Children and Armed Conflict

  • This In Hindsight analyses the messages and priorities outlined by Council members and other member states during the open debate on children and armed conflict. It also analyses the current challenges facing the agenda and makes recommendations for action, based on findings presented in our latest research report, titled “Children and Armed Conflict: Progression, Regression or Maintenance of the Agenda?”.

  • Tomorrow (25 June), the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on children and armed conflict. Vindhya Persaud, Guyana’s Minister of Human Services and Social Security, is expected to chair the meeting. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children...

  • This report examines whether the children and armed conflict agenda—which is considered one of the Security Council’s most developed thematic issues—is regressing, progressing, or being maintained. Focusing on the period between 2020 and 2024, the report analyses engagement on the agenda, both at the Council and subsidiary body level. Ahead of the 20th anniversary of landmark resolution 1612 of 26 July 2005, which established the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, the report pays particular attention to the working group’s performance in recent years.

  • June 2025

    Children and Armed Conflict

    Monthly Forecast

    In late June, the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on children and armed conflict. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba is expected to present the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, which is expected in mid-June. Other speakers are likely to include Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell and a civil society briefer. The open debate is expected to cover trends relating to the six grave violations against children, while focusing on violations that had a high incidence in the past year. (The six grave violations, as determined by the Security Council, are child recruitment and use; killing and maiming; rape and other forms of sexual violence; attacks on schools and hospitals; abductions; and the denial of humanitarian access.) In this regard, it seems that the meeting will focus on the killing and maiming of children, including the effects of the use of explosive weapons, as well as rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.

  • Tomorrow morning (20 December), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution highlighting the need to facilitate adequate and sustainable child protection capacities in UN peace operations—that is, peacekeeping operations and special political missions—including in the context...

  • 3 December 2024

    Ukraine: Briefing on the Situation of Children

    What's in Blue

    Tomorrow morning (4 December), the Security Council will hold a briefing on Ukraine. The US, December’s Council president, is convening the meeting to discuss the effects of the war on children in Ukraine. Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell is...

  • Tomorrow (26 June), the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on children and armed conflict. Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba will present the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, dated 3 June....

  • June 2024

    Children and Armed Conflict

    Monthly Forecast

    In June, the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on children and armed conflict. Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba is expected to present the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, which is due in mid-June. Other speakers are likely to include Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell, former UN Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of the Elders Ban Ki-moon, and a civil society briefer.

  • Tomorrow morning (3 April) at 11 am EST, the Security Council will hold a briefing on children and armed conflict that will focus on “addressing the consequences of the denial of humanitarian access for children”. The expected briefers are Special...

  • April 2024

    Children and Armed Conflict

    Monthly Forecast

    In April, Malta will convene a briefing on children and armed conflict titled “Addressing the consequences of the denial of humanitarian access for children”. Malta, which chairs the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, is organising the meeting as one of the signature events of its Council presidency. The expected briefers are Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations Ted Chaiban, and a civil society representative.

  • Tomorrow morning (10 November), Russia will convene a Security Council Arria-formula meeting titled “Combating forced separation and illegal exploitation of children”. Briefings are expected from Mira Terada, Director of the Foundation to Battle Injustice, and Arun Dohle, Director of Against...

  • Tomorrow (5 July), the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on children and armed conflict. Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba will present the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, which was made...

  • July 2023

    Children and Armed Conflict

    Monthly Forecast

    In July, the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on children and armed conflict. Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba is expected to present the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, which was made public on 27 June. Other speakers are likely to include UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for programmes Omar Abdi and a child civil society briefer.

  • This morning (28 April), Security Council members will hold an Arria-formula meeting titled “Addressing the Abduction and Deportation of Children During Armed Conflict: Concrete Steps for Accountability and Prevention”. The meeting is being co-hosted by Albania, France, and the US,...

  • Tomorrow morning (13 February), the Security Council will hold a briefing on children and armed conflict that will focus on prevention of grave violations against children. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba and Special...