June 20, 2018 – On July 9, 2018, the UN Security Council will hold its Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict (CAC), under the presidency of Sweden, current chair of the Security Council Working Group on CAC. At the debate, the Secretary-General (SG) will present his annual report on CAC, pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2225 (2015), covering January 1 to December 31, 2017. Sweden will take the opportunity of the debate to highlight protection of children’s rights and prevention of future violations, and plans to introduce a resolution for adoption.
For children trapped in conflicts, 2017 was what UNICEF has called a ‘nightmare year.’ Children came under attack in schools, hospitals, playgrounds, and their homes, and they bore the brunt of preventable public health crises, as access to much-needed assistance deteriorated due to attacks on health care and denials of humanitarian access. This year’s Open Debate presents a key opportunity for States to reaffirm their support for the Security Council’s children and armed conflict (CAC) mandate, which works to address grave child rights violations, prevent future crimes against children, and hold to account those parties responsible.
- Call for an accurate and credible list of perpetrators of the grave violations, grounded in impartial evidence-based reporting;
- Call for more effective monitoring, reporting, and response to child rights violations in armed conflict situations;
- Call for effective implementation and signing of more UN action plans with armed forces and groups listed in the annexes of the SG’s annual report on CAC;
- Call for strengthened accountability for all perpetrators of child rights violations, including those who attack schools and hospitals and/or deny humanitarian access.
Read Watchlist’s Special Update for the July 2018 Open Debate.
