United Nations Security Council: Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict published

As mandated by resolution 2427 of 2018, the Secretary-General's report on the impact of armed conflicts on children and violations committed during 2024 has been presented. These violations include recruitment and exploitation, killing and maiming, sexual violence, abductions, and attacks against schools, hospitals, and protected personnel. Where possible, the parties responsible for these violations have been identified and listed in the annexes to the report. The report highlights the difficulty in monitoring and verifying these phenomena, given the inaccessibility of some affected areas and the increase in casualties among observers, human rights defenders, and community leaders.

In 2024, there was a 25% increase in serious violations compared to the previous year. In total, 36,221 serious violations were recorded as committed in 2024, plus another 5,149 that occurred previously but were verified that year. These violations involved a total of 22,495 children. Moreover, an increasing number of children are affected by multiple violations, rising from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024. In contexts characterized by extremely violent and persistent hostilities, disregard for international law and international humanitarian law by the parties involved, and worsening humanitarian crises, the killing and maiming of 11,967 children represent the most frequent violations, followed by denial of humanitarian access (7,906 cases), recruitment and exploitation of children (7,402), and abductions (4,573). An alarming increase in cases of sexual violence against children, including gang rapes, is also reported. The most affected areas are the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti, but significant increases were also observed in Lebanon, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Ukraine. While armed groups are responsible for almost 50% of the violations considered, government forces bear the primary responsibility for killing and maiming children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.

In the report, the Secretary-General expresses his deep concern about this situation and urges all parties involved to respect the obligations under international law, international humanitarian law, and human rights, to protect civilians, humanitarian and medical personnel, and ensure safe access to humanitarian aid. He also urges parties involved in conflicts to avoid the use of explosive weapons in the presence of civilians, proceed with the clearance of affected areas, assist victims, and fully implement the Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines. The importance of adopting concrete measures to safeguard children's rights, treating children involved in conflict situations primarily as victims, minimizing the use of detention, and promoting the reintegration of young people involved in extremist groups is emphasized. Finally, an appeal is made to the international community to increase funding for assistance, reintegration, and education programs for children in these areas, as well as to strengthen the UN's monitoring and protection capacities in this field.