Thank you, President

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the fourteen Member States of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM.

CARICOM commends Colombia on its Presidency of the Security Council for the month of June and for convening today’s debate with a timely focus on reasserting International Legal Protections for Children in Armed Conflict: Strengthening the Protection of Education and the Prevention of Grave Violations.

The Secretary General’s 2025 report of an unprecedented level of grave violations against children in armed conflict must not only raise alarm but galvanize action. At the center of our efforts must be insistence on respect for international law including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and ensuring that children enjoy the full spectrum of rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child including the protection and care of those affected by armed conflict.

Sadly, the promise made by Member States in the UN Charter to protect successive generations from the scourge of war is being broken with impunity.

It is of particular concern that in 2025 Government forces were responsible for the majority of grave violations against children and were the main perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.

The international community must be consistent in condemning all violations and abuses of children and insist on accountability. We have seen how impunity is emboldening perpetrators and contributing to further violations. National and international justice systems must be strengthened, and investigations and prosecutions scaled up.

CARICOM calls on the Security Council to utilize all the tools at its disposal for the protection of children affected by conflict, including sanctions where appropriate.  

President,
Once again, the grave violation verified in the greatest numbers was the killing and maiming of children, with the number of children killed increasing by an alarming 34 percent in 2025 compared to 2024.

CARICOM is deeply concerned by the devastating impacts of the use of advanced military technologies on children, including unmanned systems and artificial intelligence, often used without adequate human oversight. We call on armed forces to comply with their obligations under IHL in relation to the principles of distinction and proportionality.

For yet another year, attacks on schools and education facilities and their military use, resulted in millions of children being denied their right to education with potential long-term negative consequences for them, including increased susceptibility to recruitment and exploitation

In our own region, widespread gang violence in Haiti is causing mounting education losses for children. Hundreds of schools remain closed with reports that some 1.5 million children across Haiti were out of school in 2025 or at immediate risk of dropping out.  

The Secretary General reports that in 2025 there were 99 verified attacks on schools and 136 schools were subject to military use by armed gangs in Haiti. A direct impact of this has been the surge in recruitment and use of children – estimated by UNICEF to be a staggering 200 per cent more in 2025.

We urge Member States to join and fulfil their commitments under the Safe Schools Declaration, to prioritize adequate funding for education and to ensure schools remain safe and operational.

President, 
As we engage under the UN80 initiative towards a more efficient organization, we must ensure that reform is not detrimental to the protection of children. The Children and Armed Conflict framework, including its monitoring and reporting mechanism and child protection systems, must be adequately resourced.

In closing, I reaffirm CARICOM’s full support for the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and our commitment to working with all partners to uphold the rights and ensure the protection of all children.

I thank you.