HRC61 - EU Statement - Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child
United Nations Human Rights Council
61st Session
Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child
Theme: Rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children
in armed conflicts
Panel 1: Mainstreaming the rights of children in armed conflict: prevention and protection
EU statement
9 March 2026
Distinguished panel,
The European Union welcomes this timely discussion which takes place against the backdrop of an alarming rise in armed conflicts globally.
Preventing violations against children begins with preventing conflict itself. The EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict emphasise prevention by committing the EU and its Member States to integrate child protection into early warning, political dialogue and conflict prevention strategies, and to systematically address the six grave violations against children.
The Guidelines strengthen monitoring and reporting, cooperation with the United Nations, and engagement with national authorities and civil society. By mainstreaming child protection into diplomacy, human rights dialogues, crisis response and EU crisis management missions, the EU identifies risks early and promotes compliance with international law.
Importantly, the EU has directly consulted children from conflict-affected countries to inform the EU-GRULAC initiative at the Human Rights Council on the rights of the child, ensuring that their voices meaningfully shape our approach to protecting children in armed conflict.
We also support prevention and protection through humanitarian action. The EU has allocated €1.9 billion in global humanitarian aid for 2026, including €448 million for the Middle East. Around 10% of EU humanitarian funding is dedicated exclusively to education in emergencies, alongside life-saving food assistance, helping protect children and strengthen resilience in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Thank you.