On June 25, 2025, the United Nations Security Council held its annual open debate on children and armed conflict (CAAC) under Guyana’s presidency. The open debate offered an opportunity for UN Members States to discuss the implementation of the CAAC agenda, with a particular focus on the following topics: (i) killing and maiming; (ii) the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons; and (iii) rape and sexual violence, particularly against girls.
At the open debate, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC) Virginia Gamba presented the Secretary-General’s (SG) annual report on CAAC (S/2025/247), covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024. In addition to the SRSG-CAAC, the Director of Child Protection at UNICEF, Ms. Sheema Sen Gupta, briefed the Council, alongside a 17-year-old child representative, Ms. Sila, who spoke on behalf of civil society. Ms. Sila was the first child from Syria to brief a Security Council open debate on CAAC.
Read the detailed review and analysis here.
Photo: © UN Photo/Loey Felipe
