60th session of the Human Rights Council
General Debate -Item 3
Statement of the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflicts
18 September 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 the High Commissioner for his timely report on the violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts. It underscores that while many States have aligned their national frameworks with international standards, implementation remains inconsistent. This gap results in ongoing violations and widespread impunity, affecting nearly half a billion children living in conflict.
The latest UNSG’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict is heartbreaking. It records the highest number of verified grave violations since the UN Security Council mandated monitoring and reporting mechanism was put in place 20 years ago, highlighting a 25 % increase in 2024, while 2023 was already a horrific year. Denial of humanitarian access increased by 52%, sexual violence by 35%, and explosive weapons accounted for more than 70% of the victims.
This trend is unacceptable and must end. It reflects a deeper crisis: the growing disregard for international humanitarian law and international human rights law, the intensification and complexity of armed conflict, and the devastating impact of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
We call on States to reverse this trend urgently. Protecting children affected by conflict, including by ending and preventing their recruitment or use in hostilities and by guaranteeing their right to education, demands renewed political will, enhanced cooperation across the UN, reinforced accountability and full implementation of existing commitments.
I thank you.
GoF CAAC:
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay