NATO strengthens its partnership with the United Nations on the Protection of Children in Armed Conflict

Ambassador Evans’ intervention took place in the context of the public debate hosted by the French presidency of the Council, which had the presence of the UN Secretary-General, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Leila Zerrougui and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Ambassador Yoka Brandt.

Among those addressing the meeting was also Junior Nzita Nzuami, who was abducted and forced to fight as a child soldier with rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

NATO recognises that protecting children from the effects of armed conflict is a moral imperative. Supported by its operational partners, the Alliance has taken substantial measures to implement Security Council Resolution 1612 on Children and Armed Conflict and related resolutions.

Much of that work is based on the experience garnered from the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), which came to an end last December, and has provided many lessons for future operations.

The protection of children in NATO-led operations and missions was addressed by NATO at the 2012 Summit in Chicago.  At that meeting, Heads of State and Government tasked NATO to develop practical, field-oriented measures to address violations against children.