Statement at the Security Council

open debate on Children and Armed Conflict under the theme

“Reasserting international legal protections for children in armed conflict: strengthening the protection of education and the prevention of grave violations”

Delivered by Mr. Shahriyar Hajiyev, First Secretary

Security Council Chamber, UNHQ, 24 June 2026

Madam President,

We thank Colombia for convening this open debate under the agenda item "Children and Armed Conflict", a matter that demands the sustained attention of the international community, particularly as violence against children continues unabated.

The year 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of General Assembly resolution 51/77 of 12 December 1996, which established the children and armed conflict mandate and was subsequently reinforced through the Security Council's normative framework. In the face of escalating violence against children in situations of armed conflict, strict adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights obligations is imperative.

Madam President, the citizens of Azerbaijan, including children, were subjected to numerous war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide, and other grave breaches of international humanitarian law during the war in the early 1990s and throughout the ensuing period of occupation. The conflict claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced more than one million people to become internally displaced persons and refugees.

In addition, more than 4,000 persons went missing in connection with the conflict, including 71 children. Furthermore, 872 persons, including 29 children, were taken hostage, and their whereabouts remain unknown.

Since the end of the conflict, 32 mass graves have been discovered, and the remains of 877 individuals have been recovered. These graves provide further evidence of the wilful killing of civilians and other protected persons under international humanitarian law. Through forensic-genetic identification, the remains of 220 persons have been returned to their families and laid to rest, including nine women and two children. The fate and whereabouts of the majority of missing persons, however, remain unresolved.

Azerbaijan has taken decisive steps to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes, including those related to missing persons and children, in full accordance with its legislation and international obligations.

Madam President, the cessation of active hostilities does not necessarily eliminate threats to, or alleviate the suffering of, children in post-conflict settings. The Secretary-General's report (A/79/878-S/2025/247) highlights that children continue to be killed or maimed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in appallingly high numbers. Similar concerns were raised by the Special Representative in her report (A/HRC/61/37) submitted to the sixty-first session of the Human Rights Council.

This tragic reality constitutes yet another serious post-conflict humanitarian challenge for our country. After the end of the conflict in 2020, 427 people have become mine victims, including 73 fatalities and 354 serious injuries, among them children and young persons.

Notwithstanding these challenges, Azerbaijan has launched an unprecedented programme of rehabilitation and reconstruction, allocating approximately USD 15 billion to rebuild cities, towns and villages devastated during the conflict. As a result of measures implemented under the Great Return Programme, more than 85,000 people have already returned to their homes, including approximately 4,000 pupils currently studying in 18 newly constructed schools.

In conclusion, we reaffirm our firm commitment to maintaining an environment conducive to the protection and development of children, including by shielding them from the consequences of armed conflict. We remain determined to ensure that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in all actions concerning children.

Thank you.