UN Security Council Open Debate on "Children and Armed Conflict" (18.6.2015)/Statement of Greece

Mr.  President,

I would like to congratulate the Malaysian Presidency for the initiative to convene this open debate on Children and Armed Conflict, a topic which has been high on the agenda of the Security Council. I would like to thank the Secretary General, his Special Representative Leila Zerrougui and the other speakers for their interesting briefings. Greece aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and in our national capacity we would like to add a few words.

At the outset, allow me to acknowledge the importance of the monitoring and reporting mechanism pertaining to mass and grave violations against children in armed conflict. Particularly important is the latest Report submitted by the UN Secretary General which lays out gross violations committed against children in armed conflicts. Sadly, the Report includes some of the worst human rights violations a child could experience, including death, abduction and forced recruitment, taking place from Syria and Iraq to Nigeria and South Soudan.

Among the unprecedented challenges highlighted in the Report, it is particularly alarming that in 2014 there has been an upward trend of children abducted by armed groups. Children abductions have been used as a tactic to terrorize ethnic groups or religious communities. In Iraq and Syria, over 1,000 girls and boys were abducted by the so-called Islamic State. In Nigeria, Boko Haram abducted hundreds of women and girls in Chibok. Abductions are often followed by other grave human rights violations, such as recruitment, rape or even killing.

It is crucial that abductions are included in the listing criteria of the Secretary General’s Report on children and armed conflict. Greece welcomes and co-sponsors today’s Security Council resolution which adds abductions in the criteria for listing responsible parties in the Secretary General’s Report. The unanimous adoption of today’s Resolution is an important step towards enhancing the international community’s ability to face this alarming trend and to bring perpetrators to justice.

However, much more needs to be done to further strengthening international efforts aimed at the protection of children in armed conflicts. It is imperative to ensure that children are able to grow up in a safe environment, free from exploitation, abuse and any form of violence.

In this context, we strongly encourage all States to sign, ratify and implement the international human rights framework concerning the protection of children, including the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts.

In Greece, by virtue of 2011 national legislation, the recruitment of children in armed conflicts constitutes a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and is punished as such by the national judicial system with at least ten years of imprisonment.

In addition, the competent Greek authorities are currently elaborating an Action Plan on the Rights of the Child, which provides for a distinct chapter on children and armed conflict. More specifically, an awareness raising campaign at schools is being developed to be launched with a view to organizing information seminars on the Optional Protocol referring to the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts.

Furthermore, Greece was among the 39 countries joining the Safe Schools Declaration in Oslo on May 29th, which calls upon parties to an armed conflict to avoid using educational buildings for military purposes or making them targets of attack. We believe that the Safe Schools Declaration provides a concrete way for countries to commit to protecting children’s education, even during armed conflict.
Mr. President,

In concluding, let me reiterate that we remain committed to effectively ensuring the respect and protection of the fundamental rights of children as a crucial guarantee for the future of our societies. In this regard, my country fully subscribes to the need to intensify international and regional efforts to strengthen cooperation in putting an end to the grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict around the world.

Thank you.