UN envoy calls on Security Council to address plight of children trapped in armed conflicts

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 03 (APP):The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, has underscored the need for Security Council to “come together” on the current plight of children affected by armed conflicts across the globe.

Recalling that 2019 marks 20 years since the 15-member Council first passed a resolution on children and armed conflict, and the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, she said the open debate, which comes on the heels of the release of the Secretary-General’s annual report on the issue earlier this week, “provides a milestone” to take stock of our collective efforts to date.

“It is vital that this Council redoubles its efforts to ensure that all parties abide by the principals of distinction, proportionality and military necessity,” Ms. Gamba told the Security Council, while urging the conflict’s parties to issue “specific command orders that address reducing child casualties”.