Statement at the Security Council Arria-formula meeting on “Red Hand Day 2026: Safe Education to Prevent the Recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Conflict”

Delivered by Mr. Shahriyar Hajiyev, First Secretary

CR4, UNHQ, 24 February 2026

Mr. Chair,

We thank Panama and the co-sponsors for organizing today’s meeting, for drawing attention to Red Hand Day, and the briefers for their valuable contributions.

Azerbaijan shares its firm conviction that continuous education is a fundamental human right and an indispensable means to realize other human rights, and must be preserved to ensure the full

development of the human personality.

Regrettably, the Secretary-General’s latest annual report (A/79/878–S/2025/247) indicates that violence against children in situations of armed conflict has reached unprecedented levels, including attacks on schools.

Mr. Chair,

Azerbaijani citizens, including children, were subjected to numerous war crimes, crimes against

humanity, and acts of genocide during the armed aggression in the 1990s. Our country will mark the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide on February 26, during which 613 civilians, including 63 children, were killed overnight on the basis of their ethnicity. The massacre resulted in the complete destruction of eight families; 130 children lost one parent; 25 children lost both parents; and 26 children were taken hostage. Accountability is critically important, and Azerbaijan has taken concrete steps to bring those responsible to justice for the above-mentioned and other serious offenses.

At the same time, the end or cessation of active conflict does not necessarily eliminate threats to, or alleviate the suffering of, children in post-conflict settings, including threats to their right to education. The killing and maiming of children by explosive weapons and remnants of war, including landmines in populated areas, are concerns highlighted by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in her report submitted to the ongoing 61st session of the Human Rights Council.

In Azerbaijan, following the end of the conflict in 2020, 418 people have become mine victims: 71 were killed, and 347 were seriously injured, including 14 children and young persons. The Special Representative’s call on Member States to commit to clearance of explosive remnants of war is therefore more vital than ever, in particular by providing reliable information on the location of landmines by the state responsible for their placement.

Mr. Chair,

The prohibition of recruitment and use of children in armed conflict is a grave violation and is firmly grounded in international law. It requires Member States and the international community to take effective preventive measures and actions. Racist movements rooted in ideologies of racial superiority, including those that recruit schoolchildren, pose a serious threat to human life and hinder reconciliation in post-conflict settings. States should explicitly condemn and prohibit organizations that promote or incite racial discrimination and should ensure that participation in such organizations or activities is a punishable offense under national law.

In conclusion, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to international humanitarian and human rights law and remain dedicated to protecting the rights of children, including their right to education, and to preventing their recruitment and use in armed conflict.

Thank you.