Regards, Mr. President. I’ll add my voice to the others in thanking our briefers for their insightful comments.
Regarding what we have heard today, I’d like to emphasise three points.
First off, the United Kingdom applauds the Secretary-annual General’s report for including the situations in Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Mozambique.
The serious lack of protection that children in these nations require is attested to by data gathered by UN agencies and NGOs on the ground.
Establishing Monitoring and Reporting Mechanisms will increase the body of evidence, enabling all parties to pinpoint the steps that must be taken to stop serious crimes against children.
There is already a tonne of proof in Ukraine that at least four of the six serious crimes against children are being committed by Russia.
We will be completely behind SRSG Gamba as he pursues this agenda. But stopping Russia’s illegal invasion is the only way to put an end to the suffering of Ukrainian children.
Second, President, we are extremely concerned about the rise in school attacks, including specific attacks on girls’ schools.
The right of every girl to 12 years of high-quality education, including those affected by conflict, has long been a cause for advocacy in the UK.
The Safe Schools Declaration should be endorsed by all Member States, and the gendered effects of attacks on education must be addressed.
And once more, I join the Secretary-General in urging the Taliban to make it possible for all Afghan girls to return to school right away.
Thirdly, the Secretary-report General’s documents an increase in cases of sexual violence against children, which is particularly concerning given that these numbers are likely just the tip of the iceberg.
The United Kingdom continues to place a high priority on combating sexual violence in conflict and making sure that survivors are supported, including with regard to children.
To that purpose, a global conference will be held in London in November.
Prior to that summit, we are dedicated to implementing the Murad Code, which was introduced here in April, and improving the international legal framework to enhance responsibility for sexual assault in war.
All Member States are invited to participate in that endeavour with us.