UNITED NATIONS, Mar 03 (APP): Pakistan has told a historic session of the UN Security Council, presided over by US First Lady Melania Trump, that the most effective way to protect children and their right to education is to resolve festering conflicts in accordance with the 15-member body’s resolutions, the UN Charter and international law, while highlighting the grave situation in Palestine and and Kashmir.
Speaking in the Council’s debate on ‘Children, Technology and Education in Conflict’, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said, “Across conflict zones around the world, including situations of foreign occupation, notably Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, millions of children are growing up amid rubble and chaos, rather than classrooms and calm.”
Schools, he added, have been destroyed, damaged or militarized, teachers displaced and digital networks disrupted.
“Education systems — already fragile — have been pushed to the brink of collapse,” the Pakistani envoy said.
At the same time, Ambassador Asim Ahmad said while conflicts persist, we have an obligation to ensure that no child’s future is extinguished by circumstances beyond their control.”
Monday’s Security Council was convened by the United States, which holds its presidency, for the month of March.
It met under extraordinary circumstances: amid US-Israeli air strikes against Iran, and widening instability in the Middle East, with repeated calls from the UN for restraint by all sides, as the Council turned its attention to a long-standing but under-addressed crisis facing children in war zones.
Presiding over the meeting, Mrs. Trump, said that the United States “stands with all of the children throughout the world.”
The first lady’s speech marked the first time a first lady from any country has had the gavel.
In his remarks, Ambassador Asim Ahmad welcomed the “Fostering the Future Together Initiative” of the U.S. First Lady, aimed at building a global coalition committed to enhancing children’s well-being through the promotion of education, innovation and technology, saying, “Pakistan is pleased to join this initiative.”
“The issue before us is not simply about innovation and technology — it is about safeguarding human dignity and ensuring that conflict does not steal the future of an entire generation,” the Pakistan envoy added.
The erosion of education in conflict settings is not incidental, he pointed out, adding it was often systematic, compounding trauma and perpetuating cycles of conflict.
“When education is interrupted over extended periods, it creates generational consequences that extend far beyond the immediate conflict.”
Education was not merely a service; it is a stabilizing and securing force, he said. “When denied, children become more vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, recruitment, and radicalization. When protected, education fosters resilience, critical thinking, and hope.”
Digital platforms and mobile learning tools can reach displaced or isolated children in conflict situations, the Pakistani envoy said.
“Remote instruction can sustain continuity when physical classrooms are inaccessible. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, offer opportunities for personalized learning and inclusive education.”
Yet, he emphasized that technology must be governed with vigilance, for access without safeguards poses risks. “Digital environments can expose children to exploitation, disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, surveillance, and abuse.”
In this regard, Ambassador Asim Ahmad called for closing the digital divide in conflict-affected settings through investment in resilient infrastructure, affordable connectivity, and provision of devices — prioritizing girls and children with disabilities, integration of child protection by design in all digital education initiatives, and strengthening partnerships and collaboration among member states, the United Nations, civil society, and the private sector.
“In the complex conflict environments, transformative use of technology can be a shield, and a bridge, to enable the children the right to safety, learning and development, and a catalyst for resilience, dignity and lasting peace that I understand from this discussion, is a shared objective, which merits our collective action and cooperation,” he added.
Earlier, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said today’s debate comes at “a moment of exceptional relevance”.
The world is witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts since the Second World War – and the highest number of civilians killed in decades.
“When conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected,” she said, a truth recalled over the last two days, when schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have closed and moved to remote learning, owing to ongoing military operations in the region.
Ms. DiCarlo cited reports from Iran about the death of “possibly dozens” of children allegedly the result of a strike that hit an elementary school in Minab.
“Globally, one in every five children is living in or fleeing a conflict zone,” she stressed. “This adds up to 473 million children.”