Mr. President,

The Netherlands fully aligns itself with the statement made by Slovenia on behalf of the EU. I would like to thank the Security Council Presidency, Panama, for organizing this open debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

Mr. President,

With the integrity of our children, the integrity of this organisation and everything it stands for is at stake. In children we see our future and in their suffering during armed conflict we see the dark side of mankind. To our shame, children continue to be the primary victims of grave human rights violations in dozens of conflicts around the world. The latest report of the Secretary-General is a sad testimony of this reality. The Netherlands strongly supports the valuable work of the SG’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, mrs. Coomaraswamy, and that of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

We need concerted efforts at all levels. This requires political will. The Netherlands funds a number of projects targeting children in armed conflicts. We are supporting a multi-year UNICEF project in Uganda that aims to provide vocational training in camps for children caught up in the conflict. The Netherlands contributes a total of 1.3 million euros to this project. We are also a major bilateral donor of the World Bank Multi-Country Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (MDRP) in the Great Lakes Region, through which many child soldiers have been demobilized and reintegrated.

Mr. President,

Abuse really only stops when perpetrators have been brought to justice. Anything short of that means a continuation of the violation of victims’ integrity. This is why ending impunity is a critical element in ending violations and abuses against children. Member States concerned should take effective action to bring to justice individuals responsible for violations of children’s rights. Those who recruit or use child soldiers, those who rape or commit other grave sexual violence against children, they all should be held to account. We therefore stress the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes that fall within its jurisdiction. Where national systems of justice fail, either because of unwillingness or inability to genuinely prosecute such violations against children in armed conflict, the situation should be referred to the ICC. The recent arrest by the ICC of Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, former commander of the Fronts Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes (FNI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo is a notable example. It shows how the ICC and the Congolese national authorities indeed cooperate in the fight against impunity for such crimes.

Mr. President,

Progress has been made. The issue of children and armed conflict is higher on the agenda than it has been it the past. We commend the progress achieved by the Security Council, but there is a need for further commitment and action. For example, the current scope of the monitoring and reporting mechanism should be reviewed. Child soldiers are the focus of much international concern, and rightly so, but they do constitute a relatively small share of affected children. The Security Council should give equal consideration to all categories of grave violations against children in armed conflict and include in the annexes to the SG report a comprehensive listing of parties to armed conflict responsible for any of these grave violations. An initial expansion of the trigger-mechanisms could include the crime of rape and other grave sexual violence against children. There are several reasons for this. Like the recruitment and use of child soldiers, rape and other sexual violence are intentional acts committed by individual perpetrators. Parties to armed conflict can take action to hold such perpetrators accountable for their actions. Progress in ending such violations can be measured, allowing for de-listing, an incentive for change. But more importantly, we cannot remain silent in the face of such hideous acts. What more reason do we need ?

Mr. President,

We may be encouraged by our efforts sofar, but we should remain outraged at the continuing violence against children in armed conflict. There is no room for complacency or even a business-as-usual approach. We urge this distinguished Council to continue to address this issue and to fill existing protection gaps. If the political will to do so is to be found anywhere, it should be here – at the core of the UN, in the Security Council.

Thank you.