UN Security Council 

Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict

Children and Armed Conflict: 

Attacks against Schools as Grave Violation of Children’s Rights

INDIA STATEMENT

(Shared in writing)

10 September 2020

Mr. President,

At the outset I thank the Niger as the President of the Security Council for convening this open debate. We thank all the briefers for sharing their insights on this issue. 

Children constitute a third of humanity – the most important third, as they are our future. They are also the most susceptible to suffering and are in need of protection. The international community has the responsibility and obligation, to do its utmost to provide succor to children affected by armed conflict. 

Over the last two decades the UN Security Council has actively engaged in this pursuit and significant progress has been achieved to protect children in armed conflict situations. Attacks against schools are now regarded as one of the grave violations against children in armed conflicts along with other violations. 

Despite persistent focus from international community, grave violations against children and attacks on spaces of learning persist. These trends are often both causes and consequences of complex conflicts. 

Lack of access to schools and treacherous learning environments lend children vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by terrorists and other non-state actors. Education facilities are often used as vehicles for radicalization and indoctrination to violent extremist ideologies. Much of these happen in absence of opportunity for quality formal education for children. 

For children, schools are not just a place of learning but a social safety net. Absence of safe school environments multiply protection challenges. Young women and girls become vulnerable to various forms of subjugation including sexual and gender-based violence, fall victims of forced and child marriages, and human trafficking. 

The prevailing situation in the Sahel region of Africa presents all these challenges and calls for greater attention of the Council where attacks on schools are on a surge as a consequence of a complex regional conflict. The terrorists and armed groups are increasingly targeting education facilities leading to school closures. Occupation of schools for military purposes in violation of international humanitarian law is also a contributing factor in this crisis. This has set in motion a range of negative impacts on children especially girls. 

It is in this context that we wish to highlight the following points.

First, protecting the rights of the child, including their access to education is the primary responsibility of every government. The Security Council must do all that is possible to support efforts of governments to protect schools and other learning spaces, students and teachers to ensure uninterrupted education for children. National action plans to protect children must be owned by national authorities and must be implemented with participation of the local communities for best results. 

Second, UN peace operations, both military and political, should have clear and unambiguous mandate and commensurate resources to protect children and their education facilities as per humanitarian and human rights law. 

Third, the Council needs to factor in the stark reality that non-state parties to armed conflicts have little regard for upholding their obligations under the international law. This creates asymmetric dynamics in the field vis-à-vis the states or the UN peace operations. The Council, therefore, needs to ensure that those who are engaged in protection children on its behalf have the necessary resources, pre-deployment and in-mission training to operate and deliver in extremely challenges situations. 

Fourth, there should be greater recognition and comprehensive action to counter threats to children posed by terrorist groups in different parts of the world. 

Terror networks spread their tentacles across borders threatening peace and stability. Children are worst affected as they live with looming sense of fear and uncertainty and are often deprived of their right to education. 

In order to advance child protection agenda of the Council, its synergies with counter terrorism need to be translated into action. Terrorist outfits and individuals proscribed by the Council are directly or indirectly responsible for abusing child rights. Member States need to demonstrate the greater political will to hold the perpetrators of terrorism and their collaborators and sponsors, especially those sanctioned by the Council, to account, to fulfill Council’s child protection obligations. 

Fifth, we need more objective reporting by the UNSC mandated officials based on complex dynamics of the situations and obligations of different parties to the armed conflict. The tendency of ‘mandate creep’ must be checked to maintain efficacy and sanctity.  

Sixth, given the complex situation in the Sahel region, we believe that a military response to the situation can only bear desired results if these are integrated with inclusive regional and national strategies towards security, governance, development, human rights and humanitarian issues and ownership by the Governments especially in upholding rule of law. Sahel must continue to remain a clear priority for the Peacebuilding Commission. The Council on its part also should remain engaged in implementation of the military and political missions as well as promoting dialogue and intercommunal harmony in the region. The Council must keep up its engagements with the regional bodies. The child protection priorities must be integrated to the core of such engagements. 

Mr. President, 

In conclusion, we reaffirm that safeguarding child rights, including the right to education in armed conflicts is critical for sustaining peace and security. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the already existing child protection challenges. This crisis has also demonstrated the power of technology, especially education technology to provide learning opportunities to children affected by armed conflicts. The international community must cease this momentum to use the full potential of technology to fulfil hitherto unkept promises to the children. 

I thank you.