Children and armed conflict - Report of the Secretary-General (A/77/895-S/2023/363) [EN/AR/RU/ZH]

I. Introduction

1. The present report, prepared following consultations and covering the period from January to December 2022, is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2427 (2018). The report includes trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on children and information on violations committed, as requested by the Council in its resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions.1 Where possible, violations are attributed to parties to conflict and the annexes to the present report include a list of parties engaging in violations against children, namely the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals,2 and the abduction of children.

2. The information contained in the present report was vetted for accuracy by the United Nations. Where information is not verified, it is qualified as such. Where incidents were committed earlier but verified only in 2022, that information is qualified as relating to an incident that was verified at a later date. The information does not represent the full scale of violations against children, but provides United Nations-verified trends in grave violations against children, given that access for monitors remains a challenge. The report presents trends and patterns of violations, and engagement with parties responsible for violations that might lead to behavioural change, including promotion of accountability and compliance with child protection provisions in peace processes. In the report, it is noted that attacks or threats of attacks against community and civic leaders, on human rights defenders and on monitors of violations against children are a cause for concern and a strain on the monitoring capacity.

3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict adopted a pragmatic approach to promote broad and effective protection for children. Reference to a situation is not a legal determination, and reference to a non-State actor does not affect its legal status. Accordingly, the report documents situations in which apparent violations of international norms and standards are of such gravity as to warrant international concern, given their impact on children. My Special Representative brings these situations to the attention of Governments, which bear the primary responsibility for protecting children, in order to encourage them to take remedial measures. Where measures undertaken by listed parties had a positive impact on children or where ongoing conduct is of concern, this is highlighted. On the basis of enhanced engagement with parties, the annexes distinguish between listed parties that have put in place measures aimed at improving the protection of children during the reporting period and those that have not.

II. Situation of children and armed conflict A. Overview of trends and patterns

1. In 2022, children continued to be disproportionately affected by armed conflict, and the number of children verified as affected by grave violations increased compared with 2021. The United Nations verified 27,180 grave violations, of which 24,300 were committed in 2022 and 2,880 were committed earlier but verified only in 2022. Violations affected 18,890 children (13,469 boys, 4,638 girls, 783 sex unknown) in 24 situations and one regional monitoring arrangement. The highest numbers of violations were the killing (2,985) and maiming (5,655) of 8,631 children, followed by the recruitment and use of 7,622 children and the abduction of 3,985 children. Children were detained for actual or alleged association with armed groups (2,496), including those designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, or for national security reasons.

2. My Special Representative and the United Nations made progress in engaging with parties to protect children in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Israel and the State of Palestine, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. Engagement with parties to conflict resulted in positive changes for children. More than 12,460 children formerly associated with armed forces or groups received protection or reintegration support during 2022.

3. Multidimensional conflicts, including across regions, chronic crises and new armed actors have had an adverse impact on children’s lives. Hostilities spreading into new areas contributed to an increase in grave violations of 140 per cent in Myanmar. The splintering of armed groups and intercommunal violence affected children, contributing to a 135 per cent increase in grave violations in South Sudan. An upsurge in the activity of armed groups, including those designated by the United Nations as terrorist groups, caused severe deterioration of the situation in the central Sahel, in particular in Burkina Faso, leading to an 85 per cent increase in grave violations. Grave violations also increased in Colombia, Israel and the State of Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, the Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic. In contrast, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic and the Philippines saw a decrease in grave violations. The signing of the truce in Yemen contributed to a 40 per cent decrease in violations, underlining the importance of peace in achieving security for children.

4. The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and the State of Palestine, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Yemen. The monitoring and verification of grave violations remained extremely challenging, including owing to access constraints, leading to the underreporting of such violations and an increase in violations verified in 2022. Verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated against children (1,165 children) decreased by 12 per cent, but such violence continued to be vastly underreported owing to stigmatization, fear of reprisals, harmful social norms, the absence or lack of access to services, impunity and safety concerns, as also reported in my report on conflict-related sexual violence (S/2023/413).

5. The denial of humanitarian access3 remained very high, with 3,931 verified incidents. The situation is expected to worsen with the adoption of restrictive laws, decrees and regulations increasing control over humanitarian work and workers, notably in Afghanistan, Myanmar and parts of Yemen. Verified incidents of recruitment and use increased by 21 per cent, abductions by 15 per cent and killing and by maiming 5 per cent. The use of live ammunition against children and the excessive use of force increased, in particular in Israel and the State of Palestine and Myanmar.

6. There was a 112 per cent increase in attacks on schools (1,163) and hospitals (647), in particular in Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Israel and the State of Palestine, Myanmar, Mali and Afghanistan.

7. While non-State armed groups were responsible for 50 per cent of grave violations, government forces were the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.

8. Gender norms shaped the exposure of children to grave violations. Boys continued to be more affected by recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and abduction, while girls were disproportionately affected by conflict-related sexual violence. While the verified number of girls facing grave violations decreased, it increased for boys. Gender, age and disability were among the many factors shaping the vulnerability of children to grave violations.