Statement by Mr. Zhirayr Ananyan, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the UN, at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict “Effective strategies to end and prevent grave violations against children”

25 June, 2025

Madame President,

We would like to thank the presidency of Guyana in the UN Security Council for convening the Open Debate on such a pertinent issue as Children and Armed Conflict. Also, we’d like to express our gratitude to today’s briefers for their insightful and eye-opening remarks.

Tomorrow the world will mark the 80^th anniversary of creation of United Nations, which is first and foremost built on the determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which has brought untold sorrow to mankind. Presently it’s of utmost importance to reflect on the perilous impact of violent conflicts disproportionately affecting children and other vulnerable groups, particularly now, when we regretfully witness proliferation of conflicts, where innocent children, girls and boys, are victimized without any justification.

Oftentimes, children are traumatized by repercussions of armed conflicts, which have irreversible effect on their mental health, impeding their meaningful participation in the formation of our future. Indoctrination of children and their recruitment to armed groups is also among the ballooning threats to international peace and security.

With grave concern we took note of the information introduced in most recent report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict. The presented statistics is shocking: in 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 per cent surge in the number of grave violations in comparison with the previous year. The United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations. These are not just numbers and figures, there are real children standing behind this stats.

We condemn in strongest terms physical, emotional or sexual violence against children and join the call of the Secretary-General to adhere to the obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to uphold the rights and special protections afforded to children.

Armenia is steadfast in fulfilling its international obligations and continues to enhance its national mechanisms to ensure the comprehensive and effective protection of children's rights. By endorsing key frameworks such as the Safe Schools Declaration, the Paris Principles, and the Vancouver Principles, Armenia is committed to fostering an environment, where children, especially those affected by conflict, are protected from violence and shielded from grave violations of their rights.

Madame President,

Following the 2023 military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia hosts a sizable number of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, including 36,000 children, many of whom arrived in Armenia in critical conditions, suffering from malnutrition, psychological trauma, and a severe lack of medical care. The continued attacks on Armenia’s sovereign territory in 2021 and 2022 deprived 25,000 children in the Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik regions of their right to education and other basic needs.

In response to humanitarian challenges, the Government of Armenia, in collaboration with the UN and development partners, has implemented significant measures to meet the urgent life-saving and early recovery needs of refugee children.

We value UNICEF’s cooperation with the Government of Armenia and its contribution to the joint inter-agency Refugee Response Plan aimed at ensuring multifaceted and timely response to the needs of refugee children. We also closely cooperated with the UNESCO in increasing the psychosocial resilience of forcibly displaced children and ensuring their smooth inclusion in the educational process.

Another issue of particular concern is the continued involvement of children in state-sponsored propaganda of hatred on ethnic and religious grounds. The UN relevant bodies and agencies need to pay special attention to the cases when educational curricula in kindergartens and schools is aimed at indoctrinating of children with xenophobia and hatred and inciting violence and intolerance.

Madame President,

The effective protection of children in armed conflict requires a strengthened commitment to the full implementation of applicable international frameworks, necessitating early warning and early actions. The pledge of "leaving no one behind" is above all about children, since an attack against children is an attack against our common future.

The current situation is another stark reminder of the imperative to accelerate the implementation of our commitments under the children and armed conflict agenda, as stipulated under "The Pact for the Future".

Armenia reiterates its support to the efforts of the Special Representative Ms. Virginia Gamba to mobilize UN system-wide response to the needs of children in situations of armed conflict and promote cooperation with regional organizations, civil society and other stakeholders to advance effective protection on the ground.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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