Protecting Children in Armed Conflict: Addressing the Impact of Explosive Weapons in an era of evolving warfare

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for this critical event, Protecting Children in Armed Conflict from Explosive Weapons in an Era of Evolving Warfare. I'm Laura Miller. I'm the CEO of the War Child Alliance. And we together are here for one reason. Children are being killed, maimed, traumatized by explosive weapons. This harm has been rising for a decade, but in the last few years, it has not simply increased, it has surged. Meanwhile, the very institutions meant to protect children are failing them. The latest UN Secretary-General's report on children in armed conflict shows that last year, states were the primary perpetrators of grave violations against children. This should be unacceptable to everyone in this room. We are meeting here on the margins of the UN General Assembly, with the world's decision makers gathered in one place. That is a privileged position, and it comes with a responsibility. We have representatives of states, NGOs, international organizations. Between us, we hold political power, legal expertise, the operational reach, and the moral authority to change this. Before we begin our main discussion on the devastating impacts of explosive weapons on children, I would like to invite everyone to join me in a moment of silence. Please remain seated, and let us take time to honour the countless children killed, those who carry physical and psychological injuries, and the families and communities carrying the pain of violence and conflict. Thank you. As we begin today's discussion, my hope is that through this event, we move beyond discussion to urgent action. And we have exceptional speakers and panelists here to help move this agenda forward. To begin, I am very pleased to introduce Malta's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chris Fearn, to share opening remarks. Malta has been a steadfast champion of children affected by conflict, and it is my great pleasure to hand the floor to Minister Fearn.

Thank you and good morning. I want you to picture, if you can, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, RPGs. Some of you might have seen them in action. But you've all seen pictures of these. They're like these big bazookas with a large grenade. They're usually used to stop tanks or to down helicopters. Just keep that image in your mind. Before I went into politics, I spent 25 years as a pediatric surgeon doing operations on children. And one sunny morning, about 12 years ago, got a phone call from somebody in Tripoli, in Libya, about just 100 kilometers, 150 kilometers away from Malta, saying, "We have a six-year-old girl who's been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. There is an air ambulance which happens to be in Tripoli, it came over for something else. We're going to put her on the spray and send her to you. And we said, yes, yes, we'll have her. And literally within an hour and a half, we had this beautiful six-year-old girl with a ponytail, her abdomen wrapped in bandages, and we went straight to the operating theatre. And when we took off the bandages, there was a gaping hole in her abdomen. And over the next two days, I spent 18, 19 hours taking out bits of her bowels, which had been destroyed, and recreating her abdominal wall. The operation went well. But the blast, the shockwave of the explosion, had literally melted this girl's lungs. And over the next three or four days, despite being in intensive care, despite being ventilated and intubated, her condition deteriorated, and on the sixth day, she died. Her name was Fatima. That's one girl with one family. Last year alone, the United Nations registered, there must be much more than this, but registered 14,200 girls and boys who are casualties of war. 14,200 little Fatimas. It is within our power to stop this. Wars are not natural disasters. They are man-made disasters. They are started by men. They are conducted by men. They can be prevented and stopped by men and women. If you haven't signed the political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas, please do so. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Fern, for your reflections and for your continued leadership and for setting the stage for our discussion today. I'd now like to introduce our panelists. We have Mr. Mohamed Yakhya, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. Mr. Olof Skoug, Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs of the European External Action Service. Ms. Hanan Suleiman, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, and Mr. Marcus Mumford, War Child Alliance Founding Global Ambassador. Thank you all for being here. I'd like to start with a question to you, Mr. Yahya. OCHA plays a central role in advancing the protection of civilians, including tracking, analyzing, and regularly reporting on protection of civilians across conflicts worldwide. Can you share with us what you, OCHA, are seeing in terms of the impact of explosive weapons on civilians? And what should states and parties to conflict do to control their escalating use?

Thank you very much. Thank you for having us, and thank you to Malta, Norway, and World Child for sponsoring this event. From our perspective, what we are seeing I think was aptly described by the Foreign Minister, across different areas from Congo or countries such as Congo to Lebanon, to Myanmar, to Sudan, to Ukraine, to occupied Palestinian territories, civilians are being killed and maimed in their homes, in their communities. Drones are increasingly carrying explosive weapons into populated areas, bringing battlefield closer to people's homes, schools, and communities. And you see them everywhere, especially how drones have changed the conflict, but also how it has changed and impacted civilians. Children are among those who are paying the highest price. Single explosion can change everything. A parent killed, a child loses a limb, a family loses home. But harm goes beyond those killed or injured. You destroy a hospital, healthcare disappears. You destroy a water system, and disease spreads. You destroy a school, and children lose not only education, but a place of safety and normality. Humanitarian access becomes very difficult. Aid workers are being pushed back from the front line, and you probably know, last year we lost about 1,000 aid workers across these battlefields. But schools and learning places are also being destroyed. When healthcare is damaged, treatment disappears, people die from preventable diseases, and danger can remain long after the fighting ends. Explosive remnants, contaminated homes, streets, farmlands, playgrounds prevent families from returning home and rebuilding their communities. We know this. We know the consequences of explosive weapons. They're documented. They're foreseeable. What makes this tragedy even more unacceptable is that it's preventable. It's man-made. It's choices we make. That's why the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for parties in conflict to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. And that's why states and parties to conflict must take meaningful steps to change the ways military operations are conducted in towns and in cities. The tools already exist. States have adopted the political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas. Now we need action. We need more states, as the foreign minister called on, to endorse the declaration. We need those commitments translated into military policy, planning, and practice. We want to see parties avoid the use of explosive weapons in wider effect in populated areas. Arms transfers must not contribute to patterns of harm to civilians. As drones and other technologies change how wars are fought, innovation must be used to minimize civilian harm and not multiply it. But ultimately, the implementation is measured not in policy papers, but in lives saved. I hope this discussion we have today brings us closer to action, especially for Member States. Last week, just to say, this week, it seems like last week, I've run out of how many meetings we've been in. Let me just say, a few days ago, what is becoming really interesting in this, when we talk about conflicts and harm, is that states are playing a disproportionate role in bringing these harms. It's not non-state actors, it's the state actors, which makes this issue even more urgent. Many of those states come to this General Assembly. So the power is here, it's with member states to make sure this is stopped. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Yahya, for bringing that emphasis on the role and responsibility of state actors. And now I'm pleased to bring in UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director, Ms. Suliman. She has been a leader in advocating against the use of explosive weapons and its devastating impact on children. What trends is UNICEF seeing when it comes to the impact of explosive weapons on children? How is UNICEF responding to address this impact? and what is required from partners?

Thank you very much. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, let me begin by thanking the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Malta and the organizers for bringing urgent attention to this issue. I want to begin with the painful truth that children living through armed conflict know all too well. Explosive weapons in populated areas are by far the leading cause of children being killed or maimed in conflict. United Nations verified data presented in the Secretary General's 2026 annual report on children and armed conflict shows that 72% of verified cases of children killed or maimed were caused by explosive weapons, including heavy bombs, artillery shells, grenades, missiles, landmines, and improvised explosive devices. Aerial operations, including armed drones, have been the leading cause of child casualties, accounting for almost 30% of verified killing and maiming over the past five years. They have also been responsible for the killing and maiming of humanitarian personnel, including our own in the Democratic Republic of Congo in March this year. The danger does not end when the fighting stops. Unexploded ordnance continue to kill and maim for years. Every shell left in a field, schoolyard, or alley is a death sentence waiting to be triggered. The trend is worsening. In 2025, the proportion of children killed or maimed by explosive weapons was 25% higher than in 2021. That is a staggering increase. Behind every statistic is a child whose life has been shattered. Consider 11-year-old Ibrahim in Tawila, my home country of Sudan. While fleeing Al-Fashir, he stopped to rest by the roadside, just to rest, when a shell landed beside him. The shrapnel tore into his legs and killed his brother. Ibrahim had to leave his brother behind as he fled in search of medical care. When our teams last spoke with him, he was still waiting for surgery and living with profound trauma. For every child killed, many more are injured, often with lifelong disabilities. Survivors may lose their sight, hearing, limbs, or ability to speak. Their prospects for survival and recovery are often worse than those of adults, especially when lifesaving, age-appropriate services are unavailable. The harm is also psychological. Repeated blasts generate fear, anxiety, and helplessness, and children must cope with long and difficult recovery processes. When explosive weapons kill parents and caregivers, children lose the very support networks they need to recover physically and emotionally. The effects reverberate far beyond the blast site. Explosive weapons in populated areas destroy the infrastructure that children depend on: water and sanitation systems, power networks, health facilities, and schools. It disrupts learning, blocks humanitarian supplies, prevents food and essential services from reaching the most vulnerable families. Ibrahim's story and the worsening global trend must compel urgent action. Preventing the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is one of the clearest steps we can take to protect children and prevent casualties before they occur. Let me therefore make three urgent calls to action. First, change the conduct of hostilities. All parties to conflict must respect international humanitarian law and uphold children's rights, including by avoiding the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Those responsible for unlawful harm must be held accountable, and child victims must have access to effective remedies. Second, turn political commitments into practical action. All member states should endorse the political declaration. The 91 states that have already shown leadership and done so should now accelerate implementation, including through civilian protection policies with specific measures to reduce harm to children. States supplying weapons must halt transfers wherever there is a clear risk that those weapons will be used to commit grave violations against children, which we have seen in many countries. Third, meet children's immediate and long-term needs. UNICEF and our humanitarian partners provide life-saving assistance to survivors, including medical care, assistive devices such as prosthetic limbs, cash support, education, and mental health and psychosocial support. With our partners, we rehabilitate damaged water and sanitation systems, and we strengthen national and local capacity to protect and support children with disabilities. To sustain this work, we need safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access, and protection must be prioritized in humanitarian response plans, and funding decisions are needed. But assistance, however vital, cannot prevent the initial harm. As the minister said, the best protection is prevention. We must prevent the use of explosive weapons, especially in densely populated areas where children live, learn, and seek care. Excellencies, protecting children from these weapons must be a collective priority. We know the harm. We know how to reduce it. What is needed is political will to act. The cost of inaction is measured in the number of children that are killed, injured, and permanently scarred day after day. We urge you to move beyond commitment and to use every tool available to ensure that no child pays that price. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Suleiman, for those clear recommendations for action. Now I'm pleased to bring in Mr. Skoug from the EU. Mr. Skoug, the EU has taken a strong approach to institutionalize the children in armed conflict agenda and has included this as a top priority within the EU strategic approach to humanitarian diplomacy. What steps is the EU taking in practice to make the protection of children in conflict a priority to foreign policy and humanitarian diplomacy? And what lessons can other regional systems take away?

Good morning, everyone. Thank you, moderator, Minister, my dear friend Vanessa, Excellencies, and friends around the table here in this hall. Thank you very much for the invitation. The years after the establishment of the children and armed conflict mandate, we should be able to say that children are safer from war. Unfortunately, as we know, the opposite is true. The latest Secretary General's report records the highest number of children affected by armed conflicts since the children and armed conflict mandate was established. Killing and maiming of children is now the most prevalent grave violation, and more than 70% of child casualties are caused by explosive weapons. So thank you again for organizing us today and see what we can do to change that trend. Because it's true, as many have said, that these figures must now translate into action. For us, and thank you for the question, the protection of children affected by armed conflict is a core priority. We have reviewed our internal guidelines on children and armed conflict, and we're putting prevention, protection, and accountability at the heart of that engagement. We act through our dialogues with governments, our security and defense missions around the world, and our partnerships with the United Nations, in particular, other regional organizations and civil society, of course. The devastating impact of explosive weapons in populated areas makes respect for international humanitarian law more important than ever. Schools and hospitals must be protected. Humanitarian access must be ensured. And political commitments, including the declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas, must now translate into concrete changes in policy and in military practice. This is also at the heart of our renewed approach to humanitarian action. The new vision that we are looking to implement, and it was presented jointly by the European Commission and the High Representative Kaja Kallas in May, and it's built around three pillars: protect, perform and partner. Under PROTECT, we are stepping up humanitarian diplomacy to defend international humanitarian law, secure humanitarian access, and prevent grave violations against children, a key priority of this strategic approach, as I mentioned. Importantly, protecting children can also create openings for peace. Even in deeply polarized conflicts, their access to healthcare, nutrition, education, and safety can provide, and it should provide, common ground for humanitarian negotiations, local protection arrangements, and de-escalation that could lead also to sustainable peace agreements. And protection cannot end when the fighting dies down. Children face displacement, disrupted education, and profound mental health and psychosocial consequences long after an attack. Children with disabilities face additional barriers to accessing essential services and require particular attention. Finally, we must listen to children themselves. Child participation is a central principle of our policy. Children affected by conflict must have a meaningful voice in decisions that concern them. And as we mark now the 30 years of the mandate of the children and armed conflict, our task is not simply to reaffirm existing commitments, it's really to implement them. to defend international law and ensure accountability when it is violated. So just to reaffirm again that we remain very, very committed to this agenda and to working with all of you to turn these commitments and greater protection for children on the ground. I just want to end on a personal note. I served many years in the UN, including as the chair of the working group in the Security Council for the children in armed conflict. It's true that since then, geopolitical tensions have increased. The Security Council is often blocked in terms of hindering the UN to do its work in many of these areas. But it's amazing, and I think it's an accountability issue for every member of the Security Council to at least ensure agreement on what has to be the obvious protection of children in all of these situations. I thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Skou, for your personal note and also for emphasizing that an investment in children is an investment in peace. I'd like now to turn to our final panelist today. Marcus Mumford is one of War Child's founding global ambassadors. Marcus, you've been a longstanding advocate for children, and you've traveled to many countries where you've seen the impacts of conflict firsthand. We were just in Lebanon together a few weeks ago. Can you share with us a bit about what you've seen specifically in terms of the psychological impacts of war on children? And what would be your message to member states and institutions with the ability to influence the extent to which children are protected?

Thank you. Protection of children is surely the clearest measurement of our shared humanity. By that measure, something is catastrophically wrong. I've been an ambassador for the War Child Alliance for over a decade. I've visited our programs from Iraq to Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank, to Central African Republic, to Lebanon. And during that time, the number of children affected by conflict has more than doubled, from 230 million in 2014 to more than 520 million today. Every year, more children are killed and maimed in conflict than the year before. In 2025, over 70% of these deaths were from explosive weapons. The United Nations keeps the record. And the record shows that it is state armed forces that are now the primary perpetrators of killing children, of maiming them, of attacking their schools and their hospitals, of blocking the aid meant to reach them. When explosive weapons are used in populated areas, 96% of the casualties are civilians. Too many of these are children. Looking ahead, we cannot ignore the impacts of new technologies in war and the implications for children. Drones have become the weapon of choice. Drone use has risen 4,000% between 2020 and 2024 in Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo across the Central Sahel. Meanwhile, the fast and unregulated use of AI during conflict creates a plethora of new protection risks. I want to tell you the story of one boy. Khaled was eight years old when an Israeli air strike destroyed the house where his family had sought refuge in Gaza. Khaled's mother was killed, his father was killed, his brothers and sisters were killed. Khaled survived. But survival alone is not a satisfactory outcome for the children of our world. The explosion lasts seconds, its consequences last a lifetime. Khaled barely spoke, he isolated himself, he rejected school, but with the appropriate support, he was able to recover. Consistency, education, counseling, play. He began moving and talking, laughing and learning. He returned to childhood. Children's brains are continuously developing. They are built to respond to danger. For that, the brain releases cortisol, adrenaline, the chemistry of survival. Our bodies are designed to deploy these chemicals in a moment of crisis, not for a year, not for the duration of a childhood. When it is released repeatedly, it's toxic. But here's what the evidence also tells us. Healing is possible. And every single child exposed to this violence has the right to this support. Children affected by conflict should be recognized as a global priority, and investment in their mental health and well-being must be considered as important as investment in their physical health and survival. Healing matters, but healing cannot become a substitute for prevention. Compassion matters, but compassion cannot become a substitute for accountability. If we are here to talk about the effects of explosive weapons on children, we have to talk about Gaza. Khaled's story was not inevitable, but the result of a choice to use explosive weapons which, by their nature, can be devastatingly indiscriminate. In Gaza, a quarter of a million tons of explosives have been dropped on one of the most densely populated places in the world, where 50% of the population are children. The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that the actions of the government of Israel in Gaza meet the threshold of genocide. This is consistent with what children and families are telling us. In Gaza and in conflicts around the globe, we see states and their allies dismiss the rules of law as irrelevant to their interests. We see the guardrails of proportionality expanded to justify the killing of dozens of civilians to hit a single military target. I've seen the long-lasting effects of explosive weapons on children's lives. I've spent time with children recruited by armed groups in Central African Republic, in temporary settlements in Lebanon, with children in refugee camps outside Mosul, at homes in Kibbutz near Oz in Israel, where I saw grenade marks on children's windowsills. I can never get these images out of my head. We must demand accountability. States have obligations under international law to protect children, and states make choices what weapons are used, what weapons are sold, and to whom they are given. Everyone here is a human being that is part of a decision-making chain, and we need to leave here today and scrutinize every single move that we make, because the stakes are simply too high. In fact, I can't think of a higher stake than the life of a child. It is not just our legal obligation to protect children, it is our moral duty. If our societies are made-up by the stories we tell about ourselves, is this really the story we want told about us in this moment? We must not allow ourselves, even for a minute longer, to look away from our own humanity. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Marcus. And thank you to all the panelists for your rich contributions today. And so many, as so many of our distinguished panelists have spoken to this morning, children's lived experience are at the heart of why adherence to the political declaration on strengthening the protection of civilians from the humanitarian consequences arising from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is so critical. I'd now like you to turn your attention to the screen to hear directly from those children who need our action. Children who should have been in the chamber with us today.

So, the school is not renovated, and the teachers are not happy with the distance learning. much in my mother's team of chat.

It's a school is the boat is not yet. D'abord, vers les avenues du haut de mon quartier, les dégâts que je peux constater ici, c'est affligeant.

أول ذكرى إلي بالحرب كانت يمكن كان عمري ثلاث سنوات فقط فجأة صحيت على صوت انفجار الدجاج متكسر من حولي وأهلنا عم يصرخوا يلا بسرعة يلا بسرعة من وقتها من بعد ما صار شنطة سفر وطريقنا التهجير كل ما نتعود على مكان ونتركه تحت القصف وكل ما نحط صديق نودعه من شنو طريقة تم من بداية الحرب قلنا نطلع من الفاشل فقدت بيتنا فقدت أصحابي

But we have to build a new life because the war has stopped.

And I hope it won't return.

It's sad, but it will be better.

I have a small hope in my heart that there will be a better future, God willing. But we, the people of Goma, we want only one thing, peace and security for us, for our loved ones, our family.

We will now open the floor to hear from member states and civil society. We will invite speakers to take the floor with consideration given to regional distribution and champions of this critical agenda, ensuring diverse perspectives. When taking the floor, speakers should press the microphone button on the table in front of them to activate their microphone before beginning the intervention. And I need to emphasize, given the number of important voices we have in the room today, I will give the floor to each registered speaker for two to three minutes only, and the microphone will be turned off at three minutes. This is to ensure that everyone can speak and we can hear a diverse set of voices. To begin, I'm going to invite the speaker from Andorra to give their statement.

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, 30 years ago, the United Nations established the mandate for a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict with a clear purpose, to ensure that children who bear no responsibility for war are protected from its consequences. Three decades later, we are confronted with a deeply troubling reality. The number of children killed and injured in armed conflict continues to rise, and explosive weapons remain one of the leading causes of these casualties, particularly when used in populated areas. Behind every figure, there is a child whose life has been changed forever. Early this year, Andorra had the privilege of welcoming Junior Nsita Ntsuami as part of the Prove It Matters campaign, which Andorra and Malta proudly support. Abducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the age of 12 while he was at school, Junior was forced to become a child soldier. Meeting him in Andorra was a powerful reminder that behind the statistics, there are real children whose childhoods have been stolen by war. His story also illustrates a simple truth: children belong in schools, not on battlefields. They should carry books and pens, not weapons. For children, the impact of an explosive attack does not end when the explosion stops. Destroyed schools interrupt education, damaged hospitals limit access to care, destroyed water and sanitation infrastructure threaten children's health and survival. And the long-term psychological impact can last a lifetime. This is why protecting children must begin with prevention. Andorra endorsed the Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in Dublin in 2022, and remains committed in integrating the protection of children into its multilateral engagement. But endorsement alone is not enough. Political commitments must lead to concrete action. This is also particularly important as warfare evolves. The growing use of drones, autonomous systems.

Thank you to the speaker from Andorra. And I'd like to move to the speaker from Austria.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. The protection of children in armed conflict and addressing the impact of explosive weapons in populated areas have been long-standing priorities for Austria. As we mark the 30th anniversary of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, its relevance could hardly be clearer given the horrifying scale of violence affecting children. With explosive weapons responsible for almost 70% of child casualties, it is clear that addressing their use must be a central part of our efforts. Austria attaches particular importance to prevention, including full respect for international humanitarian law and protection of schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. The Safe Schools Declaration and the Eviper Declaration are key instruments in this regard. We are also passionate advocates for strengthening accountability for violations, including through the monitoring and reporting mechanism and for an impartial and evidence-based CARC agenda. And the evolving means and methods of warfare through the use of drones and the integration of AI present new challenges. Austria is a strong advocate for addressing the humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2019, we hosted the Vienna Conference on Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare, which was instrumental in the establishment of the Wiper Declaration. Since then, we have remained actively engaged in its universalization and implementation. The interconnection between these two agendas is clear. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas kills, maims and injures children. It also destroys the infrastructure and support systems on which their lives depend: schools and hospitals, water and sanitation systems, homes and energy infrastructure. Explosive remnants of war often continue to endanger children long after the fighting has stopped. Thirty years after the establishment of the CAC mandate, our task is to turn these normative frameworks into concrete action. The Evipa commitments provide an excellent basis to strengthen military policies and practices, training, data collection, victim assistance, and measures to address both the direct and reverberating effects of explosive weapons. Through the implementation, children will become safer. At the same time, we should also dedicate greater resources to ensuring that children themselves can participate in our work on the CARC agenda, empowering them to become positive actors in society. Thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Austria. I'd like to invite the speaker from Costa Rica.

Thank you very much. Costa Rica thanks you for convening this meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Mandate on Children and Armed Conflict. For a child, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas can mean losing their home, their school, or access to water and medical care. The consequences endure long after hostilities have ceased. Our response must address both visible and invisible wounds. As a country without an army, Costa Rica maintains that the conduct of hostilities must fully respect international humanitarian law. The principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution require consideration of the foreseeable effects on the services children depend on. In June 2015, we endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration to protect education during armed conflict. We also endorsed the Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas and hosted its second international follow-up conference in San Jose. Following that conference, Costa Rica, Ireland and Norway issued an outcome document recommending that states review national policies and practices, improve data collection on indirect effects and strengthen assistance to victims. It is now time to put those recommendations into practice. Excellencies, Technologies transforming conflict pose new challenges. Whatever means are employed, decisions on the use of force must comply with international law. No technology justifies endangering civilian lives, especially those of children. We invite more states to endorse the political declaration and work toward its implementation. Protecting children is a shared responsibility and a condition for building peace. Thank you very much.

Thank you to the speaker from Costa Rica. I'd like to invite the speaker from Belgium.

Excellencies, 30 years after the mandate of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts was established, we continue to witness an ongoing increase globally of verified grave violations against children, and it is of great concern to my country. This negative trend is the sign of a real and dangerous erosion of respect for and compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The unique impact of explosive weapons in populated areas on children is undeniable. It is indeed one of the main causes of grave violations against their rights, specifically killing and maiming, but also attacks on schools and hospitals. Belgium reaffirms its commitment to international humanitarian law and the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution. We believe that the implementation of the EU-IPA political declaration must be rooted in this legal obligation, while also going further to promote good practices. Around the world, Belgian diplomatic missions are active as a member of chair or chair of groups of friends related to children and armed conflict agenda. You can count on my country to integrate the declaration's common commitments into the work of these groups and to advocate within and through these groups for the universal adoption of the declaration. I thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Belgium. I'd like to invite the speaker from Syria.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, in Syria, the danger of war doesn't end when the fighting stops. Today, mines and unexploded ordnance are present across the country. Through our work, we have identified nine different types of mines, as Syria is the second most contaminated country in the world. And 30% of those who have been killed by explosive remnants since December 2024 are children. This is why at our Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, we established the National Mine Action Center, where we are building a national system, consolidating data, identifying contaminated areas, setting national standards, coordinating surveys and clearance, and building Syrian technical capacity. We are also developing a three-year national strategy, because this cannot remain a collection of fragmented projects. For us, national ownership is essential. We need international partners to provide expertise, equipment, and financing, but this support must build sustainable Syria national capacity, not to replace it. Syria must be able to set its own priorities, coordinate actors, manage national data, and direct survey and clearance efforts to areas of the greatest need. Mine action is not separate technical file. It's a precondition for return, restoring of services, reopening school, and bringing agriculture land back into use. This is why getting the sequence right is essential to recovery. Therefore, we adopted area-based approach, linking survey and the clearance priorities directly to areas seeing population return. On the other hand, we also need to ensure sustained support for victims and survivors. 30 years after the establishment of the Children and Armed Conflicts Mandate, we don't need more words. We need compliance. Thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Syria. I'd like to invite the speaker from Ireland.

Thank you, Madam Moderator, Excellencies and colleagues. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in organising this meeting on what is a very critical issue. I think it reminds us all that we can never become immune to the horrific reality of conflict, particularly conflict affecting children, which children should never have to endure. Since the adoption of the EUWIP political declaration in Dublin in 2022, we continue to work to universalise the declaration, particularly with Norway and Costa Rica, who have hosted recent implementation conferences. The UN Secretary General's report on children in armed conflict highlights the scale of the awful reality. That children are killed or injured in conflict is unconscionable in and of itself, and such deaths are so often the direct result of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. And as many people have testified, behind the high numbers cited in the Secretary-General's report are real traumas that will have long-lasting impacts for individuals, for families and for communities across generations. That is why Ireland continues to champion the Uweipa declaration and why we continue to engage in outreach to help develop a life-saving norm and change military practices. It is precisely at this time of increased conflict that we should champion the declaration and prioritise universalisation and enhanced implementation on the ground. It is such an important tool for reaffirming and operationalising key obligations under international law. The Wiper Political Declaration makes important commitments that if developed and implemented widely will help to strengthen the protection of civilians, including children. And I think as we've heard from the powerful testimony today, implementation is so important. And if I might add, and Marcus Mumford stressed this, things are changing so quickly technologically that not only do we implement what we've agreed, but we have to stay ahead of the awful terror of new technology as well as it will affect children. Therefore, I wish to take the opportunity to reiterate the encouragement given by others for all who have not done so to join the political declaration. You can do so by lodging your endorsement with our mission to the United Nations. We will continue our outreach, and we stand ready to provide support and clarification to any interested States with any questions they may have. Thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Ireland. I would like to now invite the speaker from Greece.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, colleagues. Greece, as an elected member of the Security Council and as a chair-in-waiting of the CAC Working Group and CAC Ben holder, has taken this responsibility with a firm commitment in strengthening the protection of children. Nothing kills or injures more children than explosive weapons. Children survivors of explosive weapons often suffer severe psychological injuries and have lower chances of survival than adults. Disability, long-term trauma, disruption of education, and psychological impact undermine entire generations. Greece, as an EU member and a member of Human Security Network, was actively involved in the process to develop the political declaration on the use of explosive weapon in populated areas and was among the first group of states to endorse the political declaration in Dublin. Having said that, Greece calls for concrete action in the following key areas. First, ensure compliance with obligations under international law, strengthen national policy frameworks to endorse and implement the AWIPA declaration, and provide education for reduction of risks and assistance to victims. Second, invest in the protection and support for children by scaling up access to protection services, psychological care, rehabilitation services, and safe education, as well as technical and financial support for the clearing of explosive weapons and the building of local demining capabilities. Third, promote accountability by investigating and prosecuting violations and abuses against children. In October, Greece will hold the presidency of the Security Council. We intend to leverage this role constructively to foster dialogue, build consensus, promote outcomes, that can contribute to the protection of children in armed weapons, ensuring that this issue remains at the center of our collective efforts. Thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Greece. I'd like to invite the speaker from Georgia.

Thank you, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. Georgia welcomes this important high-level event and commends the organizers for drawing attention to the devastating impact of explosive weapons on children in armed conflict. As we mark 30 years of the Children and Armed Conflict Mandate, we must acknowledge a deeply concerning reality. Children continue to bear a disproportionate burden of armed conflicts. Despite three decades of international efforts to strengthen their protection, children remain among those most severely affected by conflict and violence. Georgia remains gravely concerned that armed conflicts have a devastating impact on children who are entitled to the highest level of protection under international humanitarian and human rights law. To our greatest concern, children continue to bear the devastating consequences of explosive weapons, including death and injury, psychological and psychological harm, displacement, the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, undermining their protection, education, and long-term development. In this regard, let me draw our attention to the ongoing war in Ukraine that continues to have a profound impact on children. Ukrainian children have been exposed to death, unlawful detention, kidnapping, and separation from their families. These consequences underscore the urgent need to strengthen their protection in armed conflict and to ensure full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law. As an early endorser of the political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas since November 2022, Georgia stands firmly committed to strengthening the protection of civilians and safeguarding children from the devastating impacts of warfare. Unfortunately, Georgia has its population affected by armed conflict and the illegal occupation of Georgia's regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali by the Russian Federation, whereby children are the most gravely impacted. In this regard, Georgia has put forward a strong legal framework, National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights 22 to 30. Let me draw your attention to the dire humanitarian and human rights situation in the Russia-occupied Abkhazia and Sukhumi regions of Georgia, where many children were the victims of Russian aggression. The pressure on ethnic Georgians living in the occupied regions, coupled with other gross human rights violations and ethnic discrimination, creates the risk for another wave of displacement. Prohibition of education in native language in Russian-occupied Georgian regions remain among our major concerns. Georgia reiterates its strong commitment to advancing joint efforts to protect the rights, dignity, and future of every child affected by conflict and to ensuring that no child is left behind. I thank you very much.

Thank you to the speaker from Georgia. I'd like to invite the speaker from Mexico.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you Thank you very much. The growing use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas is changing the way in which conflicts affect the civilian population. Girls and boys pay the highest price. International humanitarian law sets clear limits. on hostilities and recognizes the need to provide special protection for children. The challenge that we now face is not just preserving these norms, but also ensuring that they continue to be effective, given the new realities of armed conflict. And the technological change in warfare cannot result in a reduction that international protection is supposed to provide for the civilian population. My country has subscribed to all of the relevant judicial instruments to combat these, including mines and cluster munitions, as well as the political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, the WEAP. I believe this can be a concrete tool for translating our obligations into policies and practices able to address the challenges raised by contemporary conflict. Mexico wishes to take this opportunity to encourage States who haven't yet done so to endorse this agreement, because this is part of the humanitarian disarmament tools that continue to be implemented. We need a more coherent international response in light of the humanitarian consequences of the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons. in densely populated areas. We need to take account of the differentiated impacts of these instruments of war. The protection of children should continue to be the core focus of our efforts to mitigate the impacts of armed conflict. Girls and boys are rights holders and their protection should guide our decisions before, during and after hostilities. It is our responsibility to work to ensure that no girl or boy has to pay the cost of war with their lives, their education or their future. I thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Mexico. I'd like to invite the speaker from Switzerland.

Thank you.

Excellences, dear colleagues. I'd really like to thank the organizers of this event for creating this opportunity to discuss this issue. I'd also like to echo previous speakers and add that Switzerland is deeply concerned by the consequences of armed conflict on children, particularly when hostilities take place far too often in urban areas and other populated areas. Addressing the risks linked to the use of explosive weapons requires concrete measures to strengthen the protection of civilians in the conduct of hostilities. The Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians against the Humanitarian Consequences of the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas is an important framework to help us in this work. It seeks particularly to strengthen policies and practices on the military level and to better take into account the indirect and direct effects of explosive weapons on civilians. Switzerland is committed to its implementation and is seeking to strengthen its own national practices, particularly through training and the legal consideration of weapons. We encourage all states who have yet to do so to join the political declaration and to translate its commitments into action. In parallel, the legal framework is clear. All parties to a conflict must respect at all times their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The full implementation of these is the main way of protecting civilians, including children. This is particularly important because new technologies and new means and ways of waging war are ever changing. Existing obligations covered by international law still apply, whatever the technology is used. Technological developments should not reduce the level of civilian protection. On the contrary, they should be leveraged to strengthen this protection. Switzerland therefore supports specific and practical measures to strengthen child protection and also protection of civilian infrastructure that these children depend on. Thank you very much.

Thank you to the speaker from Switzerland. I'd like to invite the speaker from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Thank you very much, Madam Moderator. Allow me just to offer a few brief recommendations that we offer also to militaries and governments that we speak with. The first is, if your militaries are carrying out campaigns where you're using air-to-ground rockets and bombs, do not use unguided munitions. Second, when carrying out an attack, If you're using explosive weapons, assess the target and assess the likely impact area. And if that impact area is significantly larger than the target, avoid using explosive weapons. Third, we're recommending that militaries include direct reference to the impact on children of AWIPA in their military doctrine. Fourth, talk to your friends. Currently, there are 91 states that have signed up to the declaration. We think that could be much higher. I believe in the 150s or higher. So encourage others to sign up to it. And finally, consider also joining the Global IHL Initiative and in its work streams four and five, for example, four on civilian infrastructure and five on hospitals. We think there's synergy with the WEPA declaration. So in closing, I'd just like to thank Mr. Mumford for his continued attention to this, and please keep it up. And thanks very much to the organizers for this important event. Thank you.

From the International Committee of the Red Cross for those clear recommendations. I'd like to now invite the speaker from CIVIC on behalf of INEW.

Thank you. We have heard stark evidence today about the scale of harm to children. The number of children killed or maimed in armed conflict is the highest in 30 years of reporting. Children are more likely than adults to die from blast injuries, while the infrastructure they depend on is increasingly under attack. In 2025, the Explosive Weapons Monitor recorded more than 1,400 incidents where explosive weapons affected education and more than 1,200 affecting healthcare. The way these weapons are used is also changing. Drones were used in 551 attacks on education facilities last year, up from 164 the year before. But whatever the delivery system, the consequences for children remain devastating. As we have heard powerfully from War Child and UNICEF, the harm does not end when the conflict does. Children make up around three quarters of casualties from explosive remnants of war where age is known. Children are not simply smaller adults. The medical, psychological and developmental impacts are distinct and often lifelong. Assistance to affected children and families has to be treated as a long-term responsibility. Yet responses are still too rarely designed around what children actually need. I will end with three concrete steps the International Network on Explosive Weapons requests of states. First, put it in a plan. review national policy, doctrine and training, including commitments to restrict or refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas, and develop an implementation plan with specific measures for children. Second, track the harm and use the data. Build civilian harm tracking into armed forces planning, disaggregate data by age, sex, disability and weapon type, and use it to change how operations are planned. Third, report on what has changed. When reporting on the declaration, set out concrete changes in doctrine, training and practice, including those specifically designed to protect children. Ultimately, the most effective way to protect children from explosive weapons is to avoid their use in populated areas altogether. Thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from CIVIC. I'd like to invite the speaker from the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, fellow parents, a new threat is emerging against children and their right to education. In my organization, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, we've documented 320 drone-related attacks on schools and universities in 2024 and 2025. Almost 300 students and teachers were injured or killed, and their trajectory is stark. These attacks quadrupled between 2023 and 2024, and nearly doubled again the following year. This year, we see no signs of improvement. Schools should be sanctuaries. Instead, they are increasingly targeted. Attacks on schools have increased 50% over the last reporting period. Often deployed with little or no human oversight, including AI-enabled and automated targeting, drones are making attacks on schools more pervasive, more dangerous, and difficult to escape. The damage does not end when the strike does, and is not fully visible even in the rubble. Children are distracted by noises and threats and fear, instead of paying attention to what's happening in the classroom. They're linking school to destruction and fear instead of promise and hope. This new threat must be addressed now. And we call on all member states and parties to first fully endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration and the OEWIPA Political Declaration and all other related instruments committed to protecting children. These are promises you've made. Let's keep them. Second, we must continue investing in monitoring and reporting. We are only able to share this data because we are investing in the rigorous monitoring and reporting that leads to accountability and helps us understand the full scale and severity of these attacks. And yet, our monitoring ecosystem is under attack and is critically underfunded. Third, we need to take responsibility. We need to rigorously review trade agreements and supply chains, suspending arms transfer wherever there is a clear risk of violations against children and against education. We need to make the investments in tech equal to our investments in protection. 30 years into the CAC mandate have taught us what protection requires. The question now is, do we have the political will? Thank you.

Protect education from attack. I'd now like to invite the speaker from the World Evangelical Alliance. can now move to the speaker from the Mine Advisory Group.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Mines Advisory Group, MAG, has worked since 1989 to reduce the threat from explosive ordnance, including landmines, cluster munitions, improvised explosive devices, and unexposed ordnance from bombing and drone warfare. Children face particular risk during conflict and long after fighting ends. Curiosity, play, scrap collection, or the need to move through contaminated areas can all bring them into contact with deadly items. Risk education helps children and adults recognize danger and take safer decisions. Clearance removes the threat, but it is slow. Nevertheless, it is essential before humanitarian response, recovery, and reconstruction can begin. Urban warfare leaves explosive contamination mixed with destroyed homes and damaged schools, health facilities, water systems, and sanitation. For children and families, the danger is immediate and long-lasting. MAG has seen these challenges in urban settings, including northern Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Gaza will be one of the most complex tasks ahead, with an estimated 68 million metric tons of debris and contaminated rubble to process. In Gaza, MAG combines explosive ordnance risk education through our partners with preparedness and protection messages for bombardment, shelling, and active shooting, supported by psychosocial expertise. When explosive weapons are used in populated areas, they cause direct and immediate civilian harm. The removal of explosive ordnance is vital to mitigate further harm. It creates the conditions that ensure protection of children's human rights and the fulfillment of their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children have the right to play, learn, and grow up in safety. Implementing the OWIPA political declaration and sustaining funding for Mine Action are practical, urgent steps to protect children affected by armed conflict. Thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from the Mine Advisory Group. I'd now like to invite the speaker from Brazil.

Thank you, Madam Moderator. I thank the organizers for convening this timely discussion. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Children and Armed Conflict Agenda, it is deeply concerning that the number of children killed in armed conflict continues to rise. The devastating impact of E-Wipe, wipe, I think, remains one of the principal drivers of this trend, as the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza shows us. As warfare evolves, including through the growing use of drones, AI-enabled systems, and other emerging technologies, states must ensure that technological developments do not erode compliance with international humanitarian law or accountability for violations against civilians and children. While explosive weapons in populated areas are not prohibited per se, all parties must comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, and protect civilians and civilian objects. We are particularly concerned about attacks on schools and educational facilities. Brazil endorsed the 2022 political declaration and actively participated in this negotiation. We join others in inviting all states to join. Many of its commitments are already reflected in Brazilian doctrine and practice. Concerned by the growing number of violations of IHL, Brazil joined partners in launching the global initiative to galvanize political commitment to international humanitarian law. We invite all states to seize this opportunity to reaffirm our shared responsibility to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law under all circumstances. I thank you.

Thank you to the speaker from Brazil. I now like to invite the speaker from Russia, who has requested the right to reply.

Thank you very much, Madam Moderator. At the beginning, I'd like to make a general comment to start with, and then I'll move to my right of reply. We support the aims behind convening today's meeting. drawing attention to the horrific impact of explosive weapons on the most vulnerable population of our planet, children. And we'd like to thank the organizers for this meeting. The humanitarian risks linked to the use of this type of weapons are high, and the use of these explosives should be accompanied by full compliance with international humanitarian law, primarily compliance with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution in order to limit any civilian losses and damage to civilian infrastructure. At the same time, some previous speakers spoke about the declaration adopted in Dublin. However, from a theoretical point of view, its signature did not have an impact on the international legal obligations by states that adopted it. However, the number of political obligations is not always a guarantee of commitment to the IHL in practice. At the end of the day, the signatures of these document are some who have provided weapons to Ukraine. missiles that were then used to kill Russian children. In Russia, minors have been victims of deliberate attacks and also attacks indiscriminately with trauma, artillery, missiles and cluster munitions, and they find dangerous objects presented as toys. Last year, an eight-year-old boy died after being found having a explosion detained in his hands. Children also suffer from missiles provided in Terale by Czechia. These also target educational establishments. For example, in April in Zaporozhia, There was an artillery attack on a school and as a result, teachers and students died. Colleagues, children who've suffered from shelling are traumatized for their whole life. And this goes on through generations. And therefore, safety of children should, of course, be a priority in any case. during armed conflict. However, real protection is not something that a political delegation can do, but safety needs to be provided with an end to conflict and targeting of civilians. Only then can we protect children. I'd also like to, in response to the statement from the representative of Georgia, say, recall that the Saakashvili regime started the war against Tsinvala and shelled that town, including using tanks. during this horrible event in 2008 and children died. And we need to remember this. Of course, Russia did not occupy or discriminate in the territory of Abkhazia nor South Ossetia. Russia helps this region to survive. at times when there were sanctions against it and when Georgia itself was putting off the opportunity.

The speaker's microphone has been cut off.

Russia. I'd now like to invite the speaker from Ukraine who requested the right to reply.

So Ukraine, thanks Malta, Norway, the SRS, UNICEF and World Child Alliance for having us. I'm the UN youth delegate of Ukraine. This summer I had consultations with young people in seven cities in seven days from Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv to Odessa. When I asked them what hurts the most, the answer was the same everywhere. studying in bomb shelters, catching up on lost years of schools for children, teenagers, youth, and never feeling safe. For Ukrainian children, this is daily life. Russia strikes homes, schools, hospitals. In July 2024, they hit the biggest children's hospital, Osmadit. It targets the power, water, and heating that children need to survive this winter and previous winters. Drones have definitely changed what childhood means. In Kherson, drones hurt and hunt civilians in the streets and children, including. In May, a clearly marked UN convoy delivering aid there was struck twice, and in Kherson, children now go to school underground, not only in the city. So evolving warfare has another dimension here as well. In the temporarily occupied territories, Russia is militarizing Ukrainian children through the school system, military drills, weapon trainings, youth military movements, and conscription at 18. Children who grew up under the fear of drones are being prepared to operate them. Many young people who have escaped arrived with deep trauma and some with heavy psychotropic medication. Rescue is only the first step and rehabilitation will take years. So ask the three things. First, implement the UIP declaration with child specific measures, including on drone use against civilians. Second, make mental health support a priority, of course, for children returned from occupation. And third, ensure accountability and the return.

Thank you to the speaker from Ukraine and thank you to all the speakers for their valuable contributions today. It is my privilege to now introduce Norway's Minister of International Development, Asbjorn Okrust, to deliver our keynote speech. From signing and promoting the Uweipa Declaration to its instrumental role in the Ottawa Convention, Norway's leadership has been pivotal in advancing the children in armed conflict agenda and supporting the protection of children in humanitarian action. Thank you, Minister Okrutz, for being here today.

Thank you, Excellencies, colleagues and friends. It's an honour to be here and thank you for a very good debate. I'm glad that there are so many countries that are so vocal on the fact that children are paying an unacceptable price for armed conflicts. We see this in Palestine, in Ukraine and Sudan and in so many other places. Norway's message is clear. The UN Charter and international humanitarian law must be respected and apply constantly without double standards in all conflicts by all parties. This is highlighted in Norway's humanitarian strategy, where protection of civilians is a core priority. Let me make three points, building on many of the points that have already been discussed. First, international humanitarian law is the foundation for child protection in war. The rules are clear. Civilians, including children, must be protected when parties to conflict conduct their military operation. The Evipa Declaration helps translate international humanitarian law into military policies, training and operational practice. It provides practical measures to reduce civilian harm when military operations are conducted in popular areas. Children are often the most affected. When explosive weapons are used in densely populated areas, children suffer first and longest. Explosive weapons kill and injure, but they also destroy homes, schools, hospitals, water systems, and infrastructure. For children, this means fear, displacement, and the loss of family and basic services. New technology creates further risks. Drones and artificial intelligence are expanding the reach of warfare. but they do not change the obligation of parties to conflict. International humanitarian law applies regardless of the weapon used, system used, and we as policymakers must keep pace with technological development. In Gaza, more than 20,000 children have been killed since the war began, and more are injured and displaced. and all of Gaza's 1.1 million children are traumatised. In Ukraine, children continue to lose their lives, and many live with air alerts, attacks and displacements. Nearly five years into the full scale war, children's right to education in Ukraine remains under attack. And I think we all heard the hard price that the Ukrainian children are paying from what we heard from the Ukrainian youth delegates. In Sudan, probably the worst place at earth, also for children. Children are killed and millions are forced from their homes and face hunger, violence, sexual violence, and limited basic services. This conflict reminds us why the obligations of international humanitarian law must be upheld. International humanitarian law is not optional. It is legal and a moral obligation for all of us. Second, education must be protected. A school should never be a battlefield. The Safe Schools Declaration is another political tool alongside with the Veba Declaration to protect students, teachers and education facilities and turn commitments into policy, military practice and humanitarian action. Education is not only learning, it's protection, it's routine and it's hope. Third, commitments must be translated into action. As we mark the 30th anniversary this year, the mandate of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict stands as a cornerstone to protect children from the devastating consequences of war. The mandate brings facts to light, mobilizes political attention, and supports dialogue with parties to conflict to end and prevent violations. But declarations and mandates only matter if they change behavior on the ground. States must endorse and fund them. Institutions must implement them. Parties to conflict must comply with international humanitarian law. And violation of international humanitarian law must have consequences. Guidance of implementation is available both for the EUIPA and Safe School declarations to better protect civilians, especially children. Every child has the right to protection, dignity and a future. The powerful stories in the video reminded us why we must listen to children and youth affected by conflict. They must have real opportunities to take part in the decisions that affect their lives. Norway will continue to be a clear voice for international humanitarian law, civilian protection, and every child's right to safety, education, and peace. We must stand together to end violations. Let us use this momentum from this good discussion today. Most of all, children deserve nothing less. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Okrust. To close our session today, I'd like to welcome Vanessa Fraser, the Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Under-Secretary-General Fraser was a leader on the children affected by armed conflict agenda long before she was appointed a special representative, and we are fortunate to have her continued leadership. Thank you, Under-Secretary-General Fraser, for being here and for sharing your reflections on the path forward to translate our discussion today into meaningful action for children.

Thank you. Excellencies, colleagues, as we close, I would like to leave you with five powerful messages from today's side event. First, The scale of harm demands urgent action. In 2025, the UN verified more than 14,200 child casualties across 23 situations. Over 70% were caused by explosive weapons. Behind each figure is a child, as we heard our Minister say before, Minister Fan. Behind each figure is a child whose life has been lost or permanently altered, and a family and community living with the consequences. Second, we must recognize the full impact of children. In addition to the direct harm to children when explosive weapons damage schools, hospitals, water systems, and homes, children lose access to education, healthcare, protection, and a sense of safety. displacement, psychological distress, and contamination by explosive remnants can affect children and their community for years. Mental health and psychosocial support must therefore be treated as an integral part of protection and recovery. Third, commitments must change practice. I encourage states that have not yet done so to endorse the political declaration on explosive weapons in populated area. When I first held my first meeting in this capacity with a group of friends on CAC, I said to all the member states, those of you that claim to be CAC champions and have not signed the WEPA can walk out. This declaration has a direct impact on our mandate. I expect all CAC champion states to sign and implement this declaration. for endorsing states. Implementation must now be reflected in military doctrine, training, operational planning and the systematic assessment of civilian harm. Parties to conflicts must comply fully with international humanitarian law and restrict or I will start again. Parties to conflict must comply fully with international humanitarian law and restrict or refrain from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas when their use may be expected to cause harm to civilians or civilian objects. Fourth, evolving technologies must not create new protections on or accountability gaps. Drones, autonomous functions, and AI may be changing how wars are fought, but they do not change the obligations of parties to protect children. Meaningful human judgment, rigorous precautions, and clear lines of responsibilities must remain central. Technology should be used to reduce civilian harm, never to increase it or to make it less accountable. I reiterate the Secretary-General's call to states to conclude a legally binding instrument to prohibit lethal autonomous weapons systems that function without human control and that cannot be used in compliance with international humanitarian law, and to regulate all other types of autonomous weapons systems. Fifth, Children must help shape our response. Their experiences and their recommendations should inform policy, humanitarian action and implementation of the political declaration. We must also ensure that commitments expressed today are followed by sustained political leadership, adequate investment in child protection and the measurable actions on the ground. As we mark 30 years of the CAC mandate, our success cannot be measured only by declarations adopted or meetings convened. It must ultimately be measured by fewer children killed and maimed, fewer schools and hospitals destroyed, and more children affected by conflict able to live, learn and recover in safety. My mandate is to end and prevent these violations. The meetings and declarations are not enough. We need action for these numbers to be reduced and for us to work collectively to end and prevent the continuance of these violations against children. My office stands ready to work with member states, the UN, civil society, and affected children and communities to advance this work. I thank Malta, Norway, UNICEF, and War Child Alliance for co-hosting today's event. And I thank you all for your participation and your commitment. Thank you.

Thank you, Under-Secretary-General Fraser, for that call to action, that expectation of action. And with those powerful words, we conclude our event today. Thank you, everyone, for your participation.