President, 

I welcome Minister Vindhya Vasini Persaud to New York to preside over this open debate. I thank Special Representative Virginia Gamba and Director Sheema Sen Gupta for their briefings. I have listened carefully to the statement by the civil society representative. 

Children are the most innocent and vulnerable group in armed conflicts. According to the Secretary-General’s report, over 41,000 grave violations against children in conflict zones were verified by the UN last year, a sharp increase of 25% compared to the previous year. Nearly 12,000 children were killed or maimed, marking an unprecedented level of violence inflicted on children by armed conflicts around the world.

As we speak, children in Gaza are still suffering amid war and hunger, with more than 17,000 young lives cruelly taken. In Haiti, children are mired in desperate straits as violence runs rampant, with particular grave issues such as the recruitment and use of child soldiers by gangs and sexual violence. The Secretary-General’s report, responding to the strong calls of the international community, has listed perpetrators of grave violations against children in Gaza, Haiti, and other regions. China welcomes this move. We support the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in promptly reviewing violations against children in relevant regions and taking protective actions accordingly.

President,

Children are the hope and future of humanity. Protecting their safety is our shared responsibility. The international community must take concrete measures to create an enabling environment for the healthy and safe development of children. I wish to make four points.

First, promoting ceasefires and ending hostilities is an urgent priority. China appreciates the efforts of the UN in providing protection to over 16,000 children affected by armed conflict last year. However, as long as the flames of war continue to burn, more children will remain at risk. The international community must beef up its mediation efforts to bring an early end to conflicts in regions such as the Middle East, Sudan, and Ukraine, and urge all parties concerned to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation. We must firmly reject unilateral actions that deliberately provoke confrontations and create chaos, and avoid external interference that fuels conflicts and exacerbates tensions.

Second, increasing humanitarian assistance is a pressing necessity. Actions such as defunding and blockade on supplies exacerbate food shortages and the spread of disease, seriously violating children’s fundamental right to survival. Israel should immediately lift the blockade and fully restore humanitarian access to Gaza. We call on the international community, especially traditional donors, to scale up humanitarian support for conflict regions and to fulfill their funding commitments. At the same time, we encourage UN humanitarian agencies to explore innovative fundraising options to continuously enhance the reach, effectiveness, and equity of humanitarian operations.

Third, strengthening international rule of law is the fundamental way forward. The Council must make effective use of the toolbox for children protection through coordination to ensure accountability for grave violations. All parties must strictly adhere to the basic principles of international humanitarian law. Civilian facilities such as schools and hospitals are vital to children’s education and healthy development, and must never be targeted in conflict. We call on the only member state that has yet to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child to do so as soon as possible and take concrete actions to protect the legitimate rights of children.

Fourth, advancing sustainable development is a long-term solution. Development is a solid foundation for peace, while underdevelopment is a key root cause of conflict. The international community should assist conflict-affected countries in eradicating poverty, promoting education, and improving health care, thereby strengthening social protection and independent development capacities and uprooting violence. The UN should prioritize support for development through mechanisms and resources, in order to create favorable conditions for the development of children.

President,

20 years ago, the Council adopted Resolution 1612, and established the CAAC Working Group, providing an important platform for better protection of children in conflict. China congratulates Greece on assuming the chairmanship of the working group and looks forward to continued improvement in its working methods with a balanced approach to reviewing country specific reports and negotiating conclusions. We appreciate the contributions of SRSG Gamba and will continue to support her work. China will work tirelessly with the international community to eliminate conflicts and promote and protect the rights of children.

Thank you, President.