ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday underscored the need for concrete measures to safeguard children in conflict zones, urging sustained investment in rehabilitation, reintegration, and psycho-social support programs to restore dignity, rebuild futures, and prevent cycles of re-recruitment.
According to a statement issued on the X account of Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, the statement called for vigilant oversight and ending impunity for violators; protection of schools from attacks and military use; and reinforcement of safe education systems in conflict zones.
The statement, quoting Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative of the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, said that compliance must be ensured with International Humanitarian Law, Convention on the Rights of Child, and the principles of international law.
“The rapid surge in armed conflicts all over the world has exposed them to a host of grave violations ranging from killing and maiming, and attacks on schools and hospitals, to denial of humanitarian access,” the ambassador said, according to the statement.
Citing Israel’s more than 12,000 incidences of grave violations against children in occupied Palestinian territory in one year, the ambassador said that plight of children in situations of foreign occupation continues to worsen.
The ambassador said that to comprehensively redress the plight of children, there was a need to focus on eliminating root causes and prioritizing preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and dispute settlement by peaceful means.
The ambassador said that Pakistan would continue to work constructively to ensure that collective efforts translate into a safe and prosperous future for children.
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