Abstract
Resolution 2764 (2024)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 9823rd meeting, on 20 December 2024
The Security Council,
Reaffirming its commitment to the continuing and full implementation of resolutions 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), 2143 (2014), 2225 (2015), 2427 (2018), and 2601 (2021), and all relevant Statements of its President, which contribute to a comprehensive framework for addressing the protection… [read more] of children affected by armed conflict,
Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and, in this connection, its commitment to address the widespread impact of armed conflict on children, and the long-term consequences this has for durable peace, security and development,
Stressing the primary role and responsibility of Governments in providing protection and relief to all children affected by armed conflict and recognising the importance of strengthening national capacities in this regard,
Recalling that all parties to armed conflict must comply strictly with the obligations applicable to them under international law for the protection of children in armed conflict, including those contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children in armed conflict, as well as the Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977,
Expressing deep concern over the lack of progress on the ground in some situations, where parties to conflict continue to violate with impunity the relevant provisions of applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict, and emphasising the importance of sustainable child protection capacity, including during transition phases of relevant United Nations peace operations, understood as peacekeeping operations and special political missions,
Recognising the serious and long-lasting impact of armed conflict on children and the importance of treating children primarily as victims of violations of international law and providing them with sustainable, timely and appropriate community-based reintegration assistance, while ensuring that the specific needs and vulnerabilities of girls and boys, including children with disabilities, are addressed, such as access to health care, psychosocial support, and education programmes that centre on the best interests of the child, contribute to their well-being and to sustainable peace and security; underlining the importance of addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities of children, including poverty, deprivation and inequality, and of promoting education for all, to prevent and protect children from all violations and abuses in particular in the context of armed conflict,
Recognising the need for sustainable child protection capacities to end and prevent violations and abuses against children in conflict and post-conflict settings, including in cases of transition to or from United Nations Peace operations; emphasising the crucial role of dedicated child protection advisers and specialists in relevant United Nations peace operations, as well as within UNICEF and other UN agencies, funds and programmes, in line with their respective mandates, for monitoring, prevention, reporting, and dialogue with parties efforts for the benefit of the protection of children; and welcoming the continued efforts of the Department of Peace Operations in mainstreaming child protection into missions, in line with the Policy on Child Protection in United Nations Peace Operations,
Stressing the important role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in carrying out her mandate, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, and in particular the importance of facilitating collaboration and dialogue among United Nations partners at the field level, with national Governments, parties to armed conflicts, and regional and subregional organisations, including by securing concrete commitments and advocating for appropriate response mechanisms,
Also stressing the crucial role of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and Heads of UN peace operations, and that of the Resident Coordinator and UNICEF as Co-Chairs of the country task forces on monitoring and reporting on Children and Armed Conflict in ensuring sustained UN child protection efforts and enhanced coordination among UN entities including in pre and post transition contexts to UN missions,
Acknowledging the important roles of both local and religious leaders to publicly condemn and advocate ending and preventing violations and abuses against children, and to engage with governments, the United Nations and other relevant stakeholders to support the reintegration of children formerly associated with armed groups or armed forces and affected by armed conflict in their communities, and raise awareness to avoid stigmatisation of these children,
1. Strongly condemns all violations of applicable international law involving the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools and hospitals, as well as denial of humanitarian access by parties to armed conflict and all other violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, as well as human rights abuses committed against children in situations of armed conflict and demands that all relevant parties immediately put an end to such practices and take special measures to protect children;
2. Calls upon all parties concerned to abide by the international obligations applicable to them relating to the protection of children affected by armed conflict, as well as the concrete commitments they have made to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, to UNICEF and other United Nations agencies, and to cooperate fully with the United Nations peace operations and the United Nations country teams, where appropriate in the context of the
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cooperation framework between the United Nations and the concerned government, in the follow-up and implementation of these commitments;
3. Stressing the importance of accountability for all violations and abuses against children in armed conflict and call on States to continue to address impunity by efforts to strengthen national accountability mechanism, including building investigative and prosecutorial capacities, ensuring that those responsible for violations and abuses against children are brought to justice and held accountable without undue delay, including through timely and systematic investigation and prosecution, the results of which are made public, and ensure that all victims have access to justice as well as to the medical and support services they need;
4. Calls upon States and the United Nations to mainstream child protection into all relevant activities in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations with the aim of sustaining peace and preventing conflict;
5. Stresses the responsibility of United Nations peace operations and United Nations country teams, consistent with their respective mandates, to ensure effective follow-up to Security Council resolutions, and a coordinated response to children and armed conflict concerns and to monitor and report to the Secretary-General;
6. Recognises the role of United Nations peace operations in the protection of children, particularly the crucial role of dedicated child protection advisers in mainstreaming child protection as a crosscutting issue throughout their mandates including through leading monitoring, prevention, reporting, and dialogue with parties, and in this regard reiterates its decision to continue the inclusion of specific provisions for the protection of children in the mandates of all relevant United Nations peace operations, and encourages the deployment of child protection advisers to such missions, in accordance with their mandates;
7. Calls upon the Secretary-General, through his Special Representatives and Heads of UN peace operations, the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in coordination with his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, the Resident Coordinator and UNICEF as well as relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and child protection actors, to ensure that the need for and the number and roles of child protection advisers are systematically assessed during the preparation and renewal of each United Nations peace operations, or in the context of transitions to or from UN missions, and that child protection advisers are speedily recruited, expeditiously deployed, and properly resourced where appointed, in a transparent manner, and to ensure the sustainable implementation of the children and armed conflict mandate;
8. Encourages all parties concerned, including Member States, United Nations programmes and funds, as well as financial institutions to support, as appropriate, bearing in mind national ownership, the development and strengthening of the capacities of national institutions and local civil society networks for advocacy, protection, and the reintegration and rehabilitation of children affected by armed conflict, particularly children released from armed forces and non-State armed groups, taking into account the specific needs of girls and boys, including children with disabilities, as well as national accountability mechanisms with timely, sustained and adequate resources, and funding including through voluntary contributions;
9. Stresses the important role of regional and subregional organisations on child protection, in particular the African Union, and the strengthening of the AU-UN partnership on children and armed conflict and recognises progress made in this regard, and encourages these organisations to continue the mainstreaming of child protection in their peace and security efforts at all levels, and further encourages all parties concerned to strengthen child protection capacity in regional and subregional
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peace support operations, or field operations, including in transition contexts from UN missions, especially through the early identification of partners including UN agencies, funds and programmes and national institutions that can support child protection as missions draw down, capacity-building and training initiatives, and coordination mechanisms with the United Nations partners on the ground;
10. Reaffirms the central role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in cooperation with the Co-Chairs of the Country Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting in coordinating and leading the United Nations efforts on monitoring, verification and reporting on violations and abuses against children in situations of armed conflict, and in engaging with national Governments and parties to conflict, including during mission withdrawals or transitions of UN missions, or in post-transition contexts, in accordance with their mandates;
11. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary measures including, where applicable, to bring the monitoring and reporting mechanism to its full capacity, to allow for prompt advocacy and effective response to all violations and abuses committed against children and to ensure that information collected and communicated by the mechanism is accurate, objective, reliable and verifiable;
12. Calls upon the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and Heads of UN peace operations, in line with their respective mandates, to ensure that the appointed child protection advisers are trained and integrated into mission planning and implementation processes, including in transition contexts;
13. Calls for strengthened coordination amongst the heads of UN peace operations, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Co-Chairs of the Country Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting, as well as relevant government/authorities, to ensure the continuity, effectiveness, and sustainability of child protection activities, and in cases of mission transitions or withdrawals ensuring a smooth and responsible transfer of the mission responsibilities on child protection, including the transfer of core child protection tasks to the UN country team;
14. Decides to remain actively seized of this matter. [^]