Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by Mr.Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, at the Security Council on Children and armed Conflict

We are pleased to welcome you, Mr. Prime Minister, as you preside over the Security Council today, and would like to thank our Swedish partners for their initiative in organizing today’s meeting. We wish you a successful and productive presidency of the Security Council for July, and we are sure that your very professional team will handle any problems.

We greatly appreciate the contributions of the Secretary General and today’s briefers, Ms. Virginia Gamba, Ms. Henrietta Fore and Ms. Yenny Londoño, to our discussion. The Secretary-General’s report (S/2018/465) confirms that children in a number of countries around the world that are involved in armed confrontations continue to encounter brutal violence.

One of the main reasons for their plight is that the parties to armed conflicts frequently ignore the norms of international humanitarian law and non-governmental armed groups make open use of barbaric methods of warfare. The Russian Federation firmly condemns all crimes against children, including their recruitment and use as combatants, their murder or abduction, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals and denials of access for humanitarian organizations to help them.

In acknowledging its responsibility, the Security Council cannot remain indifferent and should make unfailing efforts to protect children in situations of armed conflict. The situation in a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa remains extremely difficult. The weakening of State mechanisms in Syria as a result of illegal external interference resulted in a flood of terrorist groups there.

As the SecretaryGeneral’s report notes, the militants are not shy of using even very young children in their ranks, and their systematic recruitment of minors, deprivation of their access to education, and general violence have become commonplace, something that the international community has no intention of becoming reconciled to. Jihadists do not hesitate to involve children in their inhuman designs for fabricating incidents, including those involving allegedly chemical substances. They do this to get international attention, denigrate the legitimate authorities and bring punishment down on them from the world community.

For our part, we will continue to reveal the true face of pseudo-humanitarian non-governmental organizations such as the White Helmets, which have brought shame on themselves by collaborating with openly terrorist groups in Syria. The situation in Yemen has noticeably deteriorated, with hundreds of children killed and injured as a result of strikes and shelling. The widespread destruction of schools, hospitals and infrastructure creates intolerable living conditions and deprives children of a future. The future of Palestinian children is worrying, thanks in part to Israel’s continuing policies of expanding settlements and demolishing Palestinian property, including schools.

Many children are at risk of being unable to attend school this summer because the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is underfunded. We consider it unacceptable to impose ideologies of hatred and nationalism on children and raise them with false historical facts and values. Children should not be discriminated against on the basis of nationality, denied the right to receive education in their native language and free development. Unfortunately, we are seeing egregious cases of such violations in various countries and will continue to draw attention to them. International humanitarian law includes a significant body of norms designed to protect children and civil infrastructure during armed conflicts.

The efforts of the international community should be focused on ensuring the implementation of existing obligations. Bringing those responsible for serious crimes against children and violations of international humanitarian law to justice is crucial, and primary responsibility for taking the necessary measures in this area rests with States. Many States involved in armed conflicts are making significant efforts to improve the situation of children.

However, they need the support of the international community within a framework of respectful and constructive dialogue and with unconditional respect for the principles of State sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. Once again, we call for an end to the pernicious policy of imposing unilateral restrictions on countries in conflict. For example, the sanctions imposed on Syria, as we read in the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Mr. Jazairy, following his visit to the Syrian Arab Republic, are in essence a collective punishment of all Syrians, including children.

The Russian Federation supports the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and her initiatives. In particular, I would like to note that the Russian football association, along with a number of other such federations, has joined the Special Representative’s Children, Not Soldiers: Let Them Play information campaign, in the framework of the 2018 FIFA World Cup championship currently being held in Russia. Over the course of the championship, we and our Swedish colleagues have agreed to display the official World Cup football on the Council table as a symbol of peace and harmony among nations and of the desire to fight and compete only in sporting events.

The work of the Special Representative implies a special responsibility, impartiality and objectivity, and it is extremely important to have reliable and verifiable information reflected in the reports of the SecretaryGeneral. With respect to such issues, any politicization is unacceptable. We note the contribution of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to efforts to support States in preparing and implementing national plans of action for protecting children in armed conflict. The practice of appointing experts on the protection of children in peacekeeping missions has proved positive.

We expect these officials to monitor situations effectively and fulfil their mandate. In our view, any duplication of functions or reporting by other components of United Nations country missions is wasteful. We have taken note of the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report. Overall, the Council’s efforts should be based on approaches that have been developed and approved within the United Nations framework.

The Russian Federation supported today’s adoption of resolution 2427 (2018), on children and armed conflict. It contains a comprehensive set of provisions whose implementation will strengthen cooperation in this area. For our part, we are ready to pursue comprehensive cooperation in order to effectively protect children from the consequences of armed action.