–Guyana calls for cold action to protect children caught in conflict

IN a moving address to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Guyana’s Minister of Human Services and Social Security called on the global community to step up its protection of children affected by armed conflict.

“Children do not start wars, and they should never be made to suffer their horrific consequences. Ultimately, their best protection is peace,” Dr. Persaud stated emphatically during the Security Council’s Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

The Guyanese Minister’s address came amid growing concern over the rising toll of conflict on the world’s most vulnerable. Referencing the UN Secretary-General’s 2024 Report, which documented a 25 per cent increase in grave violations against children, Dr. Persaud described the current global situation as “alarming and “unacceptable”.

She drew attention to the tragedy unfolding in places such as the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Syria, where children continue to be killed, maimed, sexually violated, or permanently disabled, often by explosive weapons and landmines. She noted that in Syria alone, over five million children live in areas contaminated by unexploded ordnance.

“Homes, schools, and hospitals, the very places that should protect children, are being reduced to rubble,” she said, condemning the blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.
Dr. Persaud reaffirmed Guyana’s unwavering commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and relevant Security Council resolutions. She stressed the need for action over rhetoric, urging the international community to prioritise justice, accountability, and humanitarian access.

“The umbrella that international law should provide to children is being dismantled daily,” she warned. “Inaction and impunity are emboldening perpetrators.”
Highlighting the sharp rise in sexual violence against children, including a 35 per cent increase in verified cases last year, the minister condemned the use of rape as a “tactic of war”, and called for strengthened sanctions, prosecutions, and the listing of perpetrators in UN reports.

She also urged all UN member states to ratify and implement the Mine Ban Treaty, as well as to support demining, risk education, and victim assistance programmes.
As the UN moves forward with its UN80 reform initiative, Dr. Persaud cautioned that child protection must not fall victim to budget cuts or mandate reductions, emphasising that the Children and Armed Conflict Framework, including monitoring and reporting mechanisms, remains vital.

Dr. Persaud reiterated Guyana’s call for peace and accountability, noting that children are not the architects of war, and should never carry its burden.
“Let us not fail them with silence; let us act with urgency, compassion, and resolve,” she concluded.

The debate, which featured presentations from the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, and UNICEF’s Director of Child Protection, Sheema Sen Gupta, also heard from child survivor, Sila, whose powerful testimony underscored the urgent need for action.