On the occasion of the International Day Against the Use of Children in Armed Conflict, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, reaffirms Italy’s commitment to defending the rights of children worldwide, particularly in conflict situations.
With the proliferation of armed conflicts globally, millions of children are forced to confront the harsh realities of war daily, exacerbated by the unacceptable practice of child recruitment in various conflict settings.
The Italian Government strongly supports the mandate of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, and the United Nations programmes aimed at improving the lives of many innocent victims of conflict. Italy’s commitment has been translated, within the European Union, into driving the update of the “Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)”, which was finally adopted in June 2024. This effort is also aimed at encouraging an increasing number of countries to join the “Safe Schools Declaration”, a statement aimed at defending and ensuring the education of children even during armed conflicts, of which Italy was one of the first signatory countries in 2015.
Italy’s commitment to the protection of children in armed conflict and against their recruitment is an integral part of Italy’s campaign for the United Nations Human Rights Council membership for the 2026-2028 term.
