58th session of the Human Rights Council
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict – Ms. Virginia Gamba.
Statement of the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflicts
Delivered by Mr. Christophe Payot
Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Belgium
12 March 2025
President,
I deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict, co-chaired by Uruguay and Belgium.
We thank Ms. Gamba for her report and reaffirm our unwavering support for her mandate. We also welcome her new campaign ‘Prove it Matters: A Global Plea for Protecting Children in Conflict Situations’.
Regrettably, in 2025, over 473 million children are living in conflict zones, a figure that keeps increasing. The number of grave violations against children has also reached unprecedented levels, reflecting an increase in armed violence and conflicts, but also an erosion of the realization of children’s rights which need to be protected, particularly in times of armed conflict.
2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. Both the Convention on the rights of the child, and particularly its article 38, and the Optional Protocol, play a critical role in safeguarding children’s rights during armed conflicts. We reaffirm our strong commitment to these binding instruments.
While the vast majority of States have ratified both instruments, effective implementation remains crucial and a renewed global commitment is urgently needed. We therefore call on States to honor their commitments and fully implement the CRC and its OPAC.
Thank you