(OSRSG-CAAC) – Mr President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,I would first like to take this opportunity to thank the Foreign Minister of Malaysia for organizing this debate on children and armed conflict. Today’s debate builds on the important discussion we had on 25 March chaired by France dedicated to child victims of non-State armed groups.As the Secretary-General has just stated, 2014 was a devastating year for children living in conflict areas. In 2015, a number of conflicts intensified, imposing terrible short- and long-term consequences for many children caught up in the violence. An estimated 230 million children now live in countries and areas affected by conflict.
