations.               simply — I repeat, simply — comply with international
                                                              humanitarian laws and standards.
     My delegation aligns itself with the statement made
earlier by the representative of Viet Nam, on behalf of           Secondly, children associated with armed groups
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and that to       or forces should be first and foremost treated as
be made later by the representative of Kuwait, on behalf      victims. Efforts should be focused on their effective
of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.                   rehabilitation and reintegration into society. In this
                                                              regard, any legal process against child soldiers or
     We have listened attentively to all of the
                                                              children associated with armed groups, in our view,
presentations made here in the Security Council today.
                                                              should apply strictly a restorative-justice paradigm.
Clearly, children should never have to be the victims,
or bear the burden, of a conflict that they did not create         We should also acknowledge that hunger, poverty,
or choose to be part of. With no power to escape,             discrimination and marginalization may lure children
many children have been taken away forcefully from            to return to armed conflicts voluntarily. They will
their families and communities by State or non-State          become a threat to fragile peace deals when they feel
actors and placed in life-threatening situations. It          that they are not accepted in society and know nothing
is a shock to our conscience when we hear that child          but violence as a way of life.
abduction is being used systematically as a tool of war,
                                                                   Thirdly, we support the idea of further expanding
with the intention of spreading fear and subduing and
                                                              the normative framework for the protection of children
humiliating entire communities. Many of these children
                                                              in armed conflict by adding abduction as a criterion for
are forced to become child soldiers. They are also
                                                              listing those parties that violate international norms.
forced to become tactical agents. Girls face a greater
risk compared to boys, as they are often specifically             Fourthly, we support the ongoing movement to
targeted for abduction, sexual slavery and forced             strengthen the international framework with a view
marriage. Worse yet, girls are abducted for trafficking       to preventing the military use of schools during
as well.                                                      armed conflict. In this regard, we welcome the recent
                                                              convening of the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools.
     In the light of these violations, Indonesia condemns
child abduction in armed conflict and is deeply troubled          Fifthly, we recognize the importance of establishing
by the increasing number of such cases recently.              a mandatory pre-deployment requirement for child-Indonesia joins the international community in calling        protection training for all countries contributing troops
for the immediate release of abducted children, without       to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
preconditions.
                                                                  Sixthly and lastly, we believe that the international
    Indonesia also stresses the need for a more vigorous,     community, in particular the United Nations, should
sustained, coordinated and well-supported endeavour,          invest more resources in and devote greater attention to
firmly rooted in international humanitarian law, refugee      conflict prevention, as this is the best way of protecting
law and human rights law, aimed at protecting children,       children from armed conflict.
who are disproportionately affected in armed conflicts,
                                                                   In addition, enhanced efforts to strengthen the
including as victims of abduction. Clearly, the Security
                                                              normative and operational framework for protecting
Council has a critical role in this undertaking.
                                                              children in armed conflict should be made, even in time
   Given the present situation, we would like to share        of peace, including by building national capacities and
some of our views on this issue.                              institutions and by sensitizing the public at large to the
                                                              issues. Indonesia will continue to put a high priority on
    First, it is critical to ensure that the emerging trend
                                                              safeguarding children.
of child abduction in armed conflict is not perpetuated.
All perpetrators, regardless of their status as State              In conclusion, it is our collective duty to put an end
or non-State actors, should be held accountable for           to the nightmares and the suffering of child victims of
gross violations of human rights and humanitarian             armed conflict. Their place is in the peaceful setting
law. It is imperative that the Security Council and           of their homes and communities, with other children
other international organizations take all measures



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in classrooms, and living a carefree childhood without       in those crimes in countries unable to prevent them.
knowing the fear of being abducted.                          The situation worsened during 2014 with the continuing
                                                             growth in violence and the participation of armed
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             groups in areas of conflict. I am referring in particular
representative of Uruguay.
                                                             to the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria,
    Mrs. Carrión (Uruguay) (spoke in Spanish):               Palestine, South Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan.
The delegation of Uruguay would like to thank and
                                                                  Armed groups now resort to the mass abduction of
congratulate Malaysia on its assuming the presidency
                                                             children with greater ease and frequency. Moreover,
of the Security Council for this month and for the
                                                             the situation has worsened because such groups have
presence of its Minister for Foreign Affairs here today.
                                                             not limited themselves merely to the recruitment of
We would also like to echo congratulations to Malaysia
                                                             children, but also have committed the gravest abuses
on organizing this open debate on children and armed
                                                             and most aberrant violations of the rights of the children
conflict, focused, in particular, on the abduction of
                                                             whom they have abducted. From The statistics provided
children by armed groups and armed forces, and the
                                                             by the Secretary-General in his annual reports show
detention of children accused of having links with
                                                             that between 2002 and 2014 more than 24,420 children
armed groups and forces. We welcome the statement by
                                                             were abducted. That should be seen as an approximate
the Secretary-General and the briefings by the Special
                                                             number, and it would appear that the actual figure is
Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
                                                             much greater. Accordingly, we need to obtain more
and Armed Conflict and the Deputy Executive Director
                                                             accurate information regarding such cases.
of UNICEF.
                                                                 We know that approximately 95 per cent of
    Today’s debate reasserts the commitment of the
                                                             abductions are carried out by non-State armed groups.
Security Council to defend the rights of children and
                                                             Those groups must be fought and eradicated. That is the
the Council’s conviction that there is an urgent need to
                                                             only solution, given their espousal of extreme violence,
adopt measures to protect their rights and their lives in
                                                             which includes, among other abuses, using abducted
view of the recent violations of those rights by armed
                                                             children as suicide bombers or as human shields;
groups. In that regard, Uruguay expresses its full
                                                             recruiting them as soldiers; and coercing them into
support for resolution 2225 (2015) adopted today.
                                                             work or sexual slavery — all of which is committed
    For Uruguay, the protection and promotion of             barbarously and with total impunity. One need only
human rights, and particularly those of children, are a      mention the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s treatment
key priority of our domestic and international policies.     of girls as currency and in forced marriages.
That is demonstrated by Uruguay’s commitment to the
                                                                  Despite the legal framework and global tools
work under way, in particular by the adoption, each
                                                             available to deal with such violence, there is still
year, of resolutions on the rights of the child here in
                                                             no effective implementation of those tools in the
New York and in Geneva, where traditionally we have
                                                             domestic legislation of countries, as well as a lack of
played an active role, and also by my country’s ongoing
                                                             the necessary cooperation at the regional level. There
concern for the unqualified respect for the rights
                                                             will be no lasting solution until those problems are
of children — particularly their right to education.
                                                             solved. States must be accountable in their obligation
We have, accordingly, condemned the use of schools
                                                             to protect the people under their sovereignty, and we
and other education centres for military purposes. In
                                                             must punish those groups operating within States
that regard, Uruguay is one of 38 countries that has
                                                             who are responsible for the serious violations of the
supported the Safe Schools Declaration. It is essential
                                                             human rights of children. Such violations should be
that States implement the standards of the Convention
                                                             considered crimes against humanity and be condemned
on the Rights of the Child and its additional protocols,
                                                             and punished accordingly. Abductions should serve as
as well as other international relevant conventions.
                                                             a trigger for an adequate response by the international
    This year marks the tenth anniversary of the             community — including the adoption of sanctions and
adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), which established a      an increase in cooperation aimed at combating them.
monitoring and reporting mechanism to report on this
                                                                  In addition to the situation that we just referred
type of violations of children’s rights. However, over
                                                             to, the numerous arrests of children for their actual
the past five years, there has been a significant increase


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or alleged membership or association within armed           other United Nations agencies in addressing this issue.
groups are also of utmost concern to the international      In particular, we commend the work of Ms. Leila
community. It presents a challenge for Member States        Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretaryand for agencies responsible for protecting children. For   General for Children and Armed Conflict, as well as all
my country, combating sexual violence during armed          the other actors involved in implementing the Security
conflict is of the highest priority. As we have mentioned   Council mandate for the protection of children in armed
earlier, Uruguay participates in the United Nations         conflict and in ensuring an effective and comprehensive
Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic        follow-up to the reporting mechanism.
Republic of Congo and contributes approximately
                                                                  We must stand firm if we wish to permanently
1,000 troops for the protection of civilians there.
                                                            eliminate the recruitment of children in armed conflict.
Members of the Joint Protection Teams are used to
                                                            While children have no voice in political conflicts, they
monitor and address violations of human rights in
                                                            have the most to lose. This past week saw the publication
remote regions. Those peacekeepers collaborate with
                                                            of a report by the High-level Independent Panel on
civil-society associations and provide various types of
                                                            Peace Operations, which bears a close connection
support, including the supply of food and water, as well
                                                            with the subject at hand. It recommended prohibiting
as medical care. They also conduct patrols to prevent
                                                            the sending of peacekeeping troops from countries
the rape of women and girls in remote locations.
                                                            currently on the lists in the Secretary-General’s annual
     It is vital that we reinforce the Organization’s and   reports on children and armed conflict and conflictthe Security Council’s actions aimed at confronting the     related sexual violence, as long as they remain on the
impunity enjoyed by armed groups that are responsible       list. We believe that the establishment of accountability,
for the abduction of children, and that we improve the      the elimination of impunity, and the imposition of
legal protection for children, as well as their human       prosecution and penalties are important in efforts
rights. Accordingly, my delegation urgently calls for       to proceed against all those who commit violations
the adoption of appropriate measures, such as sanctions     against children. National justice systems, regional
and the improvement of cooperation at the regional          and subregional cooperation and the international
level.                                                      community should ensure that such proceedings take
                                                            place. Political will, the implementation of initiatives
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                            to protect children affected by armed conflict and the
representative of Panama.
                                                            establishment of protection mechanisms are essential
     Ms. Flores Herrera (Panama) (spoke in Spanish): I      to the prevention of violations against children and the
would first like to thank Malaysia for presiding over the   recovery of children affected by armed conflicts, and it
Security Council this month and for having convened         is our responsibility as States to play that role.
this open debate on an issue of such great importance
                                                                I am pleased to announce that Panama has taken
to the international community as children and armed
                                                            the decision to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration,
conflict.
                                                            presented on 29 May at the Oslo Conference on Safe
    It is of great concern to see the increase in armed     Schools: Protecting Education from Attack, since there
conflicts and humanitarian crises throughout the            are 28 million children in conflict areas today who
world, conflicts in which boys and girls continue to        cannot go to school, and, according to the Conference’s
be used as soldiers. While some have been able to           2014 report, “Education under Attack”, schools have
escape the violence with their families, many of them,      been attacked in 70 countries. We call on those Member
unfortunately, remain under threat, putting their entire    States that have not yet done so to join this initiative. We
future in jeopardy. Both girls and boys are used as         wish to reiterate our commitment to the global effort to
tools of war, and they are exposed to sexual violence,      protect students, teachers, schools and universities by
psychological trauma, abduction, recruitment, and           supporting the Declaration.
other violations of their human rights. For those boys
                                                                 Lastly, we support resolution 2225 (2015) on
and girls, their hopes for a dignified life by 2030 will
                                                            children and armed conflict, introduced today by the
not be achieved.
                                                            representative of Malaysia under the agenda item, a
    We welcome the initiatives taken by UNICEF,             resolution of which we were a sponsor and which seeks
the United Nations Population Fund, UN-Women and            to strengthen efforts to address the abduction of children


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in armed conflict. We would reiterate the primary role           Allow me to point out another area of concern:
of States in protecting and assisting all the children      terrorism and violent extremism. That threat to
concerned. We hope through such tangible efforts to         children has at least three dimensions. First, children
reverse the tragic upward trend in the recruitment of       have become deliberate targets, often subjected to
children in armed conflicts and at the same time to         extreme violence ranging from sexual abuse and forced
focus on ensuring that those children can participate       marriage to kidnappings and brutal killings. Secondly,
in the reconstruction of their communities and States.      they have become weapons, made to fight alongside
                                                            armed groups and at times used as human bombs.
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                            Twenty-seven suicide attacks were reported in the first
representative of Slovakia.
                                                            five months of this year, and it is an even more tragic
    Mr. Ružička (Slovakia): At the outset, let me           fact that women and children carried out three quarters
thank Malaysia for organizing today’s open debate and       of those attacks. Thirdly, many children have become
express my appreciation for the work and dedication         trapped in the web of terrorist narratives. It is the
of today’s briefers, the Secretary-General’s Special        younger generation that most actively uses the Internet
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,             and social networks. At the same time, it is the Internet
Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Ms. Yoka Brandt and Ms. Eunice         and social media that serve to spread such narratives
Apio, not only for their presentations but also for the     and lure young people into the ranks of terrorists and
work they are doing on behalf of children in the most       violent extremists.
challenging situations imaginable. Slovakia wishes
                                                                Our response must be strong, targeted and
to align itself with the statement made earlier by the
                                                            comprehensive. We must continuously focus on children
representative of the European Union. We welcome the
                                                            and teenagers. We must approach them at a very early
adoption of resolution 2225 (2015), which we proudly
                                                            stage in a manner with which they are familiar and using
co-sponsored; it is designed to strengthen efforts to
                                                            language they understand — and they most certainly do
address the abduction of children and to reaffirm
                                                            not understand the language of bureaucracy, especially
measures for the protection of children in armed
                                                            not that of international bureaucracy. We must give
conflict.
                                                            them genuine prospects for their future and banish the
    Not long ago, in March, we gathered here in the         false dreams of terrorist propaganda, which very often
Security Council Chamber to seek to put an end to what      turn into nightmares.
has unfortunately become a daily reality for millions of
                                                                I would like to point out four areas on which to
children in conflict-affected areas (see S/PV.7410). Less
                                                            concentrate in order to improve the situation of children
than three months later, we are back here discussing the
                                                            in armed conflict. The first is peacekeeping and child
issue again. One could, of course, ask whether twice in
                                                            protection. Let me highlight the critical importance of
three months is not too often. Unfortunately, it is not.
                                                            providing military, police and civilian peacekeepers
As stated in the Secretary-General’s recently published
                                                            with adequate pre-deployment and in-mission
report on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409),
                                                            training on mission-specific child-protection issues.
         “There were unprecedented challenges in 2014       Priority should be given to combating all types and
    with regard to the protection of tens of millions       forms of sexual violence committed against children.
    of children growing up in situations affected           The inclusion of child protection in the training of
    by conflict ... Mass abductions of civilians,           peacekeepers, the mandates of crisis-management
    including children, have become an increasingly         operations, standard operating procedures and rules of
    prevalent feature of conflict in many situations ...    engagement should be mandatory for all uniformed and
    The abduction of children had primarily been a          civilian peacekeeping personnel.
    precursor to other violations, such as killing and
                                                                 The second area is the restoration of justice and
    maiming, recruitment and use, or sexual violence”.
                                                            security. That is a key aspect of post-conflict recovery and
    That is the unfortunate reality, 10 years after the     peacebuilding. Countries in post-conflict development
Security Council adopted its resolution 1612 (2005),        must, with the help of the international community, take
on children and armed conflict, and now the topic has       concrete steps to address the restoration of justice and
become a regular item on the Council agenda.                security, and demonstrate their commitment to the rule
                                                            of law and to the vital democratic principle of civilian


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control of the armed and security forces. Among many         personnel on the ground receive adequate orientation,
other factors, properly tailored security-sector reforms     as well as prior training in their home countries before
affect the safety and security of children and youth. In     deployment. Our efforts would have better results if
its resolution 2143 (2014) on children and armed conflict,   there were greater coordination between the Security
the Security Council expressed the clear conviction that     Council, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations,
“the protection of children in armed conflict should be      the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict,
an important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to         the Special Representative of the Secretary-General,
resolve conflict and build peace”.                           and the regional structures and United Nations country
                                                             teams on the ground.
    The third area is the establishment of childprotection units in national security forces. We must            All Member States should endorse and implement
go far beyond a zero-tolerance policy on sexual              UNICEF’s “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, for,
exploitation and abuse in such forces. Units should be       as Human Rights Watch estimates, nearly 300,000
trained how to address child and youth issues in the         children are serving as child soldiers for Government
traumatic post-conflict period.                              forces and rebel groups in armed conflicts around the
                                                             world. Statistics also indicate that as many as 70 per
     The fourth area is education and communication. In
                                                             cent of the soldiers in some armed groups are children,
order to raise young people who are resistant to extremist
                                                             with girls also recruited, though mainly as sex slaves.
ideologies, we should handle our communication
                                                             The abduction of children should therefore be added as a
strategies better and implement “educate-to-tolerate”
                                                             new trigger for inclusion in the annexes to the Secretarycurricula so as to form a generation that will view
                                                             General’s reports, along with the other four triggers:
social diversity as a natural environment to live in.
                                                             recruitment, sexual violence, killing and maiming
    The President: I now give the floor to the               and attacks on schools and hospitals. Furthermore, all
representative of Kazakhstan.                                perpetrators must be brought to justice through stricter
                                                             enforcement of the Rome Statutes when countries are
    Mr. Kabentayev (Kazakhstan): I thank the
                                                             unwilling or unable to protect children. Countries that
presidency of Malaysia for drawing attention to
                                                             are powerless need regional and international support
the need to protect children from violence, abuse,
                                                             and capacity-building on several fronts, including the
detention and, in particular, forced disappearance and
                                                             military, the promotion of good governance and the
abduction during armed conflicts, all of which assumed
                                                             rule of law.
unprecedented and alarming proportions last year. My
delegation commends the Security Council and its                 My delegation applauds the work of the Watchlist
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict for             on Children and Armed Conflict and other human
their attention to and progress in reducing the number       rights defenders of children and endorses the proposals
of war crimes against children.                              they have made, i.e., recommending that the Secretary-General include in the annexes to his report those
    As the horror and frequency of such crimes intensify,
                                                             actors in a conflict who engage in abductions of
however, with ever larger numbers of children becoming
                                                             children, and that all parties to a conflict should treat
victims, it is imperative that we respond more speedily
                                                             children as victims, ensuring first of all their full
than we have done so far, both to new, emerging crises
                                                             treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
and to protracted, worsening conflicts. Kazakhstan is
                                                             Furthermore, every effort should be made to prevent
a staunch supporter of and committed to the rigorous
                                                             attacks on educational institutions and end the military
implementation of international humanitarian, humanuse of schools; that requires calling on conflicting
rights and criminal law, and would therefore like to
                                                             parties to uphold the Oslo Safe Schools Declaration.
present the following points for consideration.
                                                             There must also be a greater concerted effort to hold
    First, the issue of children in armed conflict needs     security-sector actors in conflict zones accountable for
to be better integrated into the Council’s country-          effectively protecting children and to ensure that the
specific work, and a child-protection mandate must           United Nations national action plans are adopted.
be incorporated into all peacekeeping missions, with
                                                                In conclusion, Kazakhstan, in upholding the rights
an officer delegated for that purpose. Such a directive
                                                             and dignity of the child, will join the international
can be effective only if troops, police and civilian
                                                             community in supporting the safe and secure protection


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of children, who are the most vulnerable group of all in    implement a communication campaign, will get under
armed conflicts.                                            way soon. Other activities under the action plan, such
                                                            as ensuring the United Nations unhindered access for
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                            verification purposes and separating former MILF
representative of the Philippines.
                                                            combatants found to be under 18 years of age, will also
     Ms. Yparraguirre (Philippines): The Philippines        continue.
congratulates Malaysia on its assumption of the
                                                                In his report (S/2015/409), the Secretary-General
presidency of the Council this month and appreciates
                                                            notes a decline in cases of child-soldier recruitment in
its initiative in organizing today’s debate on children
                                                            the Philippines, from 20 in 2013 to seven in 2014. The
and armed conflict.
                                                            Philippine Government is continuing to work hard to
    The Philippines aligns itself with the statement        bring that number down to zero. On behalf of the armed
delivered earlier by the Permanent Representative of        forces of the Philippines, it has submitted a strategic
Viet Nam on behalf of the Association of Southeast          plan on preventing and responding to grave children’s
Asian Nations.                                              rights violations in situations of armed conflict, as well
                                                            as a draft circular on child protection during armed
     As a manifestation of the steadfast commitment of
                                                            conflict situations. It has also issued guidelines for
the Philippines to the protection of children, especially
                                                            the conduct of activities by the armed forces of the
in situations of armed conflict, our Government
                                                            Philippines inside or within the premises of schools and
continues to take steps in that area with the cooperation
                                                            hospitals.
and support of various agencies in Government, civil
society and our partners in the United Nations system.          In that context, the Department of Education
Last year, after 40 years of bloody conflict and 16 years   of the Philippines has implemented its guidelines
of a difficult peace process, the Government concluded      on the protection of children during armed conflict
peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation         by requiring school heads, as well as teaching and
Front (MILF) and signed a comprehensive agreement on        non-teaching personnel, to report within 24 hours any
the Bangsamoro. Draft legislation designed to become        information about or incident of grave child-rights
the legal framework and governing law for the new           violations to the Council for the Welfare of Children,
Bangsamoro entity is now under consideration in the         providing information on the date, time and location
Philippine Congress. Last Tuesday we implemented the        of the incident, the name, number, gender and age of
first phase of the decommissioning of MILF combatants       the children affected and the armed groups involved.
and their firearms. With those confidence-building          We have also established an inter-agency committee
developments, we now have lasting peace in the              on children in armed conflict, which serves as a
southern Philippines within our grasp, so that our          monitoring, reporting and response system on grave
children may wake each day and end each day in a safe       child-rights violations in situations of armed conflict.
and peaceful environment whether they are at home, at       The team works with the United Nations Development
play or at school.                                          Programme as part of the technical working group of
                                                            the United Nations country task force on monitoring
    Council members will recall that in 2009 the MILF
                                                            and reporting grave child-rights violations in armed
signed a United Nations action plan aimed at addressing
                                                            conflicts.
the issue of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces’
recruitment and use of child soldiers. That agreement           The Philippines remains committed to keeping our
was renewed in 2013, and UNICEF’s child-protection          children safe and will continue to engage and cooperate
specialist based in the southern Philippines remains        with all stakeholders in the prevention of grave childconfident that the MILF will continue to cooperate          rights violations, as well as in monitoring, reporting
in order to secure its removal from the list of groups      and responding to such violations committed in the
that exploit children in armed conflict. UNICEF has         context of armed conflict.
also completed its orientation and training on child
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
rights across 31 MILF base commands and seven
                                                            representative of Qatar.
front commands in Mindanao for Bangsamoro Islamic
Armed Forces commanders and troops. We hope that                Mr. Laram (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): I would
the second phase of the action plan, which seeks to         like to begin by thanking Malaysia for focusing


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its presidency of the Council on the suffering of the        utmost importance, in accordance with the Universal
millions of children affected by conflict, and for its       Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates that
efforts as Chair of the Working Group on Children and        everyone has the right to education.
Armed Conflict. I would like to thank the Minister for
                                                                 We reiterate the call to continue to prevent attacks
Foreign Affairs of Malaysia for presiding over today’s
                                                             against schools and to put an end to their use for
debate and participating in it. I would also like to thank
                                                             military purposes, in accordance with the provisions
the Secretary-General, his Special Representative for
                                                             of international humanitarian law, human rights law
Children and Armed Conflict, the Deputy Executive
                                                             and the relevant Council resolutions. We commend
Director of UNICEF and the Director of the Facilitation
                                                             the important role of the Global Coalition to Protect
for Peace and Development organization for their
                                                             Education from Attack in its efforts to develop
valuable participation. We align ourselves with the
                                                             guidelines for protecting schools and universities
statements delivered on behalf of the Organization of
                                                             from being used for military purposes during armed
Islamic Cooperation and the Group of Arab States. We
                                                             conflicts.
commend the Council’s adoption of resolution 2225
(2015) on children and armed conflict, of which Qatar            The Secretary-General’s annual report highlights
was a sponsor.                                               the grave violations against children in various parts of
                                                             the world resulting from attacks by warring parties. We
    Despite all relevant Council initiatives and
                                                             are especially concerned about the violations against
resolutions, the Secretary-General’s recent annual
                                                             children in the occupied Palestinian Arab territories and
report on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409)
                                                             in Syria, which are detailed in the report. Children will
highlights the fact that 2014 witnessed unprecedented
                                                             continue to suffer and be victimized if the international
challenges with regard to the protection of tens of
                                                             community does not resolve those conflicts. In that
millions of children who are growing up in areas affected
                                                             regard, all parties that perpetrate such violations must
by conflict and where mass abductions of children have
                                                             be held accountable, so that we can end the loss of
become a prominent feature. The documentation of
                                                             children’s lives and provide reparations to victims.
human rights violations during conflicts is important.
However, such documentation will not be as beneficial            In conclusion, the world has realized that building
as it should be if it is not complemented by the             safe and stable societies and achieving security and
enforcement of laws and by intensive, comprehensive          civility in the world must begin with protecting and
and coordinated efforts to prevent future violations and     providing children with a sound and safe environment.
to achieve accountability.                                   Hence, we are facing a test of our ability to honour
                                                             and implement the international conventions and
    My country believes in the importance of
                                                             instruments adopted by the international community if
education, which can have a positive impact on
                                                             we really want to maintain international security.
children’s sound upbringing, free from extremism or
violence. For that reason, during times of crisis, we            The President: I now give the floor to the
have placed the utmost importance on the education of        representative of the Sudan.
children, an interest that has been materialized in the
                                                                  Mr. Hassan (Sudan) (spoke in Arabic): We would
establishment of our Education Above All foundation,
                                                             like to reiterate our congratulations to Malaysia on
which is Qatar’s global initiative to provide educational
                                                             its presidency of the Security Council for this month.
opportunities to societies that suffer from poverty and
                                                             Madam President, we know that Malaysia has all
conflict. The foundation’s programmes include an
                                                             the requisite qualities to conduct a debate on this
international initiative, Educate a Child, implemented
                                                             issue, namely, the fate of children in armed conflict.
in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations
                                                             Furthermore, my country’s delegation would like to pay
High Commissioner for Refugees, which aims to provide
                                                             tribute to the Special Representative of the Secretaryhigh-quality primary-school education to children all
                                                             General, Ms. Leila Zerrougui, and the Deputy Executive
over the world and to empower children in conflict
                                                             Director of UNICEF for their briefings. We also pay
areas. We actively participated in the Oslo Conference
                                                             tribute to the Malaysian Minister for Foreign Affairs,
on Safe Schools: Protecting Education from Attack,
                                                             Mr. Anifah Aman.
held in May. We also supported the Oslo Declaration on
Safe Schools, out of our belief that education is of the



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    The Sudan aligns itself with the statement made           Mission to the United Nations, remains in contact with
on behalf of the Arab States. We welcome the fact that        the Offices of the Under-Secretary-General, the Special
resolution 2225 (2015), adopted this morning, mandates        Representative of the Secretary-General on children
that those parties responsible for abductions are to          and armed conflict, and UNICEF when dealing with
be listed in the annex of future annual reports of the        concerns regarding children. My Government is
Secretary-General on children and armed conflict.             continuing its efforts to promote the status of children.
                                                              The National Council for Child Welfare in the Sudan has
     The rights of children are a priority for the Sudanese
                                                              established a national coordination committee and a task
Government. Proof can be seen in the Government’s
                                                              force on the status of children in emergency situations,
measures and progressive steps, of which I would like
                                                              which deals with all issues related to children. Among
to cite a few examples.
                                                              the committee’s mandates is the protection of children
    First, in terms of our international commitments,         in emergency situations and the coordination of issues
my country’s Government has ratified the optional             with UNICEF and the African Union-United Nations
protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the              Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
Child — the Optional Protocol on the involvement of
                                                                  In that regard, the National Council for Child
children in armed conflict and the Optional Protocol
                                                              Welfare in the Sudan organized a seminar on national
on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
                                                              cultures and their impact on the protection of children,
pornography. My Government has also ratified the
                                                              particularly with regard to the recruitment of children
two relevant Conventions of the International Labour
                                                              in armed conflicts. Furthermore, the various players in
Organization related to children, No. 182 of 1999, on
                                                              that area are striving to complete the final work plan
the worst forms of child labour, and No. 138 of 1973,
                                                              on the protection of children in armed conflicts. In the
on the minimum age for admission to employment and
                                                              light of those policies and the specific steps we have
work. We supported and took part in the ceremony that
                                                              taken with regard to children, we call for the Sudan to
launched the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign on the
                                                              be removed from the listing in the annex to the latest
issue of children and armed conflict, organized by the
                                                              report of the Secretary-General on the situation of
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretarychildren in armed conflict.
General and UNICEF.
                                                                   I would like here to categorically refute and reject
    Secondly, in our national legislation, the code for
                                                              the contents of paragraph 183 of that report, which
the police, the security forces and the armed forces
                                                              contains errors that lead to confusion. The paragraph
prohibits the recruitment of those under the age of 18.
                                                              is based on naive accusations that were broadcast by
We also have a justice system for young people, and a
                                                              Radio Dabanga about the village of Thabit last October.
2010 law that deals with child employment. A number
                                                              We categorically reject that information. We would like
of measures in the justice system cover minors. In
                                                              to remind members of the Council of the documentary
regard to the mechanisms for the protection of children,
                                                              evidence that has been presented in that regard and
the Sudanese Government has established a special unit
                                                              which should put an end to those lies once and for all.
within the armed forces to protect children.
                                                              Those accusations were very naive and superficial lies.
    Thirdly, in the Ministry of the Interior, we have         No one with the least experience in the traditions of
established a National Council for Child Welfare. The         those nomadic and rural communities could believe
Prosecutor General is responsible for dealing with            such erroneous information. Members will recall that
crimes committed in Darfur, for instance, and has             that radio station is simply a source of lies and is used
acted on all allegations since 2003, particularly the         as a tool by the armed groups that reject peace, with its
violations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.      headquarters in the Netherlands. UNAMID visited the
In addition, we have established a commission on the          area and issued a report in November 2014 that refuted
recruitment of children in the Darfur and Blue Nile           the allegations. We wish, therefore, for this newer
provinces. In July 2014, we developed a 10-year plan to       information to be reflected in the Secretary-General’s
promote and protect the rights of the child in the Sudan.     report, because the Secretary-General’s reports to the
                                                              Council must be based on correct, verified information
    Fourthly, in terms of our cooperation with United
                                                              and not on rumours. Furthermore, there is no link
Nations agencies responsible for the rights of the child,
                                                              whatsoever between that information and the mandate
the Sudanese Government, through its Permanent


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of Ms. Zerrougui. The same information appeared              deal with children and armed conflict, based on respect
in the Secretary-General’s report on sexual violence         for national sovereignty and transparency.
(S/2015/203), which was submitted to the Security
                                                                  To conclude, the delegation of the Sudan reasserts
Council in April. That constitutes duplication, because
                                                             its commitment to work with the United Nations
there are two offices presenting separate reports on
                                                             agencies dealing with children and armed conflict, but
the same issue, both of which were submitted to the
                                                             we call for the Secretary-General’s reports to be based
Security Council. So, is that not duplication?
                                                             on verified and true information. They should not use
     There are also contradictions in the report. I am       confusing words with variable geometry. Finally, we
speaking here of paragraph 174. Although there has           call on all information or allegations to be shared with
been no new case of recruitment by the Sudanese Army,        the Permanent Mission to the United Nations of the
the United Nations received reliable reports indicating      country concerned and with the Government before
that the Popular Defence Force was recruiting and using      they are included in the Secretary-General‘s reports
children; however, the Popular Defence Force referred        and submitted to the Council.
to in that paragraph has now become an integral part
                                                                 The President: I now give the floor to the
of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and they assume the
                                                             representative of Georgia.
same responsibility as our armed forces. That has been
the case for years. It is not a new fact. Furthermore,           Mr. Makharoblishvili (Georgia): At the outset,
eyewitnesses suggest that 15- to 17-year-old boys are        allow me to thank the Malaysian presidency for
present in the rapid-response force in Nyala. So our         organizing this open debate on children and armed
question is whether any eyewitness could precisely           conflict, and to further thank Dato Sri Anifah Aman,
determine the age of the individuals participating.          Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, for presiding
According to paragraph 184, schools were damaged             over today’s meeting.
or destroyed. Eight attacks were pointed out. But the
                                                                 Let me also thank Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretaryreport does not detail where those alleged incidents
                                                             General of the United Nations, Ms. Leila Zerrougui,
took place, or whether they were carried out by rebel
                                                             Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
groups with which members are familiar and which
                                                             Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Yoka Brandt, Deputy
were described in detail in the Secretary-General’s
                                                             Executive Director of UNICEF, and Ms. Eunice Apio,
latest report on Darfur (S/2015/378).
                                                             Director of the Facilitation for Peace and Development
     In order to adopt a comprehensive approach with         organization, for their comprehensive briefings and
respect to children, we urge that the following measures     thoughtful analyses.
be taken. First of all, we must help countries affected
                                                                 We applaud the efforts of the Malaysian presidency
by conflict put an end to such conflicts, and we must
                                                             on behalf of resolution 2225 (2015) adopted today, of
convince or force rebel forces to lay down their weapons
                                                             which Georgia was a sponsor.
and to participate actively and seriously in the political
settlement process. We must also tackle the underlying            My country fully aligns itself with the statement
causes of the recruitment of children into armed forces      made by the observer of the European Union. I would
and the various root causes that led to the conflicts        like to add a few remarks in my national capacity.
themselves. Secondly, we must deal with causes such as
                                                                  The Secretary-General states in his latest annual
poverty and climate change, we must end the unilateral
                                                             report on the item before us: “There were unprecedented
sanctions against certain countries, we must write off
                                                             challenges in 2014 with regard to the protection of tens
the external debt of developing countries and provide
                                                             of millions of children growing up in situations affected
them with technical assistance, we must ensure capacityby conflict”. (S/2015/409, para.5) To our dismay, that
building in terms of education and health care, and we
                                                             is today’s reality. UNICEF called 2014 “a devastating
must also help such countries to rebuild. Thirdly, it is
                                                             year for children, with as many as 15 million caught
not enough for the rebel groups to sign various plans to
                                                             in conflicts in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, the
combat the recruitment of children. We must condemn
                                                             Central African Republic, and Ukraine”.
the acts of those rebel groups and force them to disarm
and participate in the negotiation process. Fourthly,           We believe that the Council should address this
Governments must be able to take part in all efforts to      important issue more actively and resolutely, because



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we face an ever-increasing trend of violence against        and embankments along the occupation line in the
children in both conflict and non-conflict situations,      Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions significantly affects
including violence committed by non-State actors.           the livelihoods of the local population, including
                                                            those of children. Russian military forces do not allow
    Despite broad understanding of the nature of the
                                                            schoolchildren to cross the occupation line to attend
problem and despite the numerous efforts at the regional
                                                            classes on the territory controlled by the Georgian
and international levels to address them, we have yet to
                                                            Government. On a number of tragic occasions, even
see tangible progress on the ground. Children continue
                                                            people seeking medical care have died en route to the
to be abducted in armed-conflict situations, recruited as
                                                            hospital after being denied passage across the dividing
combatants, and boys and girls continue to fall victim
                                                            line. We fear that the so-called integration treaties
to acts of violence, murder, maiming and arbitrary
                                                            recently signed by the Russian Federation with the
detention committed by parties to conflict across the
                                                            aforementioned Georgian regions will cause further
globe. Boko Haram’s abduction of hundreds of women
                                                            deterioration in the living conditions of the families
and girls in Chibok and the kidnappings in Syria and
                                                            residing inside the occupied territories.
Iraq committed by Daesh are glaring examples of the
types of gross violations to which children are subjected       We once again call on the Russian Federation to
in armed conflicts. The areas controlled by non-State       respect the fundamental principles of international
actors and terrorist groups, as well as territories under   law, including the Charter of the United Nations, the
foreign occupation, are zones of grave risk for children,   Helsinki Final Act and other legal instruments within
with imminent threats to their lives by actors who          the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
operate in total disregard for internationally recognized   Europe, as well as the provisions of the August 2008
legal norms.                                                ceasefire agreement between Georgia and Russia.
    Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that the            We have a common responsibility to strengthen
issue of child protection is of great importance for        our efforts to protect children in armed conflict. We
Georgia. Our Government spares no effort to ensure          need to take concrete and tangible steps to alleviate the
adequate living conditions for children affected            consequences of armed hostilities for new generations
by internal displacement. Such measures include             and safeguard their rights and freedoms. For its part,
expanding social and education assistance programmes        Georgia stands ready to contribute to concerted
and implementing a comprehensive national strategy.         international efforts and to help ensure more effective
Unfortunately, my Government has been deprived of           protection of the population caught up in armed conflict
the opportunity to address the humanitarian needs of        or in post-conflict situations.
children affected by conflict who live in regions that
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
remain under illegal Russian military occupation. We
                                                            representative of Pakistan.
are extremely concerned that fundamental human
rights continue to be violated on a daily basis. That            Mr. Munir (Pakistan): We are honoured by the
becomes especially disturbing considering the absence       presence among us of the Foreign Minister of Malaysia
of international monitoring mechanisms inside the           this morning. We value the remarks by the Secretaryoccupied regions of Georgia. Children residing in           General and the briefing by his Special Representative
the Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions are deprived of         for Children and Armed Conflict.
minimal safeguards for the protection of their rights,
                                                                 During the year under review, existing challenges
as envisioned by the United Nations Convention on the
                                                            of child recruitment and abuse were exacerbated
Rights of the Child.
                                                            by the mass abduction of children from schools and
    The Georgian children living under foreign              communities. Those horrendous and barbarous acts
occupation are being prevented from exercising their        were committed by non-State actors, who use such
fundamental right to education in their mother tongue,      tactics to terrorize societies. It is our hope that the
which is guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and      unanimous adoption today of resolution 2225 (2015)
the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Freedom          will help address the worrying trend of abductions of
of movement is also severely restricted for Georgian        children in situations of armed conflict.
children living under occupation. The intensive
process of the installation of barbed-wire fences


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     Peacekeeping missions, where so mandated, can           report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace
play an important role. To effectively accomplish            Operations on this aspect.
that, they must receive the necessary training and
                                                                 Finally, we would like to stress once again that
the requisite resources. As one of the largest troopthe legal parameters of the mandate of the Working
contributing countries, Pakistan welcomes focused
                                                             Group on Children and Armed Conflict established by
pre-deployment and in-mission training in that regard.
                                                             Security Council resolutions must be fully respected.
     It is also important that persistent perpetrators of    Our focus must remain on situations of armed conflict.
violence against children be identified and brought to       In that context, we want to state for the record that
justice through national judicial systems. To that end,      references to Pakistan in the report are not within the
investigative and prosecution capacities should be           purview of the established mandate.
strengthened at all levels.
                                                                 The President: I now give the floor to the
     The year 2014 was a grim one for the hapless            representative of Kuwait.
children of occupied Palestine. The 50-day military
                                                                 Mr. Al-Otaibi (Kuwait): At the outset, I would
invasion of Gaza left 550 Palestinian children dead and
                                                             like to congratulate Malaysia on its presidency of the
more than 4,000 injured. Images of children killed on
                                                             Security Council for this month and to welcome the
a beach in Gaza are still fresh in our minds. Yet they
                                                             convening of this open debate of vital importance for
have conveniently been described as “accidental” by an
                                                             the protection and well-being of children in conflict
Israeli inquiry. The international community could not
                                                             by His Excellency Dato Sri Anifah Aman, Minister for
stop that massacre, and with no accountability in sight,
                                                             Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.
its non-recurrence cannot be guaranteed. Pakistan
is concerned about the selective approach to the                 We deeply appreciate the role played by Malaysia,
listing adopted for this year’s report of the Secretary-     the Chair of the Security Council Working Group on
General on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409).         Children and Armed Conflict. The adoption today of
It amounts to condoning the grave crimes committed           resolution 2225 (2015), which includes abductions as
against Palestinian children. Such an approach not only      an additional violation whereby parties engaging in
damages the credibility of the mandate, it also sets a bad   abduction will be listed in the annexes of the Security
precedent for the future. The international community        Council’s annual report, is a step forward towards
must not shy away from listing those involved in grave       ending this grave violation committed against children
crimes against children in situations of armed conflict.     in contravention of international law.
     The recruitment and use of children in conflict is a        I have the honour to deliver the following statement
horrendous crime. The Security Council’s efforts over        on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
the past 16 years have produced significant results.         (OIC), in my capacity as Chair of the OIC Group.
The commendable work done by the Working Group
                                                                 The OIC Group has carefully reviewed the report of
on Children and Armed Conflict, which Malaysia
                                                             the Secretary General on children and armed conflict
currently chairs, and the Special Representative of the
                                                             (S/2015/409). We would like to express our profound
Secretary-General’s Children, Not Soldiers campaign,
                                                             appreciation for the efforts made in the preparation of
have also greatly helped. Thousands of children have
                                                             the report and the role played by Ms. Leila Zerrougui,
been demobilized, rehabilitated and reintegrated into
                                                             Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
society. Yet the job is far from accomplished. We have
                                                             Children and Armed Conflict, in identifying the
to redouble our efforts to fully achieve its goals by the
                                                             cases that fall within the scope of her mandate. They
target date of 2016.
                                                             highlight the situations of children growing up in areas
    The scourge of child recruitment and other grave         affected by conflict, in particular, as mentioned in the
crimes against children cannot be fully countered            report, those children in several countries affected by
without addressing the root causes of armed conflict.        major crises — Israel, the State of Palestine, the Central
Conflict resolution and conflict prevention must             African Republic, Syria, South Sudan, Iraq and Nigeria.
receive due attention from the Security Council and the
                                                                 Despite all that, the report excludes Israel from
international community. We welcome the focus of the
                                                             its annexes of parties committing grave violations
                                                             against children in armed conflict, which, regrettably,


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contradicts the legitimate recommendation of the             scores of Palestinian children have been experiencing
impartial and evidence-based report, naming Israel           at an alarming rate.
as a grave violator of children’s human rights. Such a
                                                                  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation reiterates
decision will not only put United Nations integrity and
                                                             its call on the international community, particularly the
credibility at stake, it also further emboldens Israel, in
                                                             Security Council, to uphold its responsibility to avert
terms of impunity, to continue committing its flagrant
                                                             the deteriorating situation in Palestine and to ensure
and systematic violations of human rights, which have
                                                             justice and protection for the rights of the vulnerable
been persistently carried out with total disrespect
                                                             Palestinian children and the integrity of efforts to
for international law and disregard for the lives and
                                                             provide a political horizon for moving forward. That
rights of the Palestinian people, including children.
                                                             will help to empower the Palestinian people to regain
The Group is therefore deeply disappointed by that
                                                             their inalienable rights and provide hope, at a time
deplorable decision.
                                                             of widespread desperation, to the new generations of
     The OIC believes that the 2015 annual report on         Palestinians that their legitimate aspirations to a future
children and armed conflict, prepared by Ms. Leila           free of abuse and violence will be achieved.
Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-The OIC Group expresses its profound concern
General for Children and Armed Conflict, constitutes
                                                             with regard to the negative impact of armed conflict on
a credible instrument, among other documents, for
                                                             children, including the recruitment and use of children
identifying and illustrating Israel’s innumerable
                                                             in conflict, mass abductions of children, sexual violence
violations, perpetrated mainly against Palestinian
                                                             committed against them, their killing and maiming and
children. In that regard, the OIC reaffirms the need
                                                             attacks on schools and hospitals committed by various
for it to remain committed to the substantive mandate
                                                             actors. The international community should respond to
of the United Nations Office and to serve as a leading
                                                             threats to peace and security in full compliance with
United Nations advocate for strengthening the rule
                                                             international humanitarian and human rights law.
of law and ensuring the protection and well-being of
children, as enshrined in international conventions and          In that regard, we greatly value the Special
human rights standards.                                      Representative’s initiatives to include child-protection
                                                             provisions in peace negotiations and agreements, and
    In the meantime, the OIC shares concerns over the
                                                             her “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign aimed at ending
continuing crimes committed by Israel, the occupying
                                                             and preventing the recruitment and use of children by
Power, against the Palestinian people, including
                                                             the end of 2016. We welcome Chad’s full compliance
children, who have been enduring severe violations that
                                                             with the measures detailed in its action plan as the first
are not limited merely to murder, arrest, interrogation
                                                             country to be delisted from the annexes to last year’s
and torture, but include the destruction of their
                                                             Secretary-General’s report (see S/2014/339, para. 217).
education, recreation and health facilities, among other
things.                                                          In conclusion, although wars and armed conflict
                                                             affect society as a whole — men, women and children
     There is no need to recall that the human rights
                                                             alike — children are the most vulnerable and the most
indicators for Palestinian children, who compose 53 per
                                                             in need of our protection; they are the hope of the future.
cent of the total population, have deteriorated sharply
as a result of the latest Israeli military offensive — in        The President: I now give the floor to the
summer 2014 — which left more than 550 children              representative of Cambodia.
dead and 3,370 injured, more than 1,000 of whom were
                                                                 Mr. Tuy (Cambodia): Allow me to express my
left permanently disabled, as well as at least 370,000
                                                             congratulations to Malaysia on assuming the presidency
children, according to reports of the Office for the
                                                             of the Council this month and to thank it for having
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who require
                                                             organized this very important meeting. My delegation
specialized psychological support. Furthermore, the
                                                             would also like to thank the Secretary-General for the
devastating impact of Israel’s restrictions on movement
                                                             preparation of the annual report on children and armed
by way of checkpoints, the apartheid wall and the
                                                             conflict (S/2015/409) and his tireless efforts in working
ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip have worsened the
                                                             to improve the situation of children worldwide.
rising poverty, isolation, despair and deprivation that



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    Before I deliver my national statement, I should say    experiencing the physical and psychological trauma of
that my delegation would like to associate itself with      armed conflict.
the statement made by the Permanent Representative
                                                                In that light, I reiterate my delegation’s longstanding
of Viet Nam on behalf of the Association of Southeast
                                                            position that in order to protect children from violence,
Asian Nations.
                                                            slavery and the everyday horrors of war, we must
     We share the concerns expressed by many                address the deep-rooted causes of conflict. Conflict
delegations about the difficult situation that millions     prevention is a prerequisite for sustainable peace and
of children face as a result of armed conflicts, and we     respect for human rights. Poverty, discrimination,
would like to emphasize the importance of the debate        lack of education, social exclusion and inequality only
for children who are victims of non-State armed groups.     perpetuate the cycle of violence.
Violence against children and attacks on their welfare
                                                                Preventing the use of children in armed conflict
are on the rise globally and are well documented.
                                                            can be achieved only through the creation of adequate
Abductions, rape, torture, slavery, attacks on schools
                                                            social, political and economic conditions worldwide. We
and the use of children as combatants, suicide bombers
                                                            must take careful note of that, because no sustainable
and executioners cannot be tolerated by the international
                                                            development agenda can be successfully applied
community.
                                                            without first securing a safe and prosperous future for
     Cambodia strongly condemns all forms of violence       our children.
perpetrated against children. My delegation is deeply
                                                                In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the
concerned about the increasing trend of abductions of
                                                            Royal Government of Cambodia is resolved to protect
children by non-State armed groups. The Secretarychildren and their rights in situations of armed conflict.
General’s report notes accurately that this practice
                                                            We are committed to working with our global partners,
serves as “a precursor to other violations, such as
                                                            States Members of the United Nations and United
killing and maiming, recruitment and use, or sexual
                                                            Nations agencies in our efforts to end the victimization
violence”; moreover, abduction is used as “a tactic to
                                                            of children by non-State armed groups. It is only
terrorize or target particular ethnic groups or religious
                                                            by working together that we can ensure that future
communities” (S/2015/409, para. 6) The international
                                                            generations of children can live free and in peace.
community must devote close attention to that
disturbing terrorist tactic, which is used to dehumanize,       The President: I now give the floor to the
humiliate and subjugate entire populations, particularly    representative of Turkey.
women and children.
                                                                Mr. Eler (Turkey): I would like to start by thanking
    As a State party to the Convention on the Rights of     the Malaysian presidency for convening this open
the Child and a signatory to its 2000 Optional Protocol     debate on children and armed conflict. We welcome
on the involvement of children in armed conflict,           the adoption earlier today of resolution 2225 (2015), of
Cambodia supports United Nations initiatives aimed at       which Turkey was a sponsor.
protecting children in conflict.
                                                                 As underlined in the report of the Secretary-General
    The primary responsibility for the maintenance of       on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409), the year
international peace and security rests with the United      2014 saw unprecedented challenges for millions of
Nations, and we, as the international community, must       children growing up in countries affected by conflict.
assert the rule of law. We must strengthen existing         The increased momentum achieved by the tireless
legal instruments on the protection of children in          efforts of Special Representative Zerrougui has paved
armed conflict. To that end, we welcome the efforts         the way for tangible progress. The groundbreaking
of the Malaysian delegation to include abduction as         “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, led by her Office,
an additional violation triggering inclusion of a party     deserves unflagging support. Nevertheless, there
within the annexes of the Secretary-General’s reports       remain significant shortcomings in protecting children
on children and armed conflict.                             in armed conflicts that require focused attention from
                                                            the international community.
    Children are the future; they are the future of our
progress and our civilization’s development. Children           Unfortunately, with the changing nature of
deserve to be raised in nurturing environments without      conflicts, acts such as mass abductions, torture and


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sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals,           and punishment of the recruiting activities of terrorist
limited access to even the most basic humanitarian           organizations should be the priority.
requirements and wide-scale displacement have
                                                                 I will refrain from taking up the Council’s valuable
immense and disproportionate effects on children.
                                                             time to respond to certain baseless accusations made
Several of the conflicts we face today in various
                                                             by the representative of the Syrian regime, which we
geographic locations have revealed the increasing
                                                             categorically reject. We are with the Syrian people, and
involvement of non-State armed groups in violating
                                                             we stand by them. Our engagement and assistance take
even the basic rights of children. The appalling crimes
                                                             place in the sight of the international community and
committed by terrorist organizations, such as Daesh
                                                             in close cooperation with international organizations,
and Boko Haram, must be highlighted in that regard.
                                                             including United Nations agencies.
     Moreover, the Secretary-General’s report outlines
                                                                 The report of the Secretary-General on children
the dire situation of Palestinian children, who face
                                                             and armed conflict once again revealed the saddening
unacceptable violations that contravene international
                                                             deterioration of the situation of children in Syria, just
law. As many delegations have already expressed
                                                             across our border. In fact, as the crisis enters its fifth
today, in the light of the violations committed against
                                                             year, a generation of young Syrians faces the danger of
Palestinian children, the list contained in the annex of
                                                             being lost to a cycle of violence. I would like to share
the Secretary-General’s report is incomplete without
                                                             some figures with the Council to make the picture
due reference thereto. We agree with the observations
                                                             clear for all of us. According to UNICEF, 7.3 million
highlighted in the statement recently delivered by the
                                                             children are directly affected by the conflict in Syria.
representative of Kuwait on behalf of the Organization
                                                             Of those, 3.5 million have become internally displaced
of Islamic Cooperation.
                                                             persons, and 5.9 million children inside Syria need aid.
    A display of joint and robust political determination,   Moreover, 3.5 million children are out of school owing
as well as concerted action, is our most crucial tool for    to the conflict. There are 323,000 children below the
addressing the issue of children and armed conflict.         age of 5 who are either under siege or in locations that
The efforts of the United Nations to provide essential       are very difficult to reach. In addition, 2 million Syrian
assistance to children, as well as monitoring and            children have fled to neighbouring countries.
reporting functions that facilitate better planning,
                                                                  Despite all of the challenges, Turkey has pursued
protection and response, should be supported. The
                                                             an open-door policy for Syrians fleeing their country
continued implementation of the Secretary-General’s
                                                             without any discrimination based on religion or ethnic
zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse
                                                             origin. Approximately 260,000 Syrians are being
by United Nations peacekeeping operations remains
                                                             accommodated in 25 temporary protection centres
crucial. Furthermore, the decision to include parties
                                                             in Turkey. In addition, more than 1.5 million Syrians
that engage in patterns of abduction of children in
                                                             continue to live outside those centres in various cities
situations of armed conflict in the annexes to the report
                                                             in Turkey. We cannot overemphasize the fact that
of the Secretary-General sends a strong message to
                                                             children are among the most vulnerable groups in this
those who perpetrate such unacceptable acts.
                                                             crisis situation. We are extending every possible form
     As we try to identify tools that we can use to put      of help to meet the growing needs of Syrian children,
pressure on non-State armed groups to prevent any            especially in the fields of education and health care.
recruitment or use of children on their part, we should      There are more than 550,000 school-age Syrian
bear in mind that signing documents with such actors         children in Turkey. Around 70,000 are being educated
can lead to exploitation of the issue and encourage          in classrooms at temporary protection centres. Outside
them to use such documents as a means of propaganda          those centres are almost 480,000 children who need
in order to claim legitimacy. We therefore believe that      education. Emphasis needs to be placed on creating
all international organizations and non-governmental         more classrooms and education opportunities for those
organizations should refrain from drawing up any kind        children, with the help of the international community.
of document, including in the form of so-called deeds
                                                                 The most recent clashes in and around Tel Abyad,
of commitment, with terrorist organizations. Instead,
                                                             which is situated right across from our Akçakale
reinforcing the legal framework for the prevention
                                                             border crossing, are a source of grave concern. They



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have triggered a new influx of displaced people into          a dialogue with the listed parties on the development of
Turkey. The forced displacement of the Arab and               concrete, time-bound action plans to halt and prevent
Turkoman populations of the northern regions of Syria         violations against children.
is unacceptable and is bound to further deepen the crisis
                                                                   According to the report, Israel is believed to have
in Syria. In fact, we informed the Security Council and
                                                              been involved in three of the six grave violations by
the Secretary-General of the situation in a letter dated
                                                              killing Palestinian children, targeting schools and
14 June.
                                                              hospitals, and denying humanitarian access to the
    In conclusion, I would like to underline Turkey’s         Palestinian people. However, Israel was not listed in
unwavering support for all international and regional         the annexes to the report. According to another report
efforts related to the protection of children.                (S/2014/650) of the Secretary-General, on the peaceful
                                                              settlement of the question of Palestine, at least 2,104
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                              Palestinians have reportedly been killed, including
representative of Egypt.
                                                              at least 495 children. In that context, we are against
    Mr. Aboulatta (Egypt): At the outset, I would like        preferential treatment being granted to any party,
to congratulate Malaysia on assuming the presidency           since that would constitute an apparent case of double
of the Security Council for this month, and I align           standards. In that regard, Egypt calls on the Secretariat
Egypt’s statement with that delivered by the Permanent        to rectify that deficiency in the next report.
Representative of Kuwait on behalf of the Organization
                                                                  This year, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of
of Islamic Cooperation. We take note of the report of
                                                              resolution 1612 (2005) and the first anniversary of the
the Secretary-General (S/2015/409) and commend
                                                              “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, we should fulfil
Ms. Leila Zerrougui for a job well done in preparing
                                                              our commitments to protecting innocent children in
the report. We also congratulate Chad on having been
                                                              armed conflicts and refrain from any action that could
delisted from the 2014 report and on its full compliance
                                                              exacerbate their suffering.
with its action plan. We call on the parties currently on
the list to exert greater efforts to ensure their delisting       The President: I now give the floor to the
from the coming report.                                       representative of Zimbabwe.
     The Security Council’s resolutions provide the               Mr. Shava (Zimbabwe): I have the honour to speak
United Nations and the international community with           on behalf of the 15 States members of the Southern
tools for effectively addressing the six grave violations     African Development Community (SADC).
against children in armed conflict, starting with the
                                                                  Allow me to welcome and thank the Minister for
Secretary-General’s annual report on children and
                                                              Foreign Affairs of Malaysia for presiding over this
armed conflict and ending with the creation of the
                                                              important debate. I also wish to express gratitude
Security Council’s Working Group on Children and
                                                              to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; the Special
Armed Conflict. Despite the pivotal role those tools
                                                              Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,
play in protecting children in armed conflict and ending
                                                              Ms. Leila Zerrougui; and other briefers for their
the impunity of perpetrators, there are some persistent
                                                              invaluable presentations this morning.
challenges to their achievement of their full potential
in that task.                                                      This debate comes at a critical time in the
                                                              maintenance of international peace and security, with
    This year’s report succeeded in enlightening us
                                                              the current upsurge in violence attributed largely to
with regard to the heinous violations committed against
                                                              non-State actors. Tens of thousands of children have not
children all over the world, including those committed
                                                              only been displaced and separated from their families
in Syria, Iraq and Africa by terrorist groups such as
                                                              but also recruited, maimed, killed or forced to kill.
Daesh, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and
                                                              The horrific videos released by the Islamic State in
Boko Haram. Regrettably, however, it failed to make its
                                                              Iraq and Sham (ISIS) showing a young boy executing
annexes fully reflective of the facts stated in the report.
                                                              a captive and a teenage suicide bomber bear testimony
According to the mandate given to the Secretaryto the extent of the grave violations committed against
General, any party that commits one or more of the
                                                              children who are forced to commit despicable acts of
six violations against children should be listed in the
                                                              violence.
annexes to the report. The aim of that listing is to start


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     As we mark the tenth anniversary of resolution          emerging challenges emanating from the proliferation
1612 (2005), which established the Working Group             of armed gangs and extremist groups. An example of
on Children and Armed Conflict, this debate is a             this cooperation is the joint action taken by the United
significant step in assessing the progress achieved so       Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the
far on combating grave violations against children           Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Government
in situations of armed conflict. This year also marks        of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in freeing
the first anniversary of the Children, Not Soldiers          child soldiers from the grip of armed groups. In South
campaign, which was launched in March 2014 by the            Sudan, the Democratic Movement/Army-Cobra Faction
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for          has released 1,757 children since January 2015 to
Children and Armed Conflict along with UNICEF,               UNICEF and its partners.
which is aimed at preventing the recruitment and
                                                                  While significant progress has been made in
use of children in armed conflict. SADC believes
                                                             achieving child-free Government armed forces, it must
that the campaign’s primary goal of achieving childbe noted that Governments are not the only recruiters
free Government armed forces in conflict by 2016 is
                                                             of children. The current increase in the proliferation
attainable.
                                                             of non-State armed groups poses a great threat to the
     A significant number of children affected by            protection of children. The heinous acts committed
conflict live on the African continent. In an effort         by Boko Haram and ISIS highlight the increasing
to protect children affected by armed conflict, the          violence perpetrated through abductions, killings and
African Union has ensured that child-protection              the instilling and perpetuating of extremist ideology in
concerns are central elements of the peace and security      societies through indoctrination.
of the continent. Strengthening cooperation among its
                                                                 Recruitment is not the only danger to which children
member States and subregional organizations with a
                                                             are exposed. Violations and abuses against children in
view to improving child protection remains a priority
                                                             armed conflict take many other forms, including sexual
of the African Union. The African Charter on the
                                                             slavery, human trafficking and involvement in suicide
Rights and Welfare of the Child, which came into force
                                                             bombings.
in November 1999, addresses the issue of child soldiers.
In its article 22.2, it states that:                             SADC strongly condemns attacks on schools
                                                             and hospitals, which deprive children of the right to
        “States Parties to the present Charter shall
                                                             education and health. Those who commit atrocities
    take all necessary measures to ensure that no child
                                                             against children must be held accountable for their
    shall take a direct part in hostilities and refrain in
                                                             actions. Children’s rights to education and health must
    particular from recruiting any child”.
                                                             be guaranteed, and the Security Council must condemn
     At the subregional level, most SADC member              equally firmly such violations, wherever in the world
States have signed and ratified international child-         they occur. We must redouble our efforts to protect
rights-protection instruments and have enacted various       children and to respect their rights in time of war as
legislative measures to give effect to them. The             in time of peace. The international community must
provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child      confront decisively the devastating impact of armed
and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children     conflicts on children in the many regions of the world
in armed conflict and other instruments provide us with      where they are occurring. In this context, the whole
guidelines on how to address the protection of children      range of tools available should be used to exert pressure
in armed conflict. SADC believes that strengthening          on both States and non-State armed groups in order to
the cooperation between the United Nations and               end and prevent grave violations of children’s rights in
regional organizations would enhance the protection of       situations of conflict.
children in armed conflict.
                                                                 SADC also believes that in order to end and
    As the African continent and its subregions              prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed
continue to play important and significant roles in          conflict, the United Nations and regional organizations
the continent’s mediation, conflict-resolution and           should secure a commitment from parties to conflicts
peacebuilding processes, it is imperative to make that       to promote child protection in the context of political
partnership stronger in order to confront the complex        dialogue during peace talks. Mainstreaming the



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protection of children’s rights in final peace agreements    report (S/2015/409) on children and armed conflict
would go a long way towards promoting children’s             provides a horror list of the forms of violence to which
rights.                                                      children were subjected in 2014: they were killed,
                                                             maimed, abducted, enslaved, recruited as soldiers,
    We underscore the need to build local and regional
                                                             displaced, trafficked and sexually abused. We can
capacities, particularly in the judiciary, to deal with
                                                             safely affirm that never in recent memory have so many
perpetrators of violence against children. Holding
                                                             children been subjected to such brutality.
perpetrators accountable helps to prevent impunity for
the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.            It is very important to highlight the issue of the
Accountability requires instituting legal measures to        abduction of children in armed conflict, because it
criminalize violence against children.                       is often the gateway to more serious abuses against
                                                             children and graver violations of international
     In conclusion, SADC wishes once again to
                                                             humanitarian law. The 24 April 2014 abduction of 276
underscore the necessity of conflict prevention and
                                                             schoolgirls by Boko Haram exemplifies the horrors of
the need to tackle its root causes, including the ethnic,
                                                             that specific crime and highlights the added challenges
religious, social and economic factors that facilitate the
                                                             involved in bringing non-State armed and terrorist
recruitment of children by non-State armed groups. The
                                                             groups to justice and into compliance with national
trauma experienced by children during armed conflict
                                                             and international human-rights laws, especially as they
affects them for the long term and can contribute to
                                                             relate to child-protection obligations.
recurring cycles of violence if left unattended. It
is therefore vital to reintegrate and rehabilitate the            There has been progress in combating violence
children in those areas so as to ensure that they receive    against children in armed conflict. The “Children, Not
the medical, psychological, educational and economic         Soldiers” campaign has strengthened the commitment
support they need to rebuild their lives and realize their   of the Governments concerned. The Council has
full potential.                                              focused its efforts and resources on that question
                                                             on numerous occasions. However, the gap between
   The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             legislation and implementation remains very wide and
Permanent Observer of the Holy See.
                                                             the emergence of new challenges requires new tools. My
     Archbishop Auza (Holy See): At the outset, my           delegation therefore believes that we must strengthen
delegation wishes to congratulate Malaysia on its            our response to the crime of abduction and its trail of
presidency of the Council this month and in particular for   further crimes against children in armed conflict. We
scheduling this debate on children and armed conflict.       believe the Council can and must do still more. My
One of the saddest developments in the evolution of          delegation has prepared a five-point recommendation
armed conflict is that increasing numbers of victims         for consideration, and we are pleased that several of its
are civilians. In the early 1900s, approximately 5 per       points are already contained in resolution 2225 (2015),
cent of fatalities were civilians, whereas in the 1990s      which has just been adopted.
the percentage was over 90, including a large children.
                                                                 First, specific child-protection commitments
While a disproportionate number of children are killed
                                                             aimed at the rapid release of children from armed
and injured in conflicts, countless others grow up with
                                                             forces and armed groups should be incorporated into
their material and emotional needs unmet. The entire
                                                             peacebuilding efforts. Accordingly, the Council should
fabric of life and society is torn, as homes, schools,
                                                             consider expanding resolution 1612 (2005) to include
health systems and religious institutions are no longer
                                                             abduction as an additional issue to be specifically
safe from attacks and military operations. Indeed, those
                                                             monitored in peacekeeping operations.
institutions have become frequent targets in armed
conflicts.                                                       Secondly, considering the increase in the number of
                                                             cases of abduction, the Holy See notes with satisfaction
     The year 2014 has been proclaimed the worst ever
                                                             that in accordance with the resolution adopted today,
for children affected by armed conflict. An estimated
                                                             the Security Council requests the Secretary-General to
230 million children currently live in areas affected by
                                                             include, in the annexes to his annual report on children
such conflicts, and new levels of violence have been
                                                             and armed conflict, those parties to conflicts that
inflicted on them through their use as suicide bombers
                                                             engage in the abduction of children.
and human shields. The Secretary-General’s annual


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    Thirdly, the care and rehabilitation of children         their present and future. The protection of children is a
who have been rescued from armed groups must be              serious moral and legal obligation. To protect children
backed by adequate and long-term resources in order          in armed conflict from all forms of violence is to protect
to ensure as far as is possible the children’s successful    our future.
reintegration into their families and into society and
                                                                 The President: I now give the floor to the
that they do not remain hostages to the horrors they
                                                             representative of Montenegro.
have survived.
                                                                 Mr. Perović (Montenegro): We thank you,
    Fourthly, putting an end to impunity must be a key
                                                             Mr. President, for having convened today’s debate
part of the healing process, as well as a deterrent for
                                                             on children and armed conflict, and we commend
future potential perpetrators.
                                                             Malaysia’s strong commitment to the issue during its
    Fifthly, the prohibition against using schools,          term on the Council. I would also like to thank today’s
hospitals and other institutions for children for            briefers for their presentations and their important
military purposes and armed attacks must be strictly         work on the issue.
implemented and those practices condemned in the
                                                                 Montenegro aligns itself with the statement
strongest possible terms. The Holy See is therefore
                                                             delivered earlier by the observer of the European
pleased that that too is strongly stated in the resolution
                                                             Union. I would like, however, to highlight some points
adopted today.
                                                             of particular importance to my country.
    I would like to assure the Council that the Holy
                                                                 We are witnessing the dramatic consequences
See and the Catholic Church, in general, have been
                                                             of the violence affecting 230 million children in the
and continue to be actively engaged in providing
                                                             world owing to the evolving character of contemporary
specialized support to child victims, including many
                                                             conflicts. Heinous crimes are being committed, with
forms of trauma-healing services and reconciliation
                                                             an alarming rise in abductions, especially the mass
with families. I wish to mention, in particular, the
                                                             abductions of children that have taken place in Syria,
Saint Monica’s Centre in Gulu, Uganda, which has
                                                             Iraq, Nigeria and South Sudan. The issue of children
dedicated itself for many years to the rehabilitation of
                                                             and armed conflict is a global one that requires an
child victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army; there are
                                                             urgent and collective response, and the adoption of
many similar institutions in the Democratic Republic
                                                             today’s resolution 2225 (2015) is a step forward in
of the Congo, as well. Numerous initiatives have been
                                                             advancing the agenda of children and armed conflict.
launched to raise public awareness of this plague and
help child victims reunite with their families.                   This year marks the first anniversary of the
                                                             “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign, which is aimed
     In areas of armed conflict, we have noted that
                                                             at ending the recruitment and use of children by
faith communities have demonstrated that they are
                                                             Government armed forces in conflict by 2016. That is an
an essential element in the recovery and reintegration
                                                             ambitious undertaking that requires working together
of child victims into normal life. In addition, faith
                                                             and sharing our expertise and resources in order to end
communities are a key part of an early-warning system
                                                             child recruitment in the next two years. The example
for preventing abductions.
                                                             of Chad proves that action plans can work. We call on
    Horrendous as they are, the crimes committed             all parties, States and non-State actors that have not
against children in armed conflict are but one               concluded action plans to follow the example of Chad,
manifestation of a violent world. We must combat all         and we call on those that have signed to honour their
forms of violence, especially those that breed crimes        commitments in full. In that regard, we would like to
against children in armed conflict, and we must not          stress that Member States must enable United Nations
cease to foster an education that promotes peaceful and      personnel to gain access to areas controlled by armed
harmonious co-existence among peoples.                       non-State actors in order to end violations there, as well
                                                             as to conclude and implement action plans.
    The Holy See therefore exhorts the international
community and the Council, in particular, to engage in           We see the increasing and worrying trend of attacks
more vigorous diplomacy in order to put an end to all        on schools and their use for military purposes, as well
the situations of violence that rob so many children of      as the abduction and detention of children, which we



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find alarming. At the same time, we must be aware              also aligns itself with the statement delivered by the
that the consequences of such attacks go beyond the            Permanent Representative of Viet Nam on behalf of the
destruction of schools. They concern the future of an          Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
entire generation, a future without hope that will only
                                                                   My delegation fully shares the international
sow the seeds of further conflict. We therefore welcome
                                                               community’s concern regarding the increase in the
the emphasis in resolution 2143 (2014) on concerns
                                                               number of grave violations committed against children
regarding the military use of schools, and would like
                                                               in armed conflicts in many parts of the world. The
to take this opportunity to call on all parties to armed
                                                               decision to focus today on the abduction of children is
conflict to refrain from such use. In that regard, we
                                                               also very timely and relevant, since we are witnessing
also welcome the adoption today of resolution 2225
                                                               a disturbing new trend in abductions, used mainly
(2015) and the addition of abduction as a new trigger
                                                               by non-State actors for their purposes. There is no
for the listing of parties to conflict in the annexes to
                                                               doubt that in an insecure environment children are
the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed
                                                               most vulnerable to the serious consequences of armed
conflict (see S/2015/409). Such addition will enhance
                                                               conflicts.
our ability to hold perpetrators to account.
                                                                   Myanmar has always fully supported the search
    More, however, needs to be done. The International
                                                               for a sustainable solution able to protect innocent
Criminal Court (ICC) and national judicial authorities
                                                               children from the effects of armed conflicts. We have
have an important role to play in responding to
                                                               also supported the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign,
violations as they occur. It is also vital that the Security
                                                               launched last year to end the recruitment and use of
Council make use whenever possible of the option of
                                                               children by Government armed forces by 2016. We are
referring situations to the ICC, and that the Working
                                                               encouraged by the steady progress made in the first
Group on Children and Armed Conflict should further
                                                               year of the campaign. Six of the seven countries that
consider means of increasing pressure on persistent
                                                               continue to recruit and use children have cooperated
perpetrators of human rights violations and putting an
                                                               with the United Nations by signing and recommitting
end to impunity.
                                                               to action plans to end and prevent such recruitment.
    With regard to United Nations peacekeeping                 The Security Council must therefore take a cooperative
and political missions and the indispensable role              rather than a punitive approach to this sensitive issue
they play, Montenegro would like to advocate for the           in the case of the parties cooperating with the United
incorporation of a strong child-protection component           Nations.
in the missions’ mandates. Such incorporation would
                                                                    My own country, Myanmar, is indeed one of the
require that peacekeepers and military and security
                                                               countries actively engaging with the United Nations to
personnel receive specialized pre-deployment training
                                                               address the matter. Since our action plan was signed in
on child protection.
                                                               June 2012, Myanmar has honoured its commitments by
    Montenegro remains committed to our noble joint            taking a series of measures in regular consultation with
objectives and to rising to the challenge of providing         the United Nations country task force on monitoring and
the world’s children with a safer future.                      reporting and the central committee for the prevention
                                                               of the military recruitment of underage children of
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                               the Ministry of Defence of Myanmar. The action plan
representative of Myanmar.
                                                               has been extended twice, each time for six months.
     Mr. Lwin (Myanmar): Our delegation would like             Over 35 monitoring visits to regional commands and
to congratulate Malaysia on its assumption of the              regiments have been conducted. Nationwide awarenesspresidency of the Security Council and the chairmanship        raising campaigns to combat the recruitment and use of
of the Council’s Working Group on Children and Armed           minors have been launched. Over 12,000 members of
Conflict. We would also like to express our appreciation       the armed forces have received training on the action
to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban               plan. Almost all of the steps outlined in the plan,
Ki-moon, for his opening remarks. We also thank                including the issuance of orders prohibiting underage
Ms. Leila Zerrougui, the Secretary-General’s Special           recruitment, the verification of ages, the identification
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and            and release of underage recruits, their reintegration
the other briefers for their presentations. Myanmar            into society and the punishment of offenders, have


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been taken. The increase in the number of complaints         recruitment and use of children in the Government
can be attributed to such factors as growing awareness,      armed forces by 2016.
greater freedom of expression and the repeated filing of
                                                                  The President: I now give the floor to His
similar complaints. The recruitment of children under
                                                             Excellency Mr. Ahmed Fathalla, Permanent Observer
18 is strictly prohibited under the existing regulations.
                                                             of the League of Arab States to the United Nations.
Any such complaints would relate to crimes perpetrated
by individuals rather than to the policy of the armed           Mr. Fathalla (League of Arab States) (spoke in
forces.                                                      Arabic): To begin with, I would like to congratulate the
                                                             Republic of Malaysia on its presidency of the Security
     Some of the information in the Secretary-General’s
                                                             Council for this month. We wish Malaysia every success
report on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409) has
                                                             and are grateful for its convening of this important
been overtaken by recent developments in Myanmar.
                                                             meeting on the topic of children and armed conflict.
On 4 June, the Government armed forces discharged
a further 51 children from military service after                I would also like to take this opportunity to thank
verification of their ages. Since the action plan was        the Secretary-General for his report, contained in
signed in 2012, a total of 645 underage children have        document S/2015/409, which the League of Arab States
been discharged from military service and have been          considers extremely important. However, we would
reunited with their families. In accordance with the Joint   have wished the report to be clearer in naming those
Strategy for the Elimination of Forced Labour, signed        responsible for grave violations against Palestinian
by Myanmar and the International Labour Organization         children in its annexes. We hope that today’s meeting
(ILO), a directive criminalizing forced recruitments         can help to produce a comprehensive vision for
has been issued. A total of 327 perpetrators, including      strengthening efforts to protect children during armed
50 officers and 277 other ranks, have been punished          conflict, and, most importantly, to ensure that they are
for the wrongful recruitment of minors. Since June           not forced to participate in conflicts, whether as part of
last year, recruitment centres rather than infantry units    regular Government armed forces or non-State armed
have been solely responsible for recruitment, and more       groups.
supporting personal documentation has been required
                                                                  Our region has found itself in exceptional
of new recruits so that their age can be verified and
                                                             circumstances in recent years, with many children in
forgery prevented. The Supplementary Understanding
                                                             Arab States, particularly Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Libya
signed by Myanmar and the ILO has also effectively
                                                             and Yemen, living in very difficult conditions. That
prevented action against underage recruits as deserters
                                                             has made the members of the League of Arab States
from the armed forces.
                                                             more determined than ever to continue to take the
    My delegation would like to thank the Secretary-         route of implementing international agreements and
General and his Special Representative for Children          instruments concerning children and preventing any
and Armed Conflict for rightly reflecting in his report      form of violence against them. The League believes we
some of the positive measures taken by Myanmar. At           must protect children in armed conflict and is therefore
the same time, the Government has been making every          actively working to improve its cooperation with the
effort to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement with the     Office of the Special Representative of the Secretaryethnic armed groups to end the conflicts in the country,     General for Children and Armed Conflict. To that end,
which have lasted over six decades. The ending of            the Secretaries-General of the League and the United
armed conflicts will eradicate the suffering caused by       Nations signed a cooperation agreement on the margins
violence against innocent children.                          of the high-level segment of the General Assembly at
                                                             its sixty-ninth session, resulting in a plan of action that
    In conclusion, my delegation is also pleased to
                                                             includes programmes and activities aimed at protecting
inform the Security Council that an invitation has
                                                             children affected by conflict and strengthening their
been extended to Ms. Leila Zerrougui, the Secretaryrights. The activities include a high-level forum to be
General’s Special Representative, to visit Myanmar and
                                                             held on the margins of the Arab Summit scheduled for
hold consultations for the further advancement of the
                                                             March 2016. At that time we will launch a comprehensive
work plan. We are looking forward to welcoming her
                                                             Arab strategy for protecting children affected by armed
to Myanmar soon, so that we can remove the remaining
                                                             conflict and reintegrating them into society.
obstacles to reaching the common goal of ending the


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     I would like to shed some light on various facts       non-State actors. We must stand together to face this
cited in the Secretary-General’s report relating to         danger to international peace and security, and that is
grave violations against Palestinian children living        the primary responsibility of the Security Council.
under Israeli occupation. First, the percentage of deaths
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
among Palestinian children is the third highest in the
                                                            representative of Botswana.
world; an average of 10 Palestinian children are killed
every day, and more than 1.8 million Palestinians in            Ms. Mogobe (Botswana): I would like to
Gaza are suffering under occupation and have been           congratulate you, Mr. President, on Malaysia’s
collectively punished as a result of the blockade           assumption of the presidency of the Security Council,
imposed on Gaza since 2007. That has harmed the             and to offer our continued support for the Council’s
more than 80 per cent of families in Gaza that rely on      work.
humanitarian assistance, on top of the destruction in
                                                                Botswana aligns itself with the statement delivered
2014 of at least 543 Palestinian schools. All of that has
                                                            a short while ago by the representative of Zimbabwe
an impact on Palestinian children and on the possibility
                                                            on behalf of the Southern African Development
that they can be nurtured and grow to be good citizens
                                                            Community.
in a safe society.
                                                                My delegation is grateful to you, Mr. President, for
     Concerning the situation of children in Gaza, there
                                                            organizing this important and highly relevant debate,
must be serious and sincere efforts made to rebuild the
                                                            which comes at a critical juncture in our history, as
Gaza Strip and guarantee children their basic right to
                                                            violent conflict continues to escalate at unprecedented
live in dignity and safety. There must be accountability
                                                            speed across the regions of the world. We are also
for crimes and grave violations of international
                                                            grateful for the panelists’ insightful briefings today,
humanitarian law. Children need to be able to live
                                                            which have given us the opportunity to more fully
in dignity and safety, and when we talk about grave
                                                            appreciate the risks and dangers faced by children
violations of international humanitarian and humanaffected by armed conflict. Those conflicts have also
rights law, we are also talking about violations of the
                                                            taken on an alarmingly insidious character, increasingly
four Geneva Conventions and the other international
                                                            targeting innocent civilians and subjecting them to
instruments that guarantee the safety and security of
                                                            unspeakable acts of terror and an assortment of types
peoples living under occupation.
                                                            of exploitation and abuse. The rise in non-State actors
     In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm the support    involved in such conflicts further complicates their
of the League of Arab States for the work of Ms. Leila      already complex nature.
Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-The threat to international peace and security
General for Children and Armed Conflict, regarding
                                                            posed by those developments is as real today as it ever
the promotion and protection of the rights of children
                                                            was, and it requires that the Council act urgently and
affected by such conflict. The League supports the
                                                            decisively to address it. Chief among the Council’s
“Children, Not Soldiers” campaign launched last year
                                                            objectives as it does so must be ensuring the protection
by Ms. Zerrougui with a view to ending by 2016 the
                                                            and promotion of the rights of children everywhere,
recruitment and use of children by any Government
                                                            including in armed conflict, and to enable the creation
armed forces, and we are working and cooperating
                                                            of an environment conducive to effective and timely
with the United Nations to persuade three Arab States
                                                            responses to the unparalleled humanitarian crises we
to respond positively to the campaign, leaving all
                                                            are seeing in many parts of the world.
Arab States free of that dangerous phenomenon as
well as of children’s participation in wars and armed           We have taken solemn note of the Secretaryconflict. We welcome the efforts being made to end          General’s latest report on this subject (S/2015/409),
child recruitment by Government forces and we are           which highlights the fact that children affected by
establishing various frameworks for cooperation in          major crises are being exposed to the most shocking
achieving that noble goal. However, we should also          kinds of violations. Botswana is deeply concerned
focus on the violations committed by non-State armed        about the gravity of such evolving violations against
groups against children, since most of the parties listed   children, including abductions, which have been
in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s report are        occurring recently at a startling rate. The report shows



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that whereas in the past mass abductions of civilians,       issue. We are also encouraged by the full Council
including children in conflict situations, were largely      support for resolution 2225 (2015), adopted earlier
a means to an end, today they are also an end in             today, which we hope will also help address the issue.
themselves, with the prime objective of inflicting terror.
                                                                  In conclusion, Botswana wishes to reaffirm its
     It is altogether unacceptable that children are         commitment to all the international conventions to
employed as mere tools or objects in war and terror. They    which we are party that protect the rights of children as
are being robbed of their innocence and their childhood      well as those calling for accountability for perpetrators
by being forcibly removed from their communities,            of gross human rights violations. It is clear that in
recruited into armies to maim and kill — and often           some States where major conflicts and crises continue
maimed and killed themselves — made into human               to rage, the authorities have manifestly failed in
bombs and shields, exposed to sexual violence and            their responsibility to protect civilian populations.
other traumatic forms of exploitation and unlawfully         It is therefore my country’s view that the onus and
detained on suspicion of identifying with this or that       responsibility for acting lies squarely with the Council
group. Needless to say, such situations have devastating     and the global community.
consequences for the health and well-being of those
                                                                 The President: I now give the floor to the
children and their families who survive them, as well
                                                             representative of Azerbaijan.
as of society at large. We thus have a moral duty and
obligation, as responsible members of the international          Ms. Mammadova (Azerbaijan): On behalf of
community, to ensure that urgent and radical measures        the delegation of Azerbaijan, I would like to thank
are taken to protect children from such grave violations     the Malaysian presidency for having convened this
of their rights.                                             important and timely debate and for its leadership in
                                                             advancing the issue of child protection in the Council’s
    We must guarantee full protection of children’s
                                                             work. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General for
rights, including their ability to attend school without
                                                             his annual report on children and armed conflict
interruption and to enjoy access to all social services
                                                             (S/2015/409).
that contribute to their development, good health and
well-being so that they can realize their full potential.         Armed conflict and foreign occupation are both
Whatever means the international community finally           the root cause and the result of grave violations against
decides on in pursuit of that noble objective must also      children. The proliferation of non-State armed groups,
ensure the full prosecution and accountability of the        their easy access to armaments and their increased use
perpetrators of such heinous acts. It is also crucial that   of abduction, recruitment and sexual abuse as a tactic of
security personnel, including those in peacekeeping          war have contributed to the rise, intensity and brutality
missions, be held accountable for the violations that        of crises, which have emerged as a common challenge
they commit against the very civilians and children          related to the protection of children.
they have the responsibility to protect. Confidence and
                                                                 Azerbaijan is deeply concerned about the
trust in our troops is a fundamental prerequisite for the
                                                             dramatic increase in the number of child casualties
success of any peacekeeping mission.
                                                             and the disproportionate impact of armed conflicts on
     In this year of the tenth anniversary of resolution     children’s security, safety, health and welfare. We have
1612 (2005), which created a platform for Council            always been consistent in demanding strict observance
members to conduct a continuous assessment of                by the parties to an armed conflict of their obligations
violations against children affected by armed conflict       under international humanitarian and human rights law,
and to ensure the full implementation of initiatives for     in all circumstances. The vulnerability of children in
their protection, we must be able to demonstrate notable     wartime brings an element of urgency, dedication and
progress in that regard and have the unwavering resolve      strong commitment to worldwide protection efforts,
to further consolidate our efforts. Botswana commends        which must be free of selectivity.
the efforts made by the Special Representative of the
                                                                  During the Armenian aggression against my
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,
                                                             country, thousands of Azerbaijani children were
Ms. Leila Zerrougui, together with UNICEF, in
                                                             deprived of their basic rights; thousands of them were
launching a year ago the “Children, Not Soldiers”
                                                             killed and maimed on the basis of ethnic hatred or
campaign, which continues to raise awareness of this


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taken hostage and forcibly displaced from their homes.      problem in a comprehensive manner, with a focus on
Armenia’s continuing denial of those children’s right       the phenomenon of abduction.
to return to their homes has social consequences and
                                                                The President: I now give the floor to the
implications for the possibility of achieving lasting
                                                            representative of Kenya.
peace. Many of the children and their families have
also gone missing, and despite the continued efforts of         Mr. Grignon (Kenya): I thank you, Madam President,
the Government and the International Committee of the       for having convened today’s debate. Kenya welcomes
Red Cross, their fates are still unknown. More than 20      the global importance and priority that the Security
years after the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the     Council and the international community continue
civilian population and facilities of Azerbaijan have       to attach to the protection of children affected by or
remained subject to targeted and indiscriminate attacks     involved in armed conflicts. I also wish to thank the
by the Armenian armed forces.                               Secretary-General for his report (S/2015/409), which
                                                            enumerates the grave violations committed against
     We appreciate the activities of United Nations
                                                            children in armed conflicts, and for impressing on us
mechanisms aimed at ensuring more effective protection
                                                            the urgency of the need for greater protection of our
of the rights of children and improving the situation
                                                            children.
of children affected by armed conflict, pursuant to
resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and           The recruitment of children as weapons of war
2143 (2014), and we welcome the progress made in            underlies larger and more systemic issues that include
that regard, including the “Children, Not Soldiers”         the breakdown of a country’s social fabric and imply
campaign. Particular consideration should be given to       a long-term generational aspect to the conflict and
internally displaced children in terms of ensuring their    the possibility of future mass atrocities. We need to
right to return and the implications of illegal policies    address the root causes of conflict, including political,
in situations of foreign occupation for the protection of   social and economic inequalities. Child protection
children’s rights.                                          should be part and parcel of any strategy for managing
                                                            and preventing conflict. In that regard, we appreciate
    We appreciate and commend the work of the
                                                            the progress being made through the monitoring and
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
                                                            reporting mechanism and the Working Group on
Children and Armed conflict, Ms. Leila Zerrougui. The
                                                            Children and Armed Conflict.
fulfilment of the Special Representative’s mandate with
respect to all situations of armed conflict, including          Kenya is deeply concerned about the fact that
those of a protracted nature, is crucial in that regard.    the number of children being recruited or abducted,
                                                            and even volunteering to take part in armed conflict
     Efforts to achieve peace cannot be conducted in
                                                            throughout the world, has escalated to unprecedented
a manner that contradicts the established norms of
                                                            levels. Child soldiers are engaged in severe conflicts
international law. It is therefore imperative that such
                                                            where there has been evidence of horrific abuse and
efforts and peace agreements should never encourage
                                                            brutal violence. We call on the Security Council to
the acceptance of situations resulting from the unlawful
                                                            address this critical issue as a specific priority concern.
use of force or other serious violations of international
                                                            We note with dismay the current unprecedented
law, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity,
                                                            challenges presented by the protection of children
genocide and ethnic cleansing. Important steps have
                                                            who are growing up in situations affected by conflict.
been taken in a number of situations of armed conflict
                                                            The subjection of children to reprehensible acts of
to achieve accountability for grave violations against
                                                            violence and abuse must move humanity to reimagine
children. However, serious challenges remain. We join
                                                            the responsibility to protect; it is indeed our collective
the call for more resolute efforts to end impunity and
                                                            moral imperative and legal obligation.
find a long-term and sustained solution for eliminating
and preventing illegal practices affecting the rights of        In Kenya, the volatile situations in South Sudan,
children.                                                   Somalia and, more recently, Yemen are of great concern
                                                            and present a clear, persistent and continuing threat to
    I would like to conclude by welcoming the adoption
                                                            our national security. Armed groups such as Al-Shabaab
today of resolution 2225 (2015), which demonstrates
                                                            and Boko Haram continue to be emboldened and will
the Council’s continued determination to address the
                                                            not be defeated or discouraged from abducting and


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recruiting children by engagement and diplomacy alone.           Mr. Mendonça e Moura (Portugal): I would
The Security Council and the international community         like to thank the Malaysian presidency for convening
must intercede to save the world’s future.                   this open debate and thank today’s briefers for their
                                                             presentations.
    Decades of conflict in our region have resulted in
a continued flow of refugees into Kenya. The burden              I would like to offer a special word of thanks to
of hosting nearly 600,000 refugees continues to              Ms. Leila Zerrougui for the work she has been doing to
place great strains on the delivery of social services,      protect children.
particularly in education, health and the provision of
                                                                 Back in 1998, the first ever debate held in the
security. The majority of the refugees are women and
                                                             Security Council on the issue of children in armed
children, including ex-soldiers and children involved in
                                                             conflict was promoted by Portugal. We were then
armed conflict. The world must not continue to permit
                                                             fully convinced, as we remain today, that this issue
children to grow up in refugee camps where they can
                                                             has serious implications for international peace and
hardly survive, let alone thrive. We therefore urge the
                                                             security.
Security Council to spare no effort and to engage robustly
with the African Union and the Inter-Governmental                It is appalling that the minimum standards in respect
Authority on Development (IGAD) in seeking solutions         for human right in times of war are systematically
to end the conflicts in the affected regions. As the world   ignored and violated by both Government forces and
gathers in September for the United Nations summit to        non-State actors. When children, the most vulnerable
adopt the postdevelopment agenda, the concept of       of the vulnerable, continue to be victims of armed
leaving no one behind must be applied to all countries       violence and are killed, injured, abused, abducted
and regions in conflict.                                     and, in some cases, used as soldiers, that represents
                                                             the collapse of the collective value system of the
    Kenya applauds the launch of the “Children, Not
                                                             international community.
Soldiers” campaign by the Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict            The international community must ensure the
and UNICEF for galvanizing the commitments of                application and observance of normative international
eight concerned Governments to end and prevent the           instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the
recruitment and use of children in national security         Child and its Optional Protocols, in particular the one
forces by the end of 2016.                                   on the involvement of children in armed conflict, as
                                                             well as the Geneva Conventions.
     We welcome the Secretary-General’s call to the
Security Council to continue supporting the children             The political and ethical role of the Security
and armed conflict agenda by strengthening provisions        Council is to send a clear message that abuse against
for the protection of children in all relevant mandates of   children is unacceptable and, through its action, to
the United Nations peacekeeping, special political and       combat the sense of impunity on the part of belligerents
peacebuilding missions.                                      responsible for the atrocities and abuses committed
                                                             against children.
     We recognize that the most effective way to
protect children is to prevent the outbreak of armed             As stated in the Secretary-General’s latest report
conflicts and to prevent conflicts from escalating. In       (S/2015/409), 2014 was one of the worst years with
that regard, Kenya is actively involved in seeking ways      respect to the effects of armed conflict on children.
to end conflicts and find sustainable peace through          Children have been disproportionately affected and are
cooperation with IGAD. Kenya has been at the forefront       often direct targets of extreme violence. Abduction in
of initiatives to negotiate for peace in the region. The     particular has become a tactic of war used by extremist
international community must also urgently and               non-State actors to terrorize and control communities,
collectively address effective ways to bring the existing    and it is a first sign of alert for further human rights
conflicts to an end.                                         abuses. Portugal condemns in the most vehement terms
                                                             the abduction of children and calls on all parties to
    The President: I now give the floor to the
                                                             release all abducted children immediately. Portugal
representative of Portugal.
                                                             welcomes today’s adoption of resolution 2225 (2015)
                                                             and the expansion of the list of triggers for listing



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perpetrators in the Secretary-General’s annual report         only, in itself, a fundamental human right, but also an
to include abduction. The resolution represents a             important tool in the fulfilment of other basic rights.
further step in holding perpetrators accountable and
                                                                  Against that backdrop, Portugal also endorsed the
in investigating and prosecuting those responsible for
                                                              Safe Schools Declaration made public at the recent
committing atrocities against children.
                                                              Oslo conference and calls on the parties to adopt
     It is of the utmost importance to recognize the          concrete measures to deter the use of schools during
importance of action to promote the physical and              conflict, including though the use of tools of the Lucens
psychological recovery and social reintegration of            Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities
child victims of conflict. Efforts should include             from Military Use during Armed Conflict.
demobilization and the return of displaced and refugee
                                                                   We cannot remain indifferent to the gross
children. The international community must ensure that
                                                              violations of children’s rights that we are witnessing
adequate resources are devoted to child-rehabilitation
                                                              everywhere. We thank the leadership of Malaysia for
programmes and educational training as an integral part
                                                              its efforts to consolidate the mechanisms at the disposal
of planning for post-conflict situations. In addition, any
                                                              of the Council for addressing one of the most appalling
plans for post-conflict peacebuilding should make the
                                                              scourges of our time.
needs of children a central focus. In that regard, Portugal
supports the inclusion of child-protection provisions             The President: I now give the floor to the
in the mandates of peace operations and mandatory             representative of Australia.
pre-deployment training on child protection for all
                                                                  Ms. Bird (Australia): Thank you, Madam President,
United Nations troop and police contingents. However,
                                                              for convening this important debate. I also thank
before attempting to address the difficult challenge of
                                                              Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Special
reintegration in society, it is fundamental that children
                                                              Representative Leila Zerrougui for their efforts to give
deprived of their liberty for their alleged association
                                                              prominence to the rights and protection of girls and
with extremist groups should be recognized, in the first
                                                              boys affected by armed conflict.
instance, as victims of forcible recruitment who have
been exposed to extreme brutality.                                 The profound interest we all share in protecting
                                                              the world’s most vulnerable citizens, our children, is
     The inadequate provision of education to children
                                                              evidenced by the fact that the Convention on the Rights of
in situations of armed conflict is also a serious problem
                                                              the Child is the most ratified international human rights
that will have consequences in the long term for the
                                                              treaty in history. Yet still, in conflicts today, children
countries concerned. Millions of children are denied
                                                              are consistently victimized and denied their most basic
their right to education because of armed conflict.
                                                              protections. For example, in South Sudan, the future
In his latest report, the Secretary-General notes the
                                                              of a generation of children is being jeopardized by
increasing trend towards the use of schools for military
                                                              worsening fighting and severe food insecurity caused
purposes, as well as attacks on education. We are
                                                              by gross political self-interest. Through resolution 2206
gravely concerned about widespread and deliberate
                                                              (2015), the Security Council established a mechanism
attacks against schools, teachers and students as an
                                                              to impose discipline on the peace talks through the use
instrument of warfare. That is a totally unacceptable
                                                              of targeted sanctions.
situation that needs to be urgently redressed. My
country has regularly introduced a resolution on the              But with no sign that either party is genuinely
realization of the right to education in the Human            committed to peace, the Security Council Committee
Rights Council that was at the origin of the mandate          established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) should
of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education.          immediately list individuals and entities whose actions
That resolution, which my delegation will again present       target civilians in South Sudan, particularly children.
atthe current session of the Human Rights Council,            South Sudan is reliant on its children growing up safely
as well as related initiatives in the General Assembly,       and with hope for the future.
such as the resolution on education in situations of
                                                                  We must do more to compel non-State actors
emergency, which my country also sponsored, are steps
                                                              to live up to their obligations to protect children in
in the right direction in order to guarantee what is not
                                                              conflict situations. In their persistent targeting of
                                                              children, barbarous groups such as Daesh and Boko


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Haram have demonstrated that their actions are bereft        I do not think this subject should have been debated,
of humanity. Both groups have engaged in systematic          but unfortunately there are many places in the world
child abduction — a heinous crime used to humiliate,         where innocent children have become victims of war
suppress and terrorize civilians. Abduction during           and terrorism. It is possible that some of the Missions
armed conflict is a serious breach of the rights of          that have attacked Israel today might have forgotten
children, and the consequences are dire. They can            the meaning of terrorism or perhaps they have become
amount to additional crimes: we know that thousands          included under this term. There are those who do not
of children have been snatched from their families and       know that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Regrettably,
forced to be soldiers, sold as sexual slaves, exploited as   however, some regional and Arab leaders have opted
human shields or as unwitting suicide bombers.               to ignore the evils of terrorism and have focused on
                                                             condemning the State of Israel. Hamas, this terrorist
     It is for those reasons that the Council has listed
                                                             organization, has indiscriminately launched thousands
child abduction among the six grave violations against
                                                             of missiles targeting kindergartens, schools, hospitals
children during armed conflict. As we mark the tenth
                                                             and medical centres. However, these missiles have been
anniversary of resolution 1612 (2005), we welcome
                                                             ignored totally in the report of the Secretary-General
the Council’s decision today to include abductions as
                                                             (S/2015/409). Hamas has opened fire from densely
a trigger for the inclusion of parties into the annexes
                                                             populated areas with one, and only one, aim — to kill
of the Secretary-General’s annual report (S/2015/409).
                                                             innocent civilians, including children.
     Australia commends the work of the Security
                                                                  The Missions that have accused and attacked
Council Working Group on Children and Armed
                                                             Israel know for a fact that Israel accords importance
Conflict. We encourage the Group to engage directly
                                                             to protecting the lives of all persons, regardless of
with peacekeeping mission leadership — as it did for the
                                                             their ethnicity, nationality or race. Israel focuses on
first time last year with the United Nations Mission in
                                                             protecting lives; this has its roots in our traditions and
South Sudan — and to better understand contemporary
                                                             our history. We have not targeted the Palestinians. On
challenges on the ground.
                                                             the contrary, we are sorry for all the harm they suffered
     In United Nations peacekeeping missions, there          during the conflict in Gaza in 2014. It is regrettable,
must be situation-specific training for all peacekeeping     however, that Hamas is sacrificing its people, including
personnel, including military and police, to address the     its children, in order to tarnish the image of the State
full range of grave violations against children, including   of Israel. The Palestinian Authority should have
abductions. The international community must do              condemned Hamas for endangering the lives of the
more to prevent grave violations against children            citizens. However, instead of doing that, it launched
and to end impunity. Condemnation is not enough.             accusations against Israel. Instead of bringing life back
Australia joins others in endorsing Malaysia’s Children      to normal in Gaza, it has chosen terrorism.
in Armed Conflict Accountability Framework as a
                                                                  Let us pray for a time of peace where the children
practical resource that can guide States in introducing
                                                             in Ashdod and Gaza can play in the streets without
accountability measures at the local, national, regional
                                                             fear. But this will not be achieved unless Hamas and
and international levels.
                                                             other armed groups give up war and adopt the option
    As the preamble to the United Nations Declaration        of peace.
of the Rights of the Child states, “Mankind owes to
                                                                  The President: The representative of the Russian
the children the best it has to give”. That is as true in
                                                             Federation has also asked for the floor to make a further
times of conflict as it is in times of peace. We welcome
                                                             statement.
the Security Council’s continued interest in this most
important issue.                                                 Ms. Khvan (Russian Federation) (spoke in
                                                             Russian): In his statement, the representative of
    The President: The representative of Israel has
                                                             Ukraine did not agree with information about the
asked for the floor to make a further statement. I now
                                                             loss of children’s lives in south-eastern Ukraine as a
give her the floor.
                                                             result of firing by the Ukrainian military, and accused
   Ms. Shilo (Israel) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me,           Russia of having done that. In order to avoid the usual
Madam President, to make my statement in Arabic.             accusations of propaganda, let us look at the report



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of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in              It is also out of place to make such statements
Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. One            against Russia as those made by the representative
need only look at recent reports. The report of 6 June       of Georgia. The root of the problem, in that case, is
talks about the mission’s visit to Telmanove, which was      Georgia’s refusal to normalize relations with the newly
shelled by artillery on 4 June. The mission looked at        independent States of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
13 shell traces; seven of them, they concluded, originated
                                                                 The President: The representative of Ukraine has
from the west. They also visited the local hospital,
                                                             asked for the floor to make a further statement. I give
where the deputy head doctor said that the shelling
                                                             him the floor.
had killed a 4-year-old boy in his home. The report of
28 May talks about the artillery shelling of Horlivka            Mr. Yaremenko (Ukraine): I just want to say a few
on 26 May. According to the mission’s assessment, in         words. I do not want to, and I do not have to convince
this case the shells came from the north and north-west.     everybody present about the fact that in Ukraine, we
That is where territory is located that is under Kyiv’s      have been facing Russian aggression for more than a
control. Not only adults but also an 11-year-old girl        year and a half. There is so much evidence that it is
died, and the monitors concluded that she died because       absolutely unnecessary to do so.
of the shelling. Furthermore, on that day two children
                                                                 The only thing that I would like to say to the
were injured, leading to their hospitalization. Mission
                                                             Russian Federation is that if we were not forced to deal
representatives spoke to the children’s mother, who was
                                                             with the Russian aggression, no Ukrainian children
also wounded. These two localities, Telmanove and
                                                             would be harmed. So please, take all of your weapons
Horlivka, are located on territory that is not under the
                                                             and money and all of the militias out of our territory
control of the authorities in Kyiv. We do not think that
                                                             and everything will be absolutely fine.
this information needs to be additionally commented
upon.                                                            The President: The representative of Georgia has
                                                             asked for the floor to make a further statement. I give
     As regards the destruction, a United Nations Office
                                                             him the floor.
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
report stated that in the Luhansk region, which is not             Mr. Kvelashvili (Georgia): I thank the President
under the control of the Ukrainian Government, about         for allowing my delegation to take the floor for a second
60 per cent of schools were damaged and five schools         time. I am responding to the statement by the Russian
destroyed. Nonetheless, according to OCHA the local          Federation, in particular the part of the statement
authorities have managed to ensure that the children are     regarding Georgia. I want to repeat the words just
attending school and receiving food.                         spoken by my Ukrainian colleague. Russia just has to
                                                             do one thing, namely, get out of Georgia and Ukraine.
    On the issue of abductions, the Secretary-General’s
                                                             If it leaves our territories, then everything will be fine.
report (S/2015/409) talks about the horrendous
abduction of hundreds of children by the Islamic State in        As for the so-called normalization of relations
Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram, as well as the physical       with the occupation regime that Russia established
violence against them, their sexual enslavement and the      on Georgian soil in 2008, Russia engaged in a war of
ideological propaganda to which they are subjected.          aggression against Georgia — the same type of war that
Many of the participants in today’s meeting have spoken      we now see in Ukraine. After the war of aggression,
about the importance of putting an end to those crimes.      Russia established an occupation regime. So how can
                                                             we normalize relations with a regime that is part of a
    If the delegation of the Ukraine does not see the
                                                             bigger problem, namely, the Russian Federation itself?
difference between these crimes and removing children
from an area of armed conflict for medical care, then            Let me also go into more detail about the rights
we have nothing more to say.                                 of children under Russian occupation. The Georgian
                                                             children living under Russian occupation are being
    We are convinced that those children who were
                                                             prevented from exercising their fundamental rights. In
seriously injured, or those who needed, for example,
                                                             particular, a Russian curriculum is being imposed on the
dialysis, which is impossible to provide in many areas,
                                                             Georgian schools in the occupied territories. Teachers
do not consider themselves to have been abducted.
                                                             are promised a salary only if they teach according to
                                                             a curriculum approved by the Russian State. Teachers


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that disobey the foreign directives and instruct their       The President: There are no more names inscribed
students in Georgian are subjected to harassment and     on the list of speakers.
prosecution by the occupation regime. That is the
                                                            The meeting rose at 7.35 p.m.
reality on the ground — at least part of the reality.




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Voting Summary
Yes: 015 | No: 000 | Abstentions: 000 | Non-Voting: 000 | Total voting membership: 015
Y ANGOLA
Y CHAD
Y CHILE
Y CHINA
Y FRANCE
Y JORDAN
Y LITHUANIA
Y MALAYSIA
Y NEW ZEALAND
Y NIGERIA
Y RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Y SPAIN
Y UNITED KINGDOM
Y UNITED STATES
Y VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF)