At the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Defence for Children International (DCI) reaffirmed its grave concern over the continued violations of children’s rights in situations of armed conflict.
Children continue to bear the heaviest burden of war, through recruitment and use by armed groups, arbitrary detention, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian assistance. These violations not only strip children of their safety and dignity but also jeopardise their futures and communities.
In our statement under Item 3 – General Debate, we emphasised the urgent need to:
- Strengthen early warning systems and child protection frameworks to prevent violations.
- Mainstream child rights across all mechanisms addressing armed conflict.
- Promote community-based protection and support grassroots conflict resolution efforts.
- Expand access to education and reintegration programmes for children affected by armed groups.
- Ensure accountability through robust monitoring, reporting, and judicial cooperation.
We urge all Member States to:
- Immediately hand over children from military custody to child protection agencies (in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2427).
- Recognise that children associated with armed groups are first and foremost victims, and prioritise their recovery and reintegration.
- Support the Committee on the Rights of the Child in developing a General Comment on children in armed conflict.
DCI calls on the international community to uphold its commitments and make clear that violations against children in armed conflict will not go unpunished.
📄 Read our full statement here
Watch the statement: