The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation to overcome and respond to the suffering of children associated with armed conflict, and to ensure that more children attend the classes where they should be.
This is stated in the speech of the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Advisor Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Atik, before the UN Security Council today at its meeting on the item “Children and Armed Conflict”.
Al-Atiq began by congratulating Brazil on its assumption of the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in July, emphasizing the Kingdom’s support for the Brazilian delegation’s tireless efforts to manage the work of the Council.
He stated that the issue of protecting children in armed conflict is important to create balanced generations that can build a more stable and prosperous future for countries affected by conflict, since the international community must be very careful about children in armed conflict in a way that allows you to create a new reality for these children, which will break the vicious cycle of violence. Eliminate negative consequences for children and counter any precursors that may lead to an environment conducive to extremism and violence.
He emphasized that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia believes that the protection of children during armed conflicts around the world is a shared responsibility of all parties in the international community, and calls for collective confrontation and concerted efforts to address their consequences and address their causes, stressing that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has joined many international structures that reinforce this.
Al-Atiq said: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the Secretary General’s report on children and armed conflict, especially the item regarding coalition cooperation with the Secretary General’s Special Representative, despite reservations about the number of attributed incidents. coalition in it – where the report reiterated the commitment of the Coalition for Legitimacy in Yemen to the protection of children and the feasibility of the important and ongoing measures it is taking to strengthen their protection in the conflict in Yemen, according to international sources.
He added: “This is a reflection of the coalition’s ability to serve as a model for international coalitions in protecting children in armed conflict.”
In this regard, he reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the mandate of the Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, and her positive role in protecting children at the international level, expressing the Kingdom’s desire to continue constructive cooperation between it and the coalition to develop child protection mechanisms related to armed conflict in Yemen.
Al-Ateeq continued: The report showed an increase in the number of violations committed by the Houthi militia against these children, whether recruiting, killing, mutilating or kidnapping children, compared to the previous year’s report, and the Houthi militia continues to practice the most heinous crimes against children in Yemen, violating their rights and even mobilizing sports buildings and stadiums for them in order to influence their ideas in order to breed terrorism and spread extremism, preparing to send them to the fronts.
He drew attention to the need that any current or future positive signals in the report regarding the Houthi terrorist militias must be accompanied by the implementation, real commitment and positive development of these militias on the ground towards the children of Yemen, like all previous evidence and experience with the Houthis. repeatedly demonstrated the frivolity of this militia. Violation of all agreements and agreements.
