STATEMENT BY H.E. FATIMA KYARI MOHAMMED AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON CHILD CONFLICT

  Delivered by H.E. Fatima Kyari Mohammed

Head of Mission to the African Union Mission to the UN at United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict

25th June 2025

Thank you Madam President,

Allow me to begin by commending you, Madam President, and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana for your able leadership and the commendable efforts undertaken during your Presidency of the Security Council for the month of June.

I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to you for convening this open debate on the important issue of children and armed conflict, an issue of deep significance to us. This meeting takes place just days after we commemorated the Day of the African Child on 16 June, a moment that recalls the historic Soweto Uprising of 1976 in Apartheid-era South Africa, when the courage of schoolchildren helped reshape the course of our struggle for justice and freedom.

Excellencies,

The African Union remains gravely alarmed by the persistent and appalling abuses inflicted upon children living in conflict-affected areas. Armed groups and other violent actors continue to exploit instability and lawlessness to perpetrate unspeakable acts against the most vulnerable - women and children. The deliberate targeting of children in hostilities and their recruitment not only violate their fundamental rights but also rob them of both their innocence and their future.

It is particularly troubling to note a 25% increase in grave violations against children in 2024, a stark and distressing reminder of the worsening situation. Urgent and collective action is needed to protect children and ensure accountability for perpetrators.

Excellencies,

For a Continent where children under 18 make up about 50% of the population, the African Union reaffirms its strong commitment to protecting the rights, dignity and development of all African children and children of African descent, regardless of gender, ability, socioeconomic status or location.

At the AU level, the Assembly welcomed, in February 2025, progress on child protection and called for its full integration into AU early warning and response systems. It condemned the recruitment and use of children in conflicts, especially by non-state armed groups and urged AU Member States to align national policies with AU directives, integrate child protection into DDR processes, provide psychosocial support and ensure safe learning environments. It also reiterated the urgent need to appoint a Special Envoy for Children in Conflict Situations.

For the AU Peace and Security Council, this organ has addressed the protection of children affected by armed conflicts since 2010 and institutionalized it in 2014 through annual dedicated sessions.

The AU has also adopted a comprehensive legal and policy framework for protecting children, particularly in conflict situations. At its core is the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), adopted in 1990, which affirms every child’s right to protection from armed conflict, abuse and exploitation. This is complemented by the AU Agenda 2040: Fostering an Africa Fit for Children, which outlines a vision for children’s rights, including eliminating child soldiering.

Regarding the Peace operations, the AU adopted two key child protection policies: the policy on child protection in AU Peace Support Operations and the policy on mainstreaming child protection in the African peace and Security Architecture (APSA). These policies guide preventive and remedial actions that PSOs mandated, authorized or endorsed by the AU shall play in the protection of children during conflict and integrate child protection into all phases of peace and security work.

Additionally, the Silencing the Guns Initiative, launched in 2020, reinforces these efforts by tackling root causes of conflict and highlights the urgent need to end the cycles of violence that continue to harm millions of African children.

Lastly, in post-conflict settings, the AU Transitional Justice Policy, adopted in 2019, promotes child-sensitive approaches to truth-seeking, reparations and reintegration of former child soldiers and displaced children.

Together, these frameworks reflect the AU’s strong and evolving commitment to protecting the children of Africa and ensuring that they are given the opportunity to grow, thrive and contribute to the future of their Continent.

Excellencies,

When violence erupts, it is children who pay the highest price because they are its most vulnerable victims and, in every conflict, it is the innocence of children that is first lost. The international community has a duty to protect the safety of children and uphold their rights. No circumstance can justify depriving children of their rights or compromising their well-being. By resolutely defending their defense, we send a powerful message to every child that they are not forgotten by the world.

Thank you for your attention