HRC58: A Call to Protect the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict
The 58th Session of the Human Rights Council
24 February - 4 April 2025
Item 3: ID with SRSG on children and armed conflict
12-13 March 2025
By Samantha Rodríguez Santillán / GICJ
Executive Summary
On 12 and 13 March 2025, at its 27th to 29th meetings of the 58th regular session, the Human Rights Council held the interactive dialogue on children and armed conflict with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Virginia Gamba, as part of her annual thematic work on this matter (A/HRC/58/18) [1].
The report, covering the period from December 2023 to December 2024, summarises the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG). It reviews actions taken to address serious violations against children, advocacy efforts, collaboration with international and regional partners, and findings from field visits. It also outlines ongoing challenges, progress achieved, and suggestions to improve child protection in conflict settings.
During the interactive dialogue, delegates have expressed their concern for the increase in children casualties in war and violations of their most fundamental rights. Calls were made in support of the international commitment to protect children from such atrocities, as embodied by the SRSG mandate. Nevertheless, the delegate of the State of Palestine criticised the report for not putting sufficient emphasis on the plight of Palestinian children.
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) expresses a deep alarm and moral outrage at the scale of grave violations occurring with impunity, with particular focus in Palestine, Syria or Yemen. Despite the overwhelming and well-documented nature of these atrocities, we are concerned that the current UN reports fail to appropriately recall the ongoing crimes against humanity against children. We called on the international community to strengthen and fund national child protection systems, including psychosocial support, education, and reintegration programs for children affected by armed conflict.
Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
The UN’s latest annual report on children and armed conflict reveals alarming numbers: nearly 33,000 grave violations against children were verified in 2023. Over 22,000 children were victims of recruitment, killing, maiming, sexual violence, or abduction—mostly in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the DRC, Myanmar, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine, Nigeria, and Sudan. Explosive weapons were a major cause of death and injury, especially in populated areas. Girls were particularly affected by sexual violence and abductions.
In the first half of 2024 alone, more than 18,000 violations were documented, with Sudan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Myanmar among the most affected. The report highlights rising violence, shrinking humanitarian access, and ongoing disregard for children’s rights in conflict zones around the world.
Areas of progress
The SRSG started by focusing on the progress in ending and preventing grave violations against children. She highlighted the operations and initiatives by some of the main countries that faced limited child protection capacity. Their concrete progress was presented as follows:
- Central African Republic: Signed a protocol with the UN in Sept 2024 to ensure children associated with armed forces and groups are transferred to civilian authorities.
- Colombia: Ongoing engagement led to a Constitutional Court ruling prohibiting civil-military activities involving children. The Feb 2024 ceasefire protocol included a ban on the use of children under 15 in any combat-related roles.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: A new military and police code incorporated child protection standards. Three armed groups issued unilateral declarations to end child recruitment. Around 700 children were released from armed groups.
- Haiti: Signed a handover protocol in Jan 2024 for children associated with armed gangs to be transferred to civilian child protection actors.
- Myanmar: Continued implementation of the 2012 action plan with the UN; 83 individuals recruited as children were released after joint case reviews.
- Nigeria: Adopted an implementation plan in Jan 2024 for the 2022 child handover protocol. The Civilian Joint Task Force advanced the 2017 action plan, including training on child protection.
- Philippines: Congress proposed a Magna Carta of Children Act. A national workshop was held in May 2024 to enhance services for conflict-affected children.
- Somalia: Four federal member states approved state-level plans to implement the 2019 roadmap. Around 500 children, including former child soldiers, benefited from reintegration programs.
- South Sudan: Approximately 60 children were released from armed groups and police forces following UN engagement.
- Syria: In June 2024, the UN signed an action plan with the Syrian National Army and affiliated factions. Talks with the government to establish a comprehensive action plan continued.
- Ukraine: The Government extended by one year its joint prevention plan with the UN (originally signed in August 2023), with implementation ongoing.
- Russia: The Government continued its engagement with the UN Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict. It reported practical prevention measures aimed at ending and preventing grave violations against children in the context of the conflict in Ukraine.
- Yemen: The Government and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) continued implementing their respective action plans, including the creation of child protection units, monitoring visits, and new standard procedures for caring for released children.
Areas of concern
Some of the main alarming trends are:
- denial of humanitarian access to children;
- attacks on schools and educational personnel; and
- obstacles to the effective registration of children at birth.
1. Denial of humanitarian access to children
In response to increasing incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children in conflict settings, a field-based guidance note was developed based on extensive research in 19 countries—including field visits to Libya and South Sudan, and expert interviews. The guidance note clarifies the definition of this grave violation, offers context-specific examples, categorises incidents, and addresses key reporting challenges. Scheduled for public release in 2025, this operational tool aims to support country task forces on monitoring and reporting by enhancing their capacity to document, respond to, and mitigate the impact of humanitarian access denial, thereby improving child protection outcomes and safeguarding the rights of children in armed conflict.
- Attacks on schools and educational personnel
Attacks on schools and hospitals remain alarmingly high. From the adoption of resolution 2601 in 2021 through 2023, such attacks increased by nearly 60%. Girls’ education is disproportionately affected due to harmful gender norms, with incidents such as attacks on girls’ schools and abductions. Additional vulnerabilities are shaped by factors including age, ethnicity, disability, and race.
In 2024, such attacks remain an urgent concern, particularly in countries such as Ukraine, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Haiti, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sudan. Alarmingly, government forces have often been identified as the main perpetrators of these violations.
- Birth registration
Unregistered children are at greater risk of being recruited or used by armed groups, abducted, subjected to sexual violence, or excluded from essential services like healthcare and education. According to UNICEF, one in four children under five lacks a birth certificate, largely due to financial, logistical, or informational barriers. The absence of legal documentation is particularly concerning in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Niger, Somalia, and the Sudan, where it contributes to the detention of minors and limits their release, as seen in Mali.
Recommendations
The Special Representative urges States to:
- Remove legal and practical barriers to birth registration, especially during crises or displacement.
- Ensure non-discriminatory access, regardless of the child’s or parents’ immigration status, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, or social origin.
- Deploy mobile registration teams in remote or conflict-affected areas.
- Guarantee continuity of registration systems during and after emergencies.
Interactive Dialogue on the SRSG report
Ms. Gamba started her intervention emphasising the urgent need for coordinated, accelerated actions to combat the rising issue of child trafficking and abuse. Despite ongoing efforts, the growing prevalence of these crimes remains a major concern. She invited all the countries to express their solidarity with the Special Representative’s efforts. In addition, she commented on her engagement in various Arab initiatives, including the Arab Conference on Children and Development.
In her report, she referred to the importance of respecting children's rights as a fundamental aspect of any efforts to protect them from violence. Arab countries, particularly those affected by ongoing conflicts, are committed to addressing the dangers faced by children. Also, she mentioned the launch of a workshop to discuss the challenges posed by modern technology and its role in exacerbating the exploitation of children, with a particular focus on the telecommunications sector.
She ended her first intervention noting the suffering of children in Gaza, who are facing starvation and displacement due to ongoing conflict, emphasising the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis.
Country and Regional Groups Statements
The representative of Jordan, on Behalf of the Group of Arab States, acknowledged the efforts of the UN mechanism in documenting and monitoring violations against children in armed conflict. The Group strongly supported the international commitment to protect children from the impact of armed conflicts. However, the delegate expressed concern for the report’s underestimation of the grave violations faced by children in the Arab region.
The Delegate of the European Union manifested the EU’s support for the mandate of the SRSG and for its renewal. Nevertheless, the representative voiced concern over the alarming levels of grave violations against children and impunity enjoyed by perpetrators. He called on all states to hold those responsible for grave violations accountable, including high-level actors who fail to prevent such violations.
The representative of Ghana, on behalf of the Group of African States, demanded collective international action to face these grave violations. They also advocated for a coordinated and targeted approach to address these issues. They reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of children, especially those affected by conflict, and called for renewed international efforts to ensure every child can grow up in dignity and security.
The delegate of Japan expressed gratitude for the report. However, she was seriously concerned about the unprecedented suffering of children due to ongoing global conflicts. The representative thus called for the elimination of any impediment to humanitarian assistance to ensure full, safe, rapid, and unhindered access to children in need. Finally, she asked the international community to redouble efforts to protect children.
The representative of the State of Palestine condemned the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children by the Israeli occupying power, asserting that such actions are not unintended consequences of conflict, but they constitute an intentional strategy of extermination. She expressed disappointment for the Special Representative's report due to its failure to apply a legal framework that reflects the severity of the atrocities and for drawing a false equivalence between the occupying power and Palestinian armed groups.
The Ambassador of Colombia emphasised that sexual violence in armed conflicts remains one of the most devastating violations against children. He called on the international community to intensify efforts to protect children in armed conflict, and urged all armed actors to respect international humanitarian law and immediately halt the recruitment and use of children in hostilities.
Statement by UNICEF
The representative of UNICEF welcomed the report and commended the SRSG for her efforts to strengthen the protection of conflict-affected children. The delegate emphasised that children continue to pay the highest price for conflicts they neither initiated nor have the power to end—often at the cost of their lives. The SRSG was asked to focus on monitoring and reporting grave violations in countries on the Security Council agenda.
UNICEF called on Member States to use their influence over conflict parties to better protect children. Lastly, they reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and strengthening the Children and Armed Conflict mandate and its Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM).
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Statements
National Human Rights Mechanisms and diverse NGOs highlighted the ongoing crisis faced by children caught in the middle of armed conflicts, underscoring their extreme vulnerability and the dire consequences of global failure to protect their rights. Particularly, speakers focused on the tragic losses of children’s lives in conflict zones - especially in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria - where violence, lack of shelter, malnutrition, and the denial of basic needs has affected millions of children.
During their intervention, most of them called for urgent international action, emphasising the importance of protecting children’s rights, ensuring their access to education, and providing appropriate care for those displaced or separated from their families.
Concluding Remarks
Ms. Gamba expressed deep gratitude for the collaboration of civil society organisations, both local and international NGOs, in the fight against the abuse and exploitation of children in armed conflict. She acknowledged their advocacy and presence as vital partners in the work to protect children.
She introduced a new campaign, "Proof It Matters," focused on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the OPAC Protocol, urging the implementation of these commitments at the national level. The campaign also emphasises the importance of listening to children's voices, understanding their rights, and incorporating their suggestions for better protection.
The Special Rapporteur thanked all stakeholders for sharing their concerns and recommendations, highlighting the importance of their contributions to her office's work.
Position of Geneva International Centre for Justice
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) expresses a deep alarm and moral outrage at the scale of grave violations occurring with impunity, with particular focus on Palestine, Syria and Yemen. Despite the overwhelming and well-documented nature of these atrocities, we are concerned that the current UN reports fail to appropriately recall the ongoing crimes against humanity against children. We called on the international community to strengthen and fund national child protection systems, including psychosocial support, education, and reintegration programs for children affected by armed conflict.
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