Security Council Topic 1
Children in Armed Conflict
Approximately 400 million children live in or are fleeing conflict zones around the world; over half of all civilians killed by landmines and explosive remnants are children. The number of attacks on children in war zones has tripled since 2010 (UNICEF, n.d.). Additionally, there are still countries around the world whose armed forces consist partly of minors. In 2016, 35% of those in the armed forces in Cyprus were minors and the nation still considered the possibility of deploying 17-year-old members to conflict areas (Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2017). Both the recruitment and presence of children in armed conflict zones presents numerous short and long-term challenges.
Children who are a part of war are at heightened risk of being detained by hostile forces, wounded, injured, and killed. It also increases the rate of mental illness, including trauma and other ailments, as they are often separated from their family. Additionally, war creates negative educational outcomes for affected children as schools are often deliberately targeted and used for military purposes or to house displaced populations. This interruption of education can leave lasting impacts on children as they struggle to re-adjust when the conflict subsides.
More recently, in 2023, as noted in a report by the Secretary-General of the Security Council, the violence against children in armed conflict increased 21% and the number of killings and maimings rose by 35%. The council also verified that there were 1,650 attacks on schools and hospitals during 2023, notably in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan (United Nations General Assembly Security Council, 2024).
Despite the continuance of these issues, the United Nations (UN) has been taking action with these issues and attempting solutions. In 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted the “Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict” which calls for the implementation of protections for children, who are defined as anyone under the age of 18 (United Nations, 2000). Specifically, this includes protections against being recruited into military forces (United Nations, 2000). Additionally, prior to this addition in 2000, the UN General Assembly, in 1989, adopted resolution 44/25, which included the Convention on the Rights of the Child and is an international human rights treaty that sets out numerous protections for children, including religious protections, freedom of speech and thought, legal remedies and considerations, and protections during times of war. (United Nations General Assembly Security Council, 2024).
In summary, the exploitation and harm of children during periods of armed conflict continues to be a pressing issue despite the legal protections already in place. As you prepare for the conference, your main focus should be on how the amount of violence and exploitation towards children in armed conflict can be reduced and how this can be accomplished through legal repercussions and other means.
Questions to Consider:
- Is your state a member of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and/or its Optional Protocol? Does it have any statements in support or opposed to it?
- What does your state believe are the primary factors leading to the recruitment of children into armed forces, and what can be done to address them?
- What should the current legal repercussions for individuals who violate the legal protections that are afforded to children be and how can these be enforced and enhanced?
- How might children be better protected in times of armed conflict?
Resources to consider:
Convention on the Rights of the Child: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/crc.pdf
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/tools-for-action/optional-protocol/
Children and armed conflict – Report of the Secretary-General: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/document/secretary-general-annual-report-on-children-and-armed-conflict-3/
International Committee of the Red Cross – Children: https://www.icrc.org/en/war-and-law/protected-persons/children
Brookings Institute - Children at War: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/children-at-war/