In Annual Report on Children, Armed Conflict, Secretary-General Expresses Outrage at Increased Number of Violations Committed against Boys, Girls

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The United Nations has verified more than 21,000 violations committed against children in 2017.  The United Nations has reliable reports of more than 10,000 children killed or maimed in armed conflict last year.  The Secretary‑General is outraged at this number, a significant increase compared to previous years and documented in his annual report on children and armed conflict published today.  Children are also affected by other verified violations, including the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups, sexual violence and attacks on schools and hospitals.

Boys and girls have once again been overly impacted by protracted and new violent crises.  Despite some progress, the level of violations remains unacceptable.

The Secretary-General reiterates that the best way to address this horrific situation is to promote peaceful solutions to conflicts.  He calls on all parties to exert maximum efforts in this regard.

The Secretary-General reminds parties to conflict of their responsibility to protect children, in line with international humanitarian and human rights laws.  He calls on all parties to conflict to engage with the United Nations to develop concrete measures to end and prevent grave violations against children and to provide support and relief to affected children.