Statement by Mr. Mher Margaryan Charge d’Affaires a.i., at the Security Council Open Debate: Children and Armed Conflict

09 July, 2018

Mr. President,

Armenia would like to thank the Swedish Presidency for organizing the open debate on children and armed conflict and we appreciate the high importance that Sweden attaches to the issue, as exemplified by presiding of H.E. the Prime Minister earlier today. We also thank Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Ms. Virginia Gamba, the Executive Director of UNICEF Ms. Henrietta Fore, and the civil society representative, Ms. Yenny Londoño, for their insightful briefings. We welcome and support the adoption of the resolution 2427 drafted by Sweden aimed at further enhancing the protection of children from violence.

The annual report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict highlights an alarming increase in the number of violations. The report is a stark reminder of the gravity of situation faced by children in many conflict areas. There is a pressing need to scale up collective efforts to ensure that all children, whether in situations of armed conflict, or in peace live free of violence, exploitation and coercion.

The mandate of the Special Representative plays an important role in helping prevent grave violations and identifying the key challenges and complexities in implementing effective protection mechanisms on the ground. In this context we welcome the efforts of the Special Representative to establish capacity for enhanced synergies among UN agencies, regional and sub-regional organizations, international and local nongovernmental organizations.

Mr. President,

Armenia continues to prioritize protection of children’s rights, in accordance with our national policies and the frameworks of international cooperation we have embraced.
Armenia’s commitment to promoting the safety of children in armed conflict is also reflected in our endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration, the Paris Principles and the Paris Commitments as well as Vancouver Principles. Armenia is also signatory to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and we encourage the Member States, who have not yet done so, to join these important instruments.

Mr. President,

Today’s open debate once again reminds us about the tragic impact of conflicts on children living in affected areas and the daily risks that they face. We strongly condemn violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including and in particular when they concern the rights and the lives of children.
Effective protection of children in situations of armed conflicts requires strengthened commitment to the implementation of relevant international instruments.
As a consistent supporter and promoter of the concept and practice of prevention, Armenia prioritizes the focus on the early action.
Supporting impartiality and independence in humanitarian action and providing unimpeded humanitarian access is crucial to prevent and alleviate sufferings of the children caught in conflict.

Mr. President,

In our region, as a result of aggression of Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno Karabakh, we have been observing deliberate indiscriminate targeting of civilian population and infrastructures, including schools and hospitals, when civilians and schoolchildren were killed and injured. Placing military installations in civilian settlements and using them as Launchpad for shelling along the borderlines is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

The reports on appalling violations against children are deeply alarming. No less disturbing, however, are certain practices, whereby children, vulnerable as they are, are deliberately exposed to hate propaganda, which fuels ethnic hatred and incites violence and intolerance. Such practices are incompatible with norms and principles of international human rights law and humanitarian law and must be identified, condemned and eradicated on every level, without reservations.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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