In his 2026 annual report (S/2026/357) on children and armed conflict (CAAC), the Secretary-General (SG) newly listed Gran Grif for the recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and abduction of children, Kraze Barye for the recruitment and use and killing and maiming of children, and 400 Mawozo for the recruitment and use of children. The Viv Ansam coalition continued to be listed for the recruitment and use and killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, and attacks on schools and hospitals. The UN verified 2,088 grave violations against 1,661 children. The UN verified the recruitment and use of 892 children, most of whom were used in combat and support roles, with girls disproportionately exposed to sexual violence. The UN also verified the killing and maiming of 620 children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against 166 children, including 47 cases of gang and repetitive rape, attacks on 99 schools and hospitals, the military use of 136 schools, the abduction of 277 children, and 34 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. The SG warned that the Haitian National Police and the Special Security Task Force should be listed if high numbers of violations against children persist in 2026 without meaningful improvement. The Security Council should:
- Call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL);
- Urge all listed parties to engage with the UN to develop, sign, and implement an action plan to prevent and end grave violations against children;
- Urge all armed groups to immediately release all children under 18 from their ranks and end and prevent all child recruitment and use; reiterate that children associated with armed forces and groups should be treated primarily as victims, and their reintegration should be prioritized; encourage the Government of Haiti to fully and consistently implement its 2024 handover protocol, including through sufficient child protection capacities;
- Call on Member States participating in the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to establish an oversight mechanism to prevent human rights violations or abuses, in particular sexual exploitation and abuse, to deploy dedicated child and women’s protection advisers;
- Ensure that the GSF prioritizes and mainstreams the protection of children throughout its mandate in all the planning and conduct of its operations, including through capacity-building; supports the release and recovery of children from armed gangs and their immediate handover to civilian child protection actors, and provides protection to and facilitates access for child protection actors to affected children;
- Urge donors to swiftly mobilize additional flexible funds to support the humanitarian response in Haiti, including resources for child protection and reintegration programs.
PANAMA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDERS ON HAITI.
