Aroushy urges AU and UN to turn child-protection pledges into results

Morocco called on Thursday in New York for stronger action to protect children affected by armed conflict, as the African Union Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council held their 11th informal joint seminar.

Mohamed Aroushy, the Kingdom’s ambassador and permanent representative to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, took the floor on behalf of the Peace and Security Council. Commitments made at continental level, he said, must become concrete measures that improve the living conditions of children caught up in war.

The ambassador pressed for closer cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations. He also called for greater investment in child protection, in education during emergencies and in psychosocial support.

Children associated with armed groups should be seen first and foremost as victims entitled to protection and rehabilitation, not as security threats, Aroushy stressed.

He pointed to the value of folding the rehabilitation of children formerly linked to armed groups into education and vocational training systems, so that they gain lasting access to skills and livelihoods.

Child protection, Aroushy said in closing, must sit at the heart of efforts for peace and security in Africa, with the commitments made translated into tangible, measurable results for the protection and promotion of children’s rights.