UN / CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT
28-Jun-2021
00:02:56
Presenting his report on children and armed conflict, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the Security Council and all countries to “strongly support the protection of children in all ways at all times,” and stressed that there is “no place for children in conflict, and we must not allow conflict to trample on the rights of children.” UNIFEED
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STORY: UN / CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT
TRT: 2:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 JUNE 2021, NEW YORK CITY
TRT: 2:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 JUNE 2021, NEW YORK CITY
SHOTLIST
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN headquarters exterior
28 JUNE 2021, NEW YORK CITY
2. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“During 2020, almost 24,000 grave violations were committed against 19,300 children in the 21 situations covered by this mandate. The disregard for children’s rights at times of conflict and upheaval is shocking and heartbreaking. The most prevalent verified violations continued to be the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, and the denial of humanitarian access to children. Moreover, new and deeply concerning trends emerged: an exponential increase in the number of children abducted, and in sexual violence against boys and girls.”
4. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
5. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I call on the Security Council and all Member States to strongly support the protection of children in all ways at all times. There is no place for children in conflict, and we must not allow conflict to trample on the rights of children.”
6. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
"For the children living through the 21 conflicts outlined in the report, the challenges of daily life under COVID-19 are magnified. School closures. Increased risks of violence and abuse under lockdowns. Mental health impacts and being separated from their friends and peers. Negative coping mechanisms like child marriage and child labour. All against the backdrop of protracted conflicts and global socio-economic crises that threatens to roll back decades of progress and increase the risk of recruitment and use of children.”
8. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
"Each violence against children — reported or unreported — represents a stain on our humanity. And on our ability, as a world, to fulfil a basic function — to protect and care for the youngest and most vulnerable people in the world. And to match their bravery and resilience with our best efforts. Children and young people bear no responsibility for conflict. And yet they bear the deepest scars. They pay the highest price. Through decisive political action and increased investment in the humanitarian heroes who are supporting these young lives in the midst of violence and war, we can begin to turn this around — through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”
10. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Forest Whitaker, Advocate for Children Affected by War with the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation:
“Not all children involved in conflict will suffer from wounds and injuries, but all will suffer from inner scars, trapped in inner cages for which they have no key.”
12. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
1. Wide shot, UN headquarters exterior
28 JUNE 2021, NEW YORK CITY
2. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“During 2020, almost 24,000 grave violations were committed against 19,300 children in the 21 situations covered by this mandate. The disregard for children’s rights at times of conflict and upheaval is shocking and heartbreaking. The most prevalent verified violations continued to be the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, and the denial of humanitarian access to children. Moreover, new and deeply concerning trends emerged: an exponential increase in the number of children abducted, and in sexual violence against boys and girls.”
4. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
5. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I call on the Security Council and all Member States to strongly support the protection of children in all ways at all times. There is no place for children in conflict, and we must not allow conflict to trample on the rights of children.”
6. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
"For the children living through the 21 conflicts outlined in the report, the challenges of daily life under COVID-19 are magnified. School closures. Increased risks of violence and abuse under lockdowns. Mental health impacts and being separated from their friends and peers. Negative coping mechanisms like child marriage and child labour. All against the backdrop of protracted conflicts and global socio-economic crises that threatens to roll back decades of progress and increase the risk of recruitment and use of children.”
8. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
"Each violence against children — reported or unreported — represents a stain on our humanity. And on our ability, as a world, to fulfil a basic function — to protect and care for the youngest and most vulnerable people in the world. And to match their bravery and resilience with our best efforts. Children and young people bear no responsibility for conflict. And yet they bear the deepest scars. They pay the highest price. Through decisive political action and increased investment in the humanitarian heroes who are supporting these young lives in the midst of violence and war, we can begin to turn this around — through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”
10. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Forest Whitaker, Advocate for Children Affected by War with the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation:
“Not all children involved in conflict will suffer from wounds and injuries, but all will suffer from inner scars, trapped in inner cages for which they have no key.”
12. Multiple screens, participants in Security Council meeting
STORYLINE
Presenting his report on children and armed conflict, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the Security Council and all countries to “strongly support the protection of children in all ways at all times,” and stressed that there is “no place for children in conflict, and we must not allow conflict to trample on the rights of children.”
Addressing a virtual high-level meeting of the Council today (28 Jun), Guterres said, during 2020, almost 24,000 grave violations were committed against 19,300 children in the 21 situations covered by the report’s mandate. He said the “disregard for children’s rights at times of conflict and upheaval is shocking and heartbreaking.”
The Secretary-General noted that the most prevalent verified violations continued to be the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, and the denial of humanitarian access to children. “Moreover, new and deeply concerning trends emerged: an exponential increase in the number of children abducted, and in sexual violence against boys and girls,” he added.
Guterres said conflict devastates societies and hits children particularly hard and called on all parties to conflict to prioritize the prevention of violations against children and to engage in dialogue, ceasefires and peace processes.
He said as the international community marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, its continued relevance is sadly clear, and it remains a proven tool for protecting the world’s children. He said the Annual Report, with its accountability and engagement components, is a crucial instrument, adding that 17 Action Plans are being implemented and at least 35 new commitments were made by parties to conflict during 2020.
Guterres stressed that there remain many challenges to overcome to better protect children and prevent violations against them in the years to come. He said, while the report is grim, hope could be drawn from the local and international commitments to this work and the efforts of child protection specialists.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for children around the world, but especially for the children living through the horrors of conflict.
She said, "For the children living through the 21 conflicts outlined in the report, the challenges of daily life under COVID-19 are magnified. School closures. Increased risks of violence and abuse under lockdowns. Mental health impacts and being separated from their friends and peers. Negative coping mechanisms like child marriage and child labour. All against the backdrop of protracted conflicts and global socio-economic crises that threatens to roll back decades of progress and increase the risk of recruitment and use of children.”
Fore said she had hoped that parties to conflict would turn their attention from fighting each other, to fighting the virus, which is why UNICEF joined the Secretary-General in calling for a global ceasefire. However, as the report shows, this call went unheeded.
Fore said lockdowns and travel constraints also made the already challenging work of supporting children in conflicts all the more difficult. She said, on average, over the last five years, the UN has verified at least 70 children every day who experienced grave rights violations and actual numbers are much higher.
The UNICEF chief urged the Council to give this issue the priority it deserves in its decisions and deliberations. She called on states and all parties to conflict to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and called on countries to invest in women and girls and prevent gender-based violence in conflict. Fore said girls were not only the victims of one-quarter of all violations — they represented 98 per cent of the victims of rape and sexual violence.
Fore also called on countries to help UNICEF and its partners increase their child protection capacity across the board.
She said, "Each violence against children — reported or unreported — represents a stain on our humanity. And on our ability, as a world, to fulfil a basic function — to protect and care for the youngest and most vulnerable people in the world. And to match their bravery and resilience with our best efforts. Children and young people bear no responsibility for conflict. And yet they bear the deepest scars. They pay the highest price. Through decisive political action and increased investment in the humanitarian heroes who are supporting these young lives in the midst of violence and war, we can begin to turn this around — through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Forest Whitaker - actor, producer, director and advocate for children affected by conflict – said each of the violations listed in the report is chilling and has invisible impacts that last far beyond the violations themselves. He said children lose months and years of education which turn into reduced opportunities. He added that these children also face social stigma, whereby families and communities refuse to take them back or care for them, and trauma is experience across the board.
Whitaker said, “Not all children involved in conflict will suffer from wounds and injuries, but all will suffer from inner scars, trapped in inner cages for which they have no key.”
The Secretary-General’s annual report cover the period from January to December 2020 and provides information on six grave violations in 21 conflict situations. The six violations include: the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons, the abduction of children, and the denial of humanitarian access.
The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen.
Addressing a virtual high-level meeting of the Council today (28 Jun), Guterres said, during 2020, almost 24,000 grave violations were committed against 19,300 children in the 21 situations covered by the report’s mandate. He said the “disregard for children’s rights at times of conflict and upheaval is shocking and heartbreaking.”
The Secretary-General noted that the most prevalent verified violations continued to be the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, and the denial of humanitarian access to children. “Moreover, new and deeply concerning trends emerged: an exponential increase in the number of children abducted, and in sexual violence against boys and girls,” he added.
Guterres said conflict devastates societies and hits children particularly hard and called on all parties to conflict to prioritize the prevention of violations against children and to engage in dialogue, ceasefires and peace processes.
He said as the international community marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, its continued relevance is sadly clear, and it remains a proven tool for protecting the world’s children. He said the Annual Report, with its accountability and engagement components, is a crucial instrument, adding that 17 Action Plans are being implemented and at least 35 new commitments were made by parties to conflict during 2020.
Guterres stressed that there remain many challenges to overcome to better protect children and prevent violations against them in the years to come. He said, while the report is grim, hope could be drawn from the local and international commitments to this work and the efforts of child protection specialists.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for children around the world, but especially for the children living through the horrors of conflict.
She said, "For the children living through the 21 conflicts outlined in the report, the challenges of daily life under COVID-19 are magnified. School closures. Increased risks of violence and abuse under lockdowns. Mental health impacts and being separated from their friends and peers. Negative coping mechanisms like child marriage and child labour. All against the backdrop of protracted conflicts and global socio-economic crises that threatens to roll back decades of progress and increase the risk of recruitment and use of children.”
Fore said she had hoped that parties to conflict would turn their attention from fighting each other, to fighting the virus, which is why UNICEF joined the Secretary-General in calling for a global ceasefire. However, as the report shows, this call went unheeded.
Fore said lockdowns and travel constraints also made the already challenging work of supporting children in conflicts all the more difficult. She said, on average, over the last five years, the UN has verified at least 70 children every day who experienced grave rights violations and actual numbers are much higher.
The UNICEF chief urged the Council to give this issue the priority it deserves in its decisions and deliberations. She called on states and all parties to conflict to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and called on countries to invest in women and girls and prevent gender-based violence in conflict. Fore said girls were not only the victims of one-quarter of all violations — they represented 98 per cent of the victims of rape and sexual violence.
Fore also called on countries to help UNICEF and its partners increase their child protection capacity across the board.
She said, "Each violence against children — reported or unreported — represents a stain on our humanity. And on our ability, as a world, to fulfil a basic function — to protect and care for the youngest and most vulnerable people in the world. And to match their bravery and resilience with our best efforts. Children and young people bear no responsibility for conflict. And yet they bear the deepest scars. They pay the highest price. Through decisive political action and increased investment in the humanitarian heroes who are supporting these young lives in the midst of violence and war, we can begin to turn this around — through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Forest Whitaker - actor, producer, director and advocate for children affected by conflict – said each of the violations listed in the report is chilling and has invisible impacts that last far beyond the violations themselves. He said children lose months and years of education which turn into reduced opportunities. He added that these children also face social stigma, whereby families and communities refuse to take them back or care for them, and trauma is experience across the board.
Whitaker said, “Not all children involved in conflict will suffer from wounds and injuries, but all will suffer from inner scars, trapped in inner cages for which they have no key.”
The Secretary-General’s annual report cover the period from January to December 2020 and provides information on six grave violations in 21 conflict situations. The six violations include: the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons, the abduction of children, and the denial of humanitarian access.
The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen.
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