UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict: How to Prevent and Respond to Grave Violations against Children in Armed Conflict
Statement by the Republic of Estonia on behalf of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania
5 July 2023, New York
Madame President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the three Baltic countries – Latvia, Lithuania and my own country, Estonia.
Thank you for convening today’s Security Council open debate and to the briefers for their presentations.
Madame President,
Every year, the report on Children and Armed Conflict provides us a horrific overview of the violations committed against children around the globe. Sadly, this year is not an exception, as we are once again witnessing an overall increase in violence against children. Exemplified by over 27 thousand verified cases of grave violations committed in ongoing protracted conflicts, be it in the Lake Chad basin and in the DRC, or in the Secretary General’s designated new situations of concern in Haiti and Niger. Unfortunately, there is also an increase in the number of actors listed as parties committing grave violations against children.
The most significant addition to the list on grave violations is the Russian Federation. It is beyond shameful that a Member State whose primary responsibility is to maintain peace and security in the world, a member who lectures us here in the Council about what is right and wrong, has itself committed 878 verified appalling cases of grave violations against children in Ukraine. The actual number is deemed to be much higher. Besides, this number does not include the thousands of children abducted or illegally deported from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia.
Ladies and gentlemen,
According to the report, the armed forces of a Permanent Member of the Security Council does not only use children as human shields and attack schools where they are studying, but Russian military, mercenaries and security forces also tortured, abducted, raped and killed children on a daily basis during military aggression led by a criminal wanted by the ICC.
We commend the Special Representative’s efforts to agree and implement the joint prevention plan with Ukraine and the joint action plan with the aggressor state Russia. Yet, Russia’s commitment is utterly unconvincing. On the day of the release of the report alone, which recognises Russia’s engagement with the Special Representative on the use of explosive weapons with wide impact, 3 children were killed among many civilians by Russian targeted ballistic missile strike against a restaurant in Kramatorsk. Therefore, a question should be posed: does Russia care about these children, who lost their lives? I´m afraid the honest answer is “absolutely not” and maybe this is the reason why this report remains rather vague on the “practical measures” agreed with the Russia Federation while mentioning numerous initiatives and steps Ukraine has implemented. The only thing that matters for Russian leadership – which in spite of the internal power struggle, remains obsessed with Ukraine and with restoring Russia´s former imperial grandeur – is to erase the sovereign Ukraine from the map and to exterminate Ukrainian nation at any cost. Targeting children is the ugliest but an integral part of this inhumane plan.
To conclude,
Armed conflicts in which children are involuntarily drawn into scar their lives forever and further fuel the cycle of violence. Even though the childhoods of targeted children cannot be salvaged, the perpetrators of these heinous actions have to be held fully accountable. Always.
The only thing left for me to say is to reassure you that we continue to support the Office of the Special Representative, UNICEF and other child protection actors in their efforts in protecting the rights of children around the globe.
Thank you.