Statement by H.E Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN, at the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict, “How to advance our collective norms towards protecting children and ending all grave violations”
Mr. President
I thank former UN Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of The Elders, H.E. Ban Ki-moon, SRSG Virgina Gamba, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Chaiban and Janvier for their sobering briefings, and I thank Janvier for so bravely sharing his story.
A good barometer to measure the world’s humanity is how we treat our most vulnerable, including our children. The Secretary General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict for 2023 is, therefore, most alarming. Tens of thousands of children have been robbed of their lives, their childhood and their chances for productive futures because of armed conflict.
Violence against children reached extreme levels with a 21 per cent increase in grave violations, including against girls with high instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence. The 35% increase of children killed and maimed tells a chilling tale of lack of compliance with international legal obligations, as well as lack of humanity. Whether it is Gaza, Burkina Faso, Haiti, DRC, Myanmar, Sudan, Syrian or Ukraine, among others, children are bearing the brunt of the cruel and or neglectful actions of adults engaged in armed conflict.
Parties to various conflicts have completely lost sight that the protection of children must always be the first consideration. There is no glory in killing, maiming, violating or denying children and no objective justifies these violations.
Mr. President
I must highlight the Israeli/Palestine conflict where there has been an unprecedented increase of 155 per cent in the scale and intensity of grave violations against over 100 children in Israel and over 4000 in the occupied Palestinian territories. As the Secretary General’s report said, this is, “blatant disregard for international humanitarian law and severe violations of international human rights law”.
Guyana is concerned about reports that as many as 21,000 children are missing in Gaza, many trapped beneath rubble, detained, buried in unmarked graves, or separated from their families. What did they do? What harm could they have brought on the occupying power? We have lost thousands of them forever but the fate of those left behind, albeit in a war zone and traumatized, does not have to be the same. Guyana calls again for an immediate ceasefire as this is the only way to end this carnage and this war, and to protect the children of Palestine and Israel.
Mr. President, turning to the 3 focus areas of today’s debate.
According to the Secretary General’s report, denial of humanitarian access continues at alarming levels. More and more children in conflict situations are going without food and medicine and are at risk of dying from hunger and disease. This is compounded by lack of access to essential services such as water, sanitation, electricity, healthcare and education.
The protracted denial of humanitarian access continues to have long-term impacts on children, affecting their growth and development and increasing their vulnerability to other violations and abuses, including recruitment and use, abduction, rape, and other forms of sexual violence.
Parties to conflicts must facilitate unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief. It is an international legal obligation and not a political bargaining chip.
Also of deep concern is the increased attacks on schools and hospitals and an upsurge in their military use in direct contravention of international humanitarian law. In Sudan, for example, high numbers of attacks on schools and hospitals and their unlawful use, as well as attacks on protected personnel have led to the collapse of the health system and widespread disruption in education.
Mr. President
As we navigate these difficult times, the Security Council must use all the tools at its disposal for the protection of children against these grave violations.
The Council must continue to prioritize the inclusion of child protection provisions and capacities in mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions. With several of these set to transition over the coming months, it is essential to focus on continuity of child protection programmes both by UN country teams and national authorities. These efforts must be supported by adequate resources and personnel.
Mr. President
Without a doubt impunity and failure to hold perpetrators of grave violations against children accountable are contributing to the increase in grave violations. Perpetrators must be held accountable. National courts and the International Criminal Court must scale up efforts in this regard. There must be timely and thorough investigations followed by prosecutions. This Council can also act through appropriate sanctions. This is the only way to deter continued grave violations.
UN Monitoring and verification of grave violations remain critical to inform response and prevention efforts. The CAAC Working Group conclusions continue to promote accountability and encourage conflict parties to take specific actions to prevent and end violations against children.
Guyana commends SRSG Gamba and her team, UNICEF and the numerous NGOs for their indefatigable efforts to protect and provide life-saving support to children in armed conflict.
In closing, as SRSG Gamba reminded, we must protect our children when we fail to bring them peace. We therefore call on all parties to conflict to adhere to obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law. We also urge parties to conflict listed in the annexes to the Secretary-General Annual Report to engage constructively with the UN and the Special Representative to develop and implement action plans and other commitments to end and prevent grave violations against children.
Guyana reiterates that peaceful resolution and prevention of conflicts remain the best protection for children.
I Thank you.
