"Children are not collateral damage": 38,558 violations in one year — China at the UN calls for an end to violence
24,174 children affected in 2025 — a record over 30 years of UN monitoring. China condemned violence against children, called for the protection of schools and hospitals, and launched the International Humanitarian Law Initiative, supported by more than 100 countries.
As reported by CCTV+, China is ready to work with the international community to continue its relentless efforts to end wars and conflicts and improve the welfare of children, the Chinese envoy said on Wednesday. Speaking at the UN Security Council open debate on strengthening the protection of children in armed conflict at UN headquarters in New York, China's Permanent Representative to the UN Fu Cong noted that violence against children continues, and that during conflicts, despite repeated condemnations, shocking cases are observed. China condemns all acts of violence against children.
According to a report presented at the meeting by Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, in 2025 the UN Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism verified 38,558 grave violations affecting 24,174 children — a record over 30 years of UN monitoring. Frazier said: "Children are not collateral damage. They are not bargaining chips. They are not a by product of strategy. They are not expendable. And yet, from conflict to conflict, children are treated as if their lives can be sacrificed for military gain, territorial control, political dominance, financial profit or outright annihilation. This is unacceptable."
In his speech, Fu called on all parties to conflicts to strictly observe international humanitarian law and relevant UN resolutions, and to fulfil their obligations to protect civilians, especially children. All parties must avoid attacks on schools, hospitals and other infrastructure during military operations and ensure maximum facilitation of humanitarian operations.
Development is key to addressing the root causes of conflicts and achieving lasting peace, so the international community must actively support conflict affected countries in strengthening their capacity for independent development and public service delivery.
Fu noted that China has always been a staunch supporter, defender and participant in humanitarian initiatives, especially in protecting children. In 2024, China, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international partners, launched the International Humanitarian Law Initiative aimed at strengthening firm commitment to international humanitarian law. This initiative has already received responses from more than 100 countries. China welcomes more countries to join it and is ready to continue its relentless efforts to end wars and conflicts and improve the welfare of children.
The UN Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on Children and Armed Conflict was established in 2005 to document violations of children's rights in conflict zones. The 38,558 verified violations in 2025 are the highest figure ever recorded. China's International Humanitarian Law Initiative, launched in 2024, aims to strengthen compliance with humanitarian norms in a world where conflicts are becoming increasingly brutal. The numbers speak for themselves: 24,174 children are not just statistics. They are 24,174 reasons for concern.
When 24,000 children become victims of conflict in a single year, the world has no right to look away. The figure of 38,558 violations is not just a record — it is a verdict on our collective failure to protect the most vulnerable. Vanessa Frazier spoke the truth: children are not expendable. But as long as schools are blown up, hospitals are bombed and humanitarian corridors remain only on paper, their lives continue to be sacrificed. China is offering not just words but a concrete initiative already supported by more than 100 countries. But an initiative is only the beginning. The main thing is that action follows. Otherwise, in a year's time we will again hear of a new "record" that should never have been broken.
