Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict, June 2013

Monday, June 17, 2013

Overview

On Monday June 17th, 2013, the Security Council held a debate on Children in Armed Conflict (CAAC). The main focus was the Secretary-General's Report on Children and Armed Conflict (S/2013/245), dated 12 May 2013; particularly, the ‘unprecedented threats' to children in the Mali and Syria conflicts. The council addressed the need to hold persistent perpetrators of human rights violations against children in situations of armed conflict accountable. In addition, the council underlined the importance of establishing and implementing concrete time-bound action plans to prevent and stop further abuses.

The debate started with Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui. Also addressing the Council were Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt, and the Associate Vice-President of Save the Children, Gregory Ramm. Twenty-six Member States, in addition to the European Union, addressed the Council. Seven Member States made gender references in addition to the briefings of Special Representative Leila Zerrougui, Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, and Save the Children Associate Vice-President Gregory Ramm.

Gender Analysis

Ten statements out of nearly 30 speakers included gender references to issues such as sexual violence, integration and re-recruitment of girls and boys into regular armed forces, and systematic rape and torture perpetrated against girls during times of armed conflict.

Special Representative Leila Zerrougui and Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous expressed the need to prioritize accountability for sexual violence perpetrated against children by armed groups. Several delegates, including Syria, Pakistan, Australia, Luxembourg, and France, also referenced sexual violence perpetrated against children during armed conflict.

Similarly to the previous Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict that took place in September 2012, there was mention of the vulnerability of both women and children during times of war. Comparably to last year's debate, not one statement made direct reference to resolutions on women, peace and security: Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889 or 1960. It must be remembered that sexual violence as experienced by children in armed conflict is not mutually exclusive from sexual violence as articulated in resolutions on women, peace and security.

General Analysis

Additional topics articulated during the debate on Children and Armed Conflict included measures necessary for increasing pressure on persistent perpetrators of sexual violence against children in order to hold them accountable, bringing an end to impunity, implementing existing resolutions, negotiating action plans as needed, and creating and strengthening laws to stop the use of drones. Furthermore, the debate consisted of statements that addressed the need for properly allocated funding for all related action plans and the prioritization of issues relevant to children in peace discussions.

Statements

Member States who spoke at the debate included: representatives of Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Guatemala, India, Iraq, Luxembourg, Myanmar, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Syria, Thailand, Togo, United Kingdom, and the United States. The representative of the European Union delegation also delivered a statement.UN and Civil Society representatives at the debate included: Special Representative Leila Zerrougui, Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt, and Save the Children Associate Vice-President Gregory Ramm.

*States and representatives who referenced gender are in bold.

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Protection

  • Country

    Myanmar

  • Extracts

    It also acknowledges that the number of cases of the recruitment and use of children by the national armed forces has decreased, thanks to prevention measures and strengthened recruitment processes. That progress was the result of the wide-ranging democratic reform measures instituted by the new Government just over two years ago, which included its renewed commitment and efforts towards promoting and protecting the fundamental rights of the people, including women and children. The signing on 27 June 2012 of an action plan between the Government of Myanmar and the United Nations country team was a historic development that demonstrated the Government's firm commitment to ending the recruitment and use of underage children by the armed forces.

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Statement

  • Country

    Thailand

  • Extracts

    Thailand cannot stress strongly enough the importance we attach to the mandates of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We believe that children and women alike must stop bearing the brunt of war and conflicts. The Security Council has a clear role to play in their protection in situations of armed conflict or in situations threatening international peace and security, but this role has to be applied with precision and within the framework of a clearly-defined mandate.

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Statement
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

  • Country

    Congo (Kinshasa)

  • Extracts

    In fact, the language of weapons and violence has resurfaced in North Kivu since the M-23 rebels who deserted from the ranks of the Congolese army in April 2012 turned their weapons on the regular army. The conflict situation currently prevailing in that part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and more specifically in and around North Kivu, has led to a resurgence in violence and crime, the primary victims of which are women and children.

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Statement

  • Country

    Congo (Kinshasa)

  • Extracts

    Thousands of child victims of violent attacks by M-23 have suffered serious physical and psychological damage. Adequate reparations are needed to cover emotional damage, for example in cases of depression, loss of self-esteem, stress, involuntary abortions for young girls who were raped, infant mortality and sexually transmitted infections.

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Statement

  • Speaker

    Civil Society Speaker

  • Extracts

    Sexual violence affects millions of children in conflicts. Our research and programming indicate that the majority of the survivors of sexual violence in conflict-affected countries are children — mostly girls but also boys. Sexual violence has significant physical, psychological and social impacts on children, but their needs for specific protection and child-sensitive responses are frequently neglected. In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, our assessments in and around Goma have revealed significant numbers of children affected by sexual violence. Save the Children is working in the camps to identify victims so as to assist them with appropriate health and psychosocial services. More action is needed to end sexual violence, including legal reforms and adequate funding to support child-sensitive and appropriate responses. We call on Member States to place children at the centre of international action on sexual violence in conflict; to ensure the necessary resources, expertise and political backing for prevention and response; and to hold perpetrators accountable.

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Statement

  • Country

    Central African Republic

  • Extracts

    In the case of the LRA, attacks often target schools, where the rebels recruit children for use as child soldiers or to carry loot and stolen and pillaged items if they are boys or as sex slaves and cooking staff if they are girls. It is the same for other rebel groups, in particular the Séléka, which has recruited children for the same tasks. What is distressing is that even those previously removed from conflict and who have passed through transition centres and returned to their family and social environment are recruited again. These children, including street children in cities, have not been not spared forced or voluntary recruitment.

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Statement

  • Country

    Pakistan

  • Extracts

    As Ms. Zerrougui pointed out this morning, the absence of clear front lines and identifiable opponents and the tactics used by terrorist groups make children vulnerable in conflict situations. Children have been used as suicide bombers and human shields. Schools continue to be attacked, which particularly affects girls' education.

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Statement

  • Speaker

    Secretary-General of the United Nations

  • Extracts

    In Mali, which has been included in the report for the first time, children were recruited by all armed groups active in the north. We also received information that boys and girls were associated with pro-Government militias in performing various tasks, including participation in combat. As the country is transitioning towards stabilization, it is crucial to ensure that no children are integrated into the regular armed forces or forgotten in the reintegration process, and that measures to prevent the recruitment of children be put in place. On the other hand, we continue to receive worrisome information on children being detained by the Malian security forces for alleged association with armed groups, as well as children hiding in their communities in fear of being arrested for association with armed groups. I call upon the Malian authorities to treat such children in line with international norms and standards.

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Statement

  • Country

    Syria

  • Extracts

    Thirdly, concerning sexual violence against children, how is it possible that the crimes committed by those terrorist armed groups, including rape and sexual violence, the murder of children, and acts of violence against girls and women throughout Syria were not mentioned in the report? How could the taking of girls and women as spoils of war and sex slaves not be mentioned? How could that group of thugs of war, sexual perverts and cannibals who reside in certain Gulf sheikhdoms be free to issue edicts on satellite channels making such crimes permissible under the banner of sexual jihad or “fornication jihad”?

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Statement

  • Country

    United Kingdom

  • Extracts

    This debate is a reminder of why the Security Council's work is so important. The Secretary- General's report (S/2013/245) documents hideous violations — thousands of children killed and maimed by explosive weapons and continuous shelling, the systematic rape and torture of girls and boys and the forcible use of children as human shields. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General has demonstrated effective advocacy and active engagement to prevent those grave violations against children. I am grateful for her report and commend United Nations country task forces for producing reliable and evidence-based information on violations against children.

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Statement
UN Security Council Members
Non UN Security Council Members
UN & Civil Society Speakers