Saudi UN envoy slams ‘flagrant violation of international humanitarian law’ in Gaza
NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, told the Security Council on Wednesday that the protection of children in armed conflict “is not simply a legal obligation imposed by international humanitarian law” but “primarily a collective humanitarian responsibility.”
The council reviewed the UN secretary-general’s latest annual report on children and armed conflict, which found for the first time in three decades that government forces, not non-state armed groups, were responsible for the highest number of child casualties.
Speaking during the open debate, Alwasil noted that more than two decades had passed since the council adopted resolution 1612, which established the framework to monitor and report violations against children in conflict.
He said the international community must act with “extreme care” to achieve two goals: breaking the cycle of violence affecting children and remedying its effects, and preventing the creation of environments that incubate extremism.
