Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy (Photo: VNA)The meeting, jointly held by UNSC members - Estonia, Norway, France,Tunisia, Ireland, the UK, the US, Kenya, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Vietnam - along with Belgium, Sweden, Germany and Canada, drew representatives from 32countries, a number of UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.
According to VirginiaGamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and ArmedConflict, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the delay of activitiessupporting children in armed conflicts, while posing adverse impacts on the UN'scapacity in supervising and verifying serious violations against children andpreventing the UN's efforts at national level in contacting parties involving inconflicts to end and avoid violations against children.
She cited the UN's statistics showing children who becomevictims of recruitment and use by armed forces and groups can indeed be forcednot only to engage in combat but also to work as lookouts, porters, cooks orused for sexual purposes.
Participants at the meeting highlighted challenges relatedto the protection of children amid armed conflicts, holding that the pandemic iscausing more difficulties in the activity.
They sought solutions to the problems, including governments’responsibilities in protecting and ensuring the rights of children as well asinternational cooperation, especially in finance in the work at national andregional levels.
Addressing the meeting, Quy expressed his deepconcern about the losses and disadvantages facing children amid armed conflicts,asserting that COVID-19 is worsening the situation and causing moredifficulties for the supervision and reporting of the UN in the field.
He stressed the need for countries in armed conflicts to bear primary responsibilityin meeting fundamental demands of children and abide by regulations ininternational humanity and human rights.
The ambassador held that in order to settle the root of conflicts, itis necessary to ensure children’s education access and enhance theempowerment of children, which will help them nurture and develop the peaceculture.
Meanwhile, parties joining the armed conflicts must immediatelystop and prevent all attacks targeting schools, he stated, underscoring thesignificance of strengthening international cooperation in increasing theefficiency of supervision over measures to protect children amid armed conflicts./.
VNA
