The UN should stop playing politics with children’s lives

All governments violating children’s rights in conflict zones must be put on the ‘list of shame’, with no exceptions.

Children around the world suffer the consequences of war – they are routinely killed, maimed, recruited to fight, and otherwise abused. In 2020, the United Nations reported more than 25,000 such grave violations in the previous year. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has powerful tools at his disposal to pressure those responsible to end such abuses. But he is failing to use them, often placing politics above children’s lives. Over the past 20 years, the UN Security Council has put in place a framework to protect children in conflict zones. It requires the secretary-general to report every year on grave violations against children, including killing and maiming; recruiting child soldiers; sexual violence; and bombing schools. The secretary-general is required to attach a list of those responsible to his report.