In May, the Security Council will hold its annual open debate on the PoC. The Security Council and other UN Member States should:
The Working Group has received the following reports of the SG on children and armed conflict and conclusions remain pending: Syria (S/2023/805), the Democratic Republic of Congo (S/2024/705), and Mali (S/2024/883). For targeted recommendations, see Watchlist’s Monthly CAAC updates from December 2023, December 2024, and March 2025, respectively.
In March 2025, the SG published his first report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Burkina Faso (S/2025/101), covering the period from July 2022 to June 2024. During this time, the UN verified 2,483 grave violations against 2,255 children (1,310 boys, 750 girls, 195 of unknown sex), including 223 children who were victims of multiple grave violations. Killing and maiming (1,386) emerged as the most prevalent violation, followed by abduction (592) and recruitment and use (257). Armed groups, particularly Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), committed 65 percent of the violations. The Defence and Security Forces and the Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie committed 20 percent of violations. The UN attributed the remaining 15 percent to unidentified perpetrators. Armed attacks and military operations killed 920 children and maimed 466, while explosive devices resulted in 163 child casualties. The UN verified 132 attacks on schools and hospitals, 96 incidents of denial of humanitarian access and 25 cases of detention of children for their alleged association with armed groups. Parties to conflict also subjected at least 20 girls to rape and other forms of sexual violence, though stigma and fear of reprisals likely led to underreporting. Insecurity, access restrictions, and the risk of reprisals against monitors limited the UN’s ability to verify allegations of violations, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
In March 2025, the Secretary-General published his seventh report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Myanmar (S/2025/81), covering the period from July 2020 to December 2023. The previous report on Myanmar was issued in 2020; however, the Working Group was unable to adopt conclusions at that time or in the interim. During this reporting period, the UN verified 5,141 grave violations against 4,089 children (3,238 boys, 721 girls, 130 of unknown sex). Recruitment and use (2,195) was the most prevalent verified violation, followed by killing and maiming (1,635) and abduction (519). The Myanmar armed forces, including related forces and affiliated militias, were responsible for nearly 80 percent of all verified violations. Armed attacks killed 470 children and maimed 1,165, with explosive weapons accounting for most casualties. The UN also verified 288 attacks on schools and hospitals, 497 incidents of denial of humanitarian access, 256 cases of detention, and 25 cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, though underreporting remains a concern. The number of grave violations increased more than fourfold compared to the previous reporting period, including increased use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Widespread insecurity, access restrictions, and disruptions to telecommunications severely impacted monitoring and verification efforts, suggesting the true scale of violations is significantly higher.
Presidency of the Security Council for May:
Greece: Party to Geneva Conventions I–IV, Additional Protocols I and II, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the Rome Statute of the ICC, and ILO Convention 182. Has endorsed the Paris Principles and Commitments, the Safe Schools Declaration, and the Vancouver Principles.
