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Today, the UN Security Council (UNSC) Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts, presided by Belgium since 1 January, adopted conclusions by consensus on the situation of children in the armed conflict in Myanmar. For the first time in a long time, the Security Council is sending out a strong signal about the situation in Myanmar and the violations of children's rights in particular. 

Today the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts, presided by Belgium since 1 January, has adopted conclusions on the situation of children in the armed conflict in Syria. For the first time in a long time, the UN Security Council sent such a strong message on the situation in Syria, more in particular on the violations of children’s rights. The Security Council calls the ones responsible for those violations to order. Our country has led the negotiations on the recommendations that should prevent such violations.

On the occasion of the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, Belgium is organizing an informal session of the UN Security Council on the important role the United Nations can play in liberating and reintegrating child soldiers into society. They are recruited worldwide by armed groups or government forces.

In the margins of the United Nations Ministerial Week in New York, Belgium organized a high-level event on the reintegration of child soldiers together with Virginia Gamba, UN special envoy for children in armed conflicts. The Minister moderated the event and Queen Mathilde spoke in her capacity as UN Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.

On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers we reflect on the tens of thousands boys and girls who are recruited today in armed conflicts. Even today, in about twenty countries all over the world, children are exposed to the cruelties of wars and conflicts: they are witnesses or victims to these cruelties and, in many cases, are forced to use violence themselves.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders took the floor today during an open debate of the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. Minister Reynders was invited to take part in this debate, opened to countries who do not sit at the Security Council, by France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.

In the margins of the opening of the 72nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders took part today to an event about the protection of children in armed conflicts.

Today is the second and last day of the Second Safe Schools Conference which is taking place in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires. The Safe Schools Declaration is a political engagement seeking to offer students, pupils and education personnel a better protection during an armed conflict.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Her Majesty the Queen have just inaugurated the international conference 'Children and Armed Conflict' at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. Minister Reynders is organising this conference today, on the eve of 12 February, the International Day against the use of Child Soldiers. For this high-level inauguration, the minister and the Queen were joined by the Deputy Secretary-General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui, and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis. 

Speech by HM Queen Mathilde at the international conference on Children and armed conflict (Egmont Palace, Brussels).