S/PV.10113 Security Council

I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to the delegation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for its service as President of the Council for the month of February. I am sure I speak for all members of the Council in expressing deep appreciation to the entire United Kingdom team for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I now give the floor to Ms. DiCarlo. Ms. DiCarlo: On behalf of the Secretary-General, I want to thank you, Madam President, for your leadership in organizing today’s discussion. This debate comes at a moment of exceptional relevance. Today, we face the highest number of armed conflicts since the Second World War. The number of civilians killed in these conflicts is the highest in decades. Our reality is clear: when conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected. We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days. Schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have closed and moved to remote learning owing to the ongoing military operations in the region. And we are aware of the reports from the Islamic Republic of Iran about the death of possibly dozens of children allegedly as the result of a strike that hit an elementary school in the town of Minab. United States of America authorities have announced that they are looking into these reports. Globally, one in every five children is living in or fleeing a conflict zone. This adds up to 473 million children. Grave violations against children verified by the United Nations increased by a staggering 25 per cent from 2023 to 2024. Rape and other forms of sexual violence rose by 35 per cent. These horrific figures should impel us to do more to protect children in conflict. I pay tribute to the First Lady of the United States for her work to give visibility to the issue of children in conflict and particularly for her personal engagement to reunite Ukrainian children with their families. When conflicts do not rob children of their life and physical security, they deprive them of their right to have a quality education and a future of opportunities. A total of 234 million children in crisis and conflict situations currently need educational support; 85 million are completely out of school. In violent conflicts, schools can be one of the only safe spaces that protect children from recruitment, trafficking and exploitation. Schools can safeguard health and hygiene, provide psychosocial support and connect families to essential services. Education in conflict zones is life-saving and life-sustaining. And yet, schools, teachers and education infrastructure continue to suffer violence. In 2024 alone, the United Nations verified a total of 2,374 attacks on schools and hospitals. Many more are unverified, owing to lack of access. Most attacks in 2024 took place in Ukraine, Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Haiti. In its resolution 2601 (2021), the Council urged all conflict parties to immediately cease attacks against schools, children and teachers, and noted that such attacks are in contravention of international humanitarian law. It called on all parties to safeguard, protect, respect and promote the right to education. The international legal framework is clear. We must act. The challenges of providing quality education in conflict situations are tremendous. Infrastructure, from electricity to classrooms to digital connectivity, is often crumbling, or at risk. Educators are few and far between. We face a shortage of 44 million teachers in conflict settings. Digital learning can offer access to education when schools are closed or inaccessible, or when students are fleeing violence. The United Nations has made a concerted investment in these approaches. Public-private partnerships, when grounded in strong ethical frameworks, can help us deliver and expand access to innovative education technologies. For example, UNICEF’s Learning Passport, developed in partnership with Microsoft, offers 10 million children in 47 countries a mobile learning platform whereby they can have continuous access to quality education. The Instant Network Schools programme, a joint project of the Vodafone Foundation and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, allows refugees and teachers to access digital educational content and the Internet, improving the quality of education in some of the most marginalized communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. Technology allows education to reach the most vulnerable and those excluded from the formal educational system. In Afghanistan, to respond to the exclusion of 2.2 million girls from education, UNESCO is mobilizing digital technologies to bring learning directly into homes and communities, reaching close to 9,000 school communities in the country. To ensure that the opportunities provided by technology are realized, we must mitigate its risks. Children in conflict face heightened online threats: exploitation, trafficking, radicalization, digital recruitment into armed groups and cyberbullying. Digital education must therefore actively promote child protection, with risk assessments at every stage, from conception to deployment. We must strengthen legal and policy frameworks to protect the rights of the child in the digital space, in line with international human rights law. Technology companies have a particular role to play in providing safeguards to their users, especially children and young people. Unfortunately, funding for education in emergencies has dropped by 24 per cent, even though needs are increasing. We call on Member States to do more to meet funding gaps in education. The most effective way to protect children from conflict is to prevent and end wars. Building peace is at the heart of what the United Nations does. We must all work together towards this goal.

I thank Ms. DiCarlo for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as First Lady of the United States. First, my heartfelt condolences go to the families who have lost their heroes, who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Their bravery and dedication will always be remembered. I extend my earnest wishes for a swift and smooth recovery to all those who have been injured. They are in my thoughts and prayers during these challenging times. The United States stands with all the children throughout the world. I hope that soon peace will be theirs. Ambassador Waltz, I am grateful for the distinguished honour to preside over the Security Council as the United States assumes its presidency. I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for welcoming me here today. Her generosity reflects the dignity with which she holds her post. I thank the delegations of the United Kingdom, France, the Russian Federation, China, Greece, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Panama, Liberia, Somalia, Colombia, Pakistan, Bahrain and Latvia for their warm welcome. Collectively, their mission to maintain security while upholding the responsibility of preventing conflict during times of both war and peace is significant, must be applied evenly and should never be carried out lightly. Peace does not need to be fragile. Enduring peace will be achieved when knowledge and understanding are fully valued within all societies. The value placed on education by a nation’s leaders shapes the core of their country’s belief system. A nation that makes learning sacred protects its books, its language, its science and its mathematics; it protects its future. This leads to something powerful, to greater understanding, moral reasoning and tolerance of others — peace. Children raised in a culture rooted in intelligence develop confidence, innovate, build, compete and maintain a deep value system. Their knowledge fosters empathy for others, transcending geography, religion, race, gender and even local norms. They become caring people. But children raised in a culture rooted in ignorance are surrounded by disorder and sometimes even conflict. These societies are filled with rigid thinkers who embrace prejudice and shun human dignity. When a nation restricts thought, it restricts its own future. Education is widely recognized as a fundamental human right, and yet today, so many children and young adults are banned from attending secondary schools and universities. The cost is not abstract. Imagine the loss of potential to our collective humanity — new medical breakthroughs, advancements in food security, groundbreaking technologies, all gone. A society that excludes vast segments of its population can realize only a fraction of its potential. Societies ruled by knowledge and wisdom are therefore more peaceful. We must cultivate a just, moral imagination for the next generation, for our children, building an infrastructure of understanding. Knowledge is power; it shapes titans of industry and inspires courageous social pioneers. We must capture this positive energy and ignite it across continents to transform our world, throughout our digitally connected human race. Intellect allows humanity’s responses to fundamental needs — shelter, food security, clean water and healthcare — to blossom. And predictably, almost all communities will have access to knowledge within our lifetimes. The global community must facilitate complete access to technology so that every individual can reach their full potential through education. We must strive to achieve connectivity in the most remote locations and the furthest distances from our cities. This objective is entirely feasible and is already on the way. Today, roughly 6 billion individuals, about 70 per cent of people on planet Earth, have a mobile device and use the Internet. If our nations band together, we can close the technological divide, empowering all to reach their full potential. From a solitary farmer on a remote Greek island to a quiet genius in Somalia or a dreamer in uptown Manhattan, anyone can read the vast treasury of human knowledge, created over centuries, which is now codified and accessible through artificial intelligence (AI). Is a single digital nation State inevitable? Perhaps this idea is not so far-fetched since digital currency and payment systems via blockchain, plus given that AI’s massive factual database is already revolutionizing media and financial markets. We are in the age of imagination — a period when technology can be free and unrestricted by land borders. Indeed, now is the time for our generation to elevate our children above ideology through access to wisdom. AI is democratizing knowledge, which was once confined to university libraries. AI is creating a new reality for our children by disrupting the traditional academic path to information. Today, almost anyone, anywhere, can access a vast universe of data in the palm of their hand. Let us connect everyone to knowledge through AI, including those in the most remote geographic regions of our world. Look at what this truly means: in a matter of seconds, without travel, one can quickly learn about another’s beliefs, religions, customs and histories. We are open, and it is empowering. AI can provide us with an understanding of each other’s needs and the needs of our children. AI is redefining who gets to participate in the global economy of ideas. I believe our shared intellectual future will prove to be one with a more secure, harmonious and advanced civilization. The path to peace depends on us taking responsibility for empowering our children through education and technology. Conflict arises from ignorance, but knowledge creates understanding, replacing fear with peace and unity. I encourage Council members to pledge to safeguard learning in our communities and to promote access to greater education for all. I implore them to build a future generation of leaders who embrace peace through education. I resume my functions as the President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

Madam President, I would like to thank you, the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump, for presiding over this important meeting and for highlighting one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the growing intersection between children, technology and education in situations of armed conflict. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her always valuable insights. Today, in armed conflict, millions of children are affected daily. Surrounded by violence and insecurity, children are also deprived of their right to education, i.e., of their own future. When schools are attacked, used for military purposes or destroyed, children lose not only a safe place to learn but also a sense of stability, protection and, above all, hope for a better tomorrow. Therefore, innovative solutions need to be found to mitigate the impact of disruption to safe education and to restore education as a protective framework and a space for effective learning. In an era increasingly shaped by cutting-edge technological progress, education, technology and innovation can form a powerful nexus to improve learning outcomes, foster peace, strengthen the resilience of societies and protect children. Nevertheless, technology can expose children to serious risks, especially in conflict situations. As children in armed conflict face an increasing risk of online harm, including online recruitment, exploitation and sexual abuse, the Security Council’s framework on children and armed conflict imposes a duty to remain attentive to these evolving dynamics. The digital dimensions of recruitment, exploitation and incitement are directly relevant to the protection mandate of the Council. Monitoring and reporting mechanisms should, where appropriate, reflect these emerging risks. In order to facilitate effective teaching and learning everywhere and under any circumstances, a strategic shift needs to take place that will allow for an integrated digital transformation of educational systems. This transformation entails action-oriented national plans and policies, clearly articulated educational goals and sustained funding. Our guiding principle should always be to ensure the rights and best interests of the child and to protect them against online harm. The risks entailed by the use of digital technology are universal, even in peacetime. As Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Georgios Gerapetritis recently stated in Geneva, the need to safeguard children’s future role and actions, in view of technological advances, through the vital contribution of education is of paramount importance. The digital environment, as a public space, must be safe, teaching children not just how to use technology but crucially how to protect themselves from it. In this endeavour, the potential of the private sector can also be utilized in collaboration with Governments, civil society and local communities while adhering to relevant codes of conduct and human rights obligations. This partnership can contribute to the development of digital solutions for education that reflect our local reality and needs, ensure effective and flexible implementation, protect online safety and help to overcome barriers, including those related to gender and disabilities. The responsible use of technology and innovation can build bridges to safe education, dignity and hope for children in armed conflict. It is our shared responsibility to ensure this access. Our ultimate objective is to cultivate a genuine global human rights culture by nurturing empathy in the next generation. If we can instil in a child the profound belief that human dignity is non-negotiable, that child will inevitably become a leader who champions peace. Ultimately, this deeply rooted culture is our most powerful defence against turmoil and armed conflict. Our engagement in the education of children is an investment in peace. And Greece, including through its work in the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, will remain at the forefront of this discussion.

Allow me to thank and welcome you, Madam President and First Lady of the United States, to assure the United States of our support as it embarks on its presidency of the Security Council and to commend the decision to devote this first event to children in armed conflict seen through the lens of technology. France reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the protection of children and full respect for their fundamental rights, including in the digital realm. In that connection, we commend your personal efforts in your capacity as First Lady through the launch of the Fostering the Future initiative and the adoption of the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act against non-consensual dissemination of personal images, to which children all too often fall prey. France also thanks you for your mediation role that contributed to the return of a number of Ukrainian children who had been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia. We thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her enlightening remarks. The topic that brings us together today lies at the heart of the Security Council’s efforts. It requires enhanced coordination around the three pillars of our Organization. First, the Council must act to prevent and end the use of new technologies against international peace and security. The malicious use of digital technologies compounds the violence of armed conflict, with children bearing the brunt. In Ukraine, massive and repeated Russian drone attacks kill, wound and have a profound impact on the daily lives of children — at school, where lessons are disrupted by air raid sirens on a daily basis and at home, where children spend part of the evening and night in damp, cold shelters as a result of Russia’s attacks. In other conflicts, social networks are used to spread propaganda targeted at minors, to make it easier for armed groups to recruit them and to exploit their vulnerability. The Security Council, in close cooperation with all stakeholders, must pursue its efforts, in particular as part of the children and armed conflict and youth, peace and security agendas, in which France is fully engaged. By building child-protection capacities in peacekeeping operations and special political missions and by supporting the monitoring and reporting mechanism established through resolution 1612 (2005), the Council allows information to be gathered about grave violations committed against children in zones of armed conflict. That arrangement is a crucial lever for bolstering prevention and fighting impunity. Next, we must take action to promote human rights, the second pillar of our Organization. It is our collective responsibility to protect our young people by promoting a secure digital space that is in line with international law. In this regard, France has been a pioneer at the national and European level, notably through the adoption of the law aimed at securing and regulating the digital space in 2024, a law that strengthens the protection of children against online pornography. Like a growing number of partners, France has decided to regulate access to social networks for children under the age of 15 in order to better protect them. Because the digital space has no borders, in 2021, France, together with UNICEF, launched a call to action to defend children’s rights in the digital environment. Then, in 2022, it launched a laboratory for the protection of children online to develop innovative solutions to better protect children online. Finally, we must take concrete action to bridge the digital divide and provide all our young people equal access to new technologies. This is the third pillar, related to development. When used in an educational context and within a regulated framework, the Internet and artificial intelligence greatly facilitate universal access to education, the fight against exclusion and the development of critical thinking. As you said, Madam President, this is as much about combating hatred as it is about preventing future conflicts. France supports the tangible actions taken by the United Nations, in particular UNESCO and UNICEF, to mobilize technology for the protection of children by anticipating conflict risks, more accurately mapping needs and expanding access to health services, among other actions. France, which chairs the Group of Seven this year, has made the protection of children one of its priorities. In conclusion, the protection of children and young people affected by armed conflict concerns us all. The commitment of the United Nations, and in particular the Security Council, remains essential in this regard. Your presence, Madam President, is a source of encouragement, as was the contribution several decades ago of another First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I thank the representative of France for his kind words.

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate the United States of America on assuming the presidency of the Council in March and thank it for convening this meeting on an issue that is of crucial importance to my country and to many regions of the world affected by war and armed conflict. In this regard, the Democratic Republic of the Congo welcomes the initiatives aimed at strengthening international mobilization for the well-being and future of children in the digital age and reaffirms its commitment to any multilateral efforts to protect children and guarantee their fundamental right to education. My country therefore pays tribute to you, First Lady of the United States of America, for your commitment to the integrity and dignity of children around the world. We would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her statement. Ensuring effective access to education and digital technologies for children in conflict situations is, for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a key priority. For more than three decades, our country has experienced recurring cycles of violence and armed conflict, especially in the eastern part of the country. For 30 years, this situation has deprived millions of children of their fundamental right of access to safe, inclusive and quality education. For example, in South Kivu Province alone, where the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) and the Rwandan Defence Forces have been operating with impunity since the beginning of 2025, in violation of our national laws, the Charter of the United Nations, the fundamental principles of international law and international humanitarian law, the impact of the conflict on education is alarming. First, free education is being undermined, as Rwandan troops and M23 rebels have decided to impose school fees in private and public schools in the territories under their control. Secondly, statistics show that out of 8,419 schools, 1,768 schools, including 71 nursery schools, 1,022 primary schools and 675 secondary schools, are no longer operational. Among them, 167 schools with 72,214 pupils, including 36,068 girls, are, as we are meeting here today, occupied by armed groups. As a general rule, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has made education a central pillar of its policy of resilience and development. With its predominantly young human capital, education is, for my country, not only a fundamental right, but also a key pillar of its stability. The policy of free education decreed by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, since his accession to the highest office in 2019, is in line with this vision of improving access to education and new technologies. In addition to this policy, the 2025-2029 Education and Training in Emergencies Strategy was adopted in 2025 with the aim of building a resilient, inclusive and protective education system capable of ensuring continuity of learning before, during and after crises. This strategy is accompanied by a commitment on the part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to reduce the digital divide, which affects in particular areas affected by conflict. The use of digital technology is today essential to mitigate the effects of conflict on education. Digital platforms, mobile devices and distance learning solutions can maintain an educational link for internally displaced children and those living in enclaves or in displacement camps. Similarly, advances in artificial intelligence can help to support teachers, adapt educational content and provide psychosocial support to children who have suffered trauma. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is convinced that respect for and the protection of human rights, in particular children’s rights and international humanitarian law, must remain at the heart of any strategy we implement to ensure peace and security in the world. To this end, we must work together to ensure that these dimensions, which are often overlooked in the approach to, and analysis and assessment of, conflicts, are given greater consideration. That is why the Democratic Republic of the Congo calls for increased international support for the development of digital infrastructure in fragile and post-conflict areas through responsible partnerships with the private sector based on transparency and accountability. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a land of great opportunities, in particular with regard to critical minerals that are essential to the global digital revolution. We believe that technology should never be a factor of exclusion for its children. On the contrary, it must become an instrument of resilience, redress and equal opportunity. In conclusion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo would like to affirm its determination to work with all its partners, including the Fostering the Future Together platform, led by the First Lady Melania Trump, to protect its children, reform its education system, integrate digital tools in a positive way despite the security challenges, and ensure that no child, even in conflict situations, is discriminated against but can continue to enjoy their right to education, development and the fulfilment of their legitimate dreams for a better future in the digital age.

Denmark thanks the United States for highlighting this critical topic of the first day of the presidency. And we commend the First Lady of the United States for her presence here today and for showing leadership on this issue. Let me also thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her sobering briefing. As we have heard, more than 85 million children are out of school in crisis settings. From the Sudan to the Sahel, from Afghanistan to Gaza, too often too many school-aged children are prevented from learning. As members of the Council, we have a common responsibility to protect education in conflict. I commend the efforts of the United Nations in this regard, notably those of UNICEF, UNESCO and Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. For example, in Ukraine, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees supports access to education, from online learning for refugees to offline learning at underground schools near the front line. In Lebanon, UNICEF assists access to digital learning for Syrian refugees. And, as we heard from the Special Representative, in Afghanistan, UNESCO supports the broadcasting of educational programmes to reach learners in their homes. These are examples of innovative initiatives that make a difference for children and young people affected by conflict. But we can do even more to leverage the potential of technology for education. I will raise three points today in that regard. First, we must make even greater use of innovation and technology to support safe and protective access to education in conflict-affected situations. When conflict erupts and it becomes unsafe to go to school, digital tools can enable students to continue their education and connect with their peers. But it requires access to digital devices and, often, also access to the internet. Children in the poorest places in the world, which count many conflict-affected contexts, are more likely to be excluded from access to the internet. In short, eliminating the digital divide will help broadening access to education in order to leave no child behind. We must keep this in mind as we seek to protect education during armed conflict, in accordance with resolution 2601 (2021). Secondly, the digital space does not come risk free. We know that it brings risks for children’s safety. In contexts of conflict and instability, these risks can take many forms. Online platforms can be used to spread disinformation, and manipulated content could fuel polarization and instability, or lead to radicalization. Young peacebuilders could be targeted. Young human rights defenders could face reprisals or threats, both online and offline. Young women and girls could be targeted by technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Member States, along with technology companies, must prioritize protection in the digital space. While technology companies have great power in shaping children’s digital experiences, they also have a great responsibility to protect children’s rights. We support that the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict engages with online platform operators on protection. Thirdly, as an international community, we must collectively ensure that parties to conflict uphold international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Parties to conflict must commit to specific, structured steps to end and prevent grave violations against children and uphold accountability. As we said in connection with the Red Hand Day, also known as the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Denmark believes that we need to not just reflect, but recommit — to the children in Haiti, who should be able to enjoy a safe learning environment without fear of being recruited by gangs; to the children in the Sudan, who are being attacked, starved and displaced; and to the children in Ukraine, who have suffered abductions and endless attacks on their schools and infrastructure during the four long years of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Schools must be protected from attack; the international legal framework is clear on this. In closing, around this table, we must demand that safe and inclusive education is available to all children. We must support access to quality education. Where that access is disrupted by conflict, we should safely leverage the potential of technology, because education is not only a fundamental right, but also a foundation for sustainable peace, stability and development.

Panama congratulates the delegation of the United States on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of March and wishes it every success in these sensitive functions. We also thank Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo for her presentation and the United States delegation for convening this timely debate on the role of technology in ensuring access to education for children affected by armed conflict. This vision is fully aligned with the priority agenda of the First Lady of the United States, under the Fostering the Future Together initiative. By fortunate coincidence, just a few days ago, we had the privilege of convening an Arria-formula meeting on the occasion of Red Hand Day, focused precisely on promoting safe, inclusive and continuous education as a tool to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. That conversation left us with a clear lesson: education. Education is not only a right, but also a valuable prevention tool. When a child remains connected to their educational process, whether in the classroom or through digital means, their exposure to recruitment, exploitation or manipulation is significantly reduced. Today, millions of children continue to have their education disrupted by attacks on schools, forced displacement or the militarization of the civilian environment. In this context, technology has gone from being a complementary tool to becoming a lifeline. Open platforms and distance learning, radio and television broadcasts and artificial intelligence-supported solutions, when used responsibly, are useful for maintaining continuity of learning in some of the world’s most complex environments. Initiatives such as the Global Digital Learning Gateway UNESCO and UNICEF, and the development of artificial intelligence competency frameworks for teachers reflect a growing recognition of this. Technology can help reduce gaps, but only if it is accessible, inclusive and ethical. Experiences on the ground confirm this. In Ukraine, according to data verified by UNICEF, the conflict has affected thousands of educational facilities, forcing more than 1 million students to rely on hybrid or remote learning modalities to continue their education. The distribution of digital devices and teacher training have shown that connectivity, combined with adequate training, can sustain education systems, even under fire. In Afghanistan, where more than 2 million girls remain excluded from secondary education, the use of community digital hubs and educational radio and television programmes has made it possible to bring learning into the home, reducing risks and maintaining support networks. In Gaza, where much of the education system has been devastated, UNESCO’s launch of a virtual campus higher education programme has offered thousands of students an opportunity to continue their studies from outside the conflict zone. In recent days, children in several Middle Eastern countries have had to resort to virtual educational platforms as their education is negatively impacted by the effects of another armed conflict. These experiences show us the potential of technology as a tool for resilience. However, we must recognize that the digital space is not neutral. The same platforms that facilitate learning can expose children, especially those already facing trauma, to risks of exploitation, radicalization, disinformation and online violence. According to UNESCO data, one in three students in the world is being bullied at school — a reality that not only persists but can be worse in digital environments, particularly in contexts of displacement and vulnerability. Panama would therefore like to underscore some fundamental principles. Technology must supplement but cannot and must not replace in-person education. Schools remain essential spaces for children’s holistic development, as well as their protection and recovery. Public-private partnerships are necessary, but they must be rooted in solid ethical frameworks that respect the rights of the child in the digital environment. We must also ensure that innovation does not widen the digital gap. Without equitable access, technology can increase existing inequalities. Our country believes that artificial intelligence can support teachers but never replace them. Teacher training, digital literacy and the meaningful participation of young people themselves must be part of our response. Ensuring the continuity of education in conflict situations is not only a development issue because to deprive a generation of education is ultimately to sow the seeds of future crises. In this regard, we reaffirm that safe, inclusive and equitable access to education, including its digital dimension, is an integral part of the protection of children in armed conflicts.

Liberia thanks you, Madam President, for bringing your important voice and distinguished office to the issues of children in conflict and their much-needed access to education and technology. We also thank the United Kingdom for its effective stewardship of the Security Council during the month of February and Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her instructive briefing. We warmly welcome the United States as it assumes the presidency for March and thank the United States delegation for convening this timely meeting. In today’s world, the intersection of children, technology and education defines not only individual futures but, as rightly noted by you, Madam President, the trajectory of peace itself. In conflict settings, when classrooms fall silent and connectivity is severed, the loss is not only educational; it is generational. Efforts that restore learning, expand safe digital access and protect children from technological exploitation are therefore investments in stability and human dignity. Today Liberia will speak from a past that taught us what conflict steals and what education restores. We remember all too well what it means to be the child the world sought to protect, the classroom without a roof, the generation told to wait for peace before being allowed to learn. Fourteen years of civil conflict destroyed our schools, dispersed our teachers and recruited children before they were literate. From all this, we learned a painful truth: when education collapses during conflict, the conflict does not end, it simply mutates. This is why Liberia approaches today’s discussion not as a development debate but as a matter of international security. Around the world, more than 224 million children living in crisis settings are currently out of school, according to global education partners. Many who spoke before me quoted even grimmer statistics. This is not therefore just an educational emergency; it is a security emergency, a protection emergency and a generational emergency. A child denied learning in a conflict zone is exposed not only to illiteracy but to recruitment, manipulation and exploitation disguised as survival. Similarly, a community deprived of education does not simply lose opportunity; it actually inherits instability. In these contexts, digital education is simply not a luxury; it is actually a stabilizer and a prevention policy. Across West Africa, post-conflict recovery has shown us that the path from ceasefire to resilience actually runs through the classroom. Within the Economic Community of West African States, we have seen that rebuilding infrastructure alone is insufficient; rebuilding human capital is what prevents relapses into conflict. Increasingly, this rebuilding must be digital. Africa is not waiting to be transformed by technology; we are trying to reshape technology under difficult constraints. We are developing low-bandwidth platforms, solar-powered systems and community-driven learning models precisely because our circumstances demand innovation that is efficient, resilient and inclusive. In my own country, Liberia, when national emergencies halted schooling, community radio delivered lessons across counties, while solar-powered learning centres reached communities far beyond the grid. Children shared devices, but more importantly, they shared knowledge. Our innovations did not emerge from abundance; they emerged from determination. From these experiences, Liberia offers three proposals. The first is the establishment of a post-conflict education digital recovery window within existing international financing mechanisms. Digital learning infrastructure, including connectivity, devices, teacher training and child protection safeguards, must be embedded in early recovery frameworks and not treated as a secondary priority. Secondly, we are developing a pilot network of solar-powered community digital learning hubs. These hubs function independently of unstable grids, deliver offline- capable curricula, provide teacher training modules and offer safe digital access points for displaced and conflict-affected children. They are modular, scalable and built for fragile settings. Thirdly, Liberia calls for a voluntary coalition of governments, technologists and educators to design low-bandwidth, offline-first learning systems tailored specifically for conflict environments — not repurposed systems from stable countries, but tools engineered for fragility that are grounded in child safety. Innovation must never come at the expense of protection. We therefore support the development of standardized safeguards for all artificial intelligence tools used in humanitarian and emergency settings. No child’s privacy, innocence, dignity or safety should be compromised by the very systems meant to support their learning. Let us be clear about what is truly at stake: when learning is lost in conflict, instability travels, extremism travels, desperation travels. But resilience can also travel. Investing in digital education in fragile contexts reduces the pool from which armed groups recruit. It strengthens girls’ autonomy and narrows the space in which harmful ideologies take root. It builds communities that choose ballots over bullets. This, therefore, is not charity. Such an investment is a strategic security policy. Liberia stands as evidence that recovery is possible when the world invests early and wisely. Our journey from hosting peacekeepers to contributing to peacekeeping was shaped by education and anchored in opportunity. If we fail children in conflict today, we will debate the crises of the society to be inherited tomorrow. But if we connect our children, if we power their classrooms with sunlight, if we equip them with safe digital tools, if we treat connectivity as protective infrastructure, we can change the trajectories of conflict and the trajectory of their lives. We can change recruitment patterns. We can change vulnerabilities. Certainly, we can change the legacy that many of our children have of growing up in violence. Let us therefore commit to funding digital recovery as an integral component of peacebuilding. Let us design technology, even for the hardest-to-reach places and not only for the most profitable markets. Let us ensure that the child in a village once scarred by war inherits not only peace but also a future.

Let me begin by welcoming you, First Lady, to the Security Council and thanking you for your leadership on this important issue. I also congratulate the United States on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of March. It has our full support. And I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for briefing us today. I will make three points. First, protecting children’s right to safe, inclusive, quality education is critical. And yet around the world, education systems are collapsing in conditions of conflict. In Gaza, 97 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 650,000 children have been out of school for more than two years. In the Sudan, one in three schools has been damaged or destroyed, and 8 million children are out of school. In Ukraine, 4.6 million children face barriers to learning as a result of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion. The current conflict in the Middle East poses further risks. Children and civilian infrastructure, including schools, need to be protected. Parties to conflict must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law. The United Kingdom supports the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and urges other Member States to commit to it. We are also proud to support global efforts to safeguard children’s education in crises, including through our support for UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education. Secondly, emerging technologies can play a transformative role in sustaining learning for children affected by conflict and displacement. While not a substitute for in-person schooling, digital tools, remote learning platforms and artificial-intelligence- supported systems can help children to keep learning when classrooms are destroyed or inaccessible and to access psychosocial support. But we also need to manage the risks of technology to children in conflict. For example, in Colombia, armed groups are increasingly using online platforms to recruit children. The United Kingdom is committed to ensuring accountability for grave violations against children in conflict, including through our support for the United Nations monitoring and reporting mechanism. Technology companies and governments also have a key role to play in strengthening safeguards against such risks. Thirdly, conflict disproportionately affects girls’ education. Girls are more likely to be out of school than boys in conflict settings. As a result, they face heightened risks, including risks of exploitation, child marriage, trafficking and sexual and gender-based violence. The United Kingdom is proud to support girls’ education in crises, including the more than 7 million supported through the Education Cannot Wait fund. And we call on the private sector, working with Governments and civil society, to ensure technology meets the particular needs of girls whose education is affected by conflict.

I welcome your presence, First Lady Melania Trump, and your presiding over today’s meeting. I thank Under-Secretary- General DiCarlo for her briefing. Children are the most vulnerable group in armed conflict and require the most protection. Incessant conflicts around the world today have led to rising cases of violations against children in recent years, which China finds deeply disturbing. The denial of children’s right to education due to conflict not only affects the healthy development of children themselves but also erodes the foundation of national stability and undermines development. The international community must give priority attention to this issue, build consensus and work together to improve access to education for children in conflict zones. I would like to make four points. First, strengthening child protection is the top priority. China strongly condemns all attacks that target children and urges all parties to conflicts to fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect children from the scourge of war and uphold the most basic principles of human conscience. Attacks on schools are one of the six grave violations against children identified by the United Nations and should be strongly condemned and resolutely opposed. The international community should respond to incidents of harming children and damaging schools with more robust investigations and accountability efforts and work together to prevent more atrocities. Secondly, ending conflicts completely is the fundamental solution. China calls on all parties to the conflicts to prioritize the interests and well-being of the wider population, end hostilities and violence as soon as possible, resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation, stay committed to political settlements of hotspot issues and bolster conflict mediation. The Gaza conflict has cast a dark shadow over an entire generation of Palestinian children. Israel must fully comply with the ceasefire agreement, completely lift restrictions on humanitarian access, and end the suffering of children in Gaza. Haitian gangs are forcibly recruiting large numbers of children, turning them into expendable tools of conflicts. The international community should support Haiti in addressing both the symptoms and the root causes of the multiple crises confronting the country. Thirdly, promoting sustainable development represents a long-term approach. Development is key to breaking the cycle of violence, addressing the root causes of conflicts, and achieving lasting peace. The international community should strengthen cooperation in education and help conflict-affected countries to improve their educational infrastructure, scale up investment in education, expand the pool of well- trained teachers, build comprehensive teaching systems and make education more inclusive and accessible. China supports the close coordination and cooperation among United Nations humanitarian and development entities to accelerate the implementation of the sustainable development agenda relating to children and education and to effectively promote and protect children’s rights through development. Fourthly, the proper application of technologies constitutes a crucial means. Technologies such as remote teaching, online platforms, satellite networks and mobile terminals can overcome the temporal and physical limitations of traditional classrooms, making knowledge readily accessible and significantly empowering children’s education during conflicts. At the same time, the application of technologies must be human-centred and guided by the principle of artificial intelligence for good, with full respect for the sovereignty and ownership of the countries concerned, as well as respect for local cultural traditions. It should also be driven by the physical and psychological needs of children. It is essential to expand the sharing of best practices to help the countries concerned build up their digital capacity and bridge the digital divide. It is vital to ensure data security and prevent the risks of misuse and breach. It is imperative to adhere to the principles of humanity and mutuality and refrain from politicizing or weaponizing technologies. As home to one of the world’s largest child populations, China highly values the important role of new technologies such as artificial intelligence in promoting children’s education and protecting children’s rights. Under China’s digital education strategy, digital and smart learning has been identified as key to China’s future educational development. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for humankind, China is committed to providing public goods and engaging in pragmatic cooperation so that children around the world may benefit from the advancement in new technologies. China has been building and renovating primary and secondary schools in developing countries and providing them with teaching supplies. We have also been working with partners such as UNICEF and UNESCO to implement digital projects in conflict-affected and developing countries and promote the digital transformation of education. China remains committed to working together with the international community to heal wounds with love and care, enhance education with technology and strive to ensure that no child will be left behind.

Let me begin by thanking the United States for convening this meeting. I welcome you, Madam First Lady, and commend your leadership in presiding over today’s timely and important discussion. I also thank Under- Secretary-General DiCarlo for the insights, which remind us that the challenges before us are immense, but so too are the expertise, commitment and compassion around this table. We gather to confront a profound challenge: ensuring access to technology and education for children whose lives have been shattered by conflict. In today’s world, digital opportunities can mean the difference between hope and despair. Yet, for millions of children affected by war, education remains out of reach. When schools are closed or destroyed, children lose not only their chance to learn, but also the protections and connections that help them recover and thrive. In these moments, children become even more vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and instability. Nowhere is this more urgent than for the children of Gaza. Their resilience in the face of unimaginable loss and daily hardship inspires us all. We cannot allow them, or any child living through conflict, to be left behind. As we look ahead, I would like to propose the following. First, we must recognize technology as a lifeline for children in crisis. Even when disaster shuts down traditional classrooms, digital tools can keep education alive. Advances in artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming how children learn, equipping them for a fast-changing world. Yet with this promise comes responsibility: the very tools that open doors must not expose children to new dangers. We must build safeguards, educate families and teachers, and remain vigilant against those who would use technology to harm. Secondly, we must make the protection of schools and learning spaces an absolute priority, as reaffirmed by resolution 2601 (2021). Schools must be safe havens, never targets. Attacks on educational facilities rob children of their right to learn and strip communities of hope and stability. We must reaffirm our commitment to upholding international law and ensuring that schools, teachers and students are protected at all times, especially in conflict zones such as Gaza, where more than 97 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, and 91.8 per cent of all education facilities will require either full reconstruction or major rehabilitation to become functional again. Thirdly, we must close the digital divide with creative, context-appropriate solutions. For millions, barriers such as a lack of devices, electricity or access to the Internet are real. And nowhere is this more urgent than for the developing world, in particular on our continent, Africa. By working with technology innovators, educators and local communities, we can tailor solutions to reach even the most impacted children. As we strive to deliver education and opportunity amid crises, we must also address the root causes of conflict, such as inequality, marginalization and underdevelopment. The best protection for children is to prevent conflict from erupting in the first place. Addressing the drivers of violence and instability through diplomacy, sustainable development and respect for human rights remains our most powerful tool to safeguard children’s futures. Law can hold perpetrators to account, but it cannot, by itself, prevent conflicts. The true safety and protection of children are built on teaching the values of nurturing, care and empathy in every society, while building communities committed to dignity, inclusion and peace. In conclusion, my delegation is committed to working together to make the digital era a source of hope and possibility for every child. With commitment to conflict prevention and the responsible use of technology, we can ensure that, even in the darkest circumstances, no child is left behind.

Allow me to begin by extending a special greeting to the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump, and acknowledging her leadership in promoting initiatives aimed at the well-being of children, a topic of shared interest. I also thank Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo for her valuable briefing. Colombia recognizes the potential of digital transformation for new generations. In conflict situations, where schools have been destroyed, are inaccessible or do not offer safe conditions, technology can help ensure access to education and educational continuity, facilitate the provision of essential services such as psychosocial support and expand the availability of quality information, especially in marginalized populations facing multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination. However, access alone is not enough. A truly inclusive digital transformation requires closing existing gaps both between and within countries. This involves strengthening digital and technological infrastructure, ensuring connectivity, and promoting the transfer, development and installation of capacities and knowledge. In contexts such as Haiti or Palestine, the destruction or limited availability of basic infrastructure, including digital connectivity, also affects the ability of humanitarian actors and United Nations agencies to ensure educational continuity and essential services for children affected by conflict. It is equally important to advance digital literacy, enabling everyone to make critical and safe use of technological tools and turn them into learning opportunities. Otherwise, access to technological tools lacks real impact. This also involves addressing intersectional and structural factors that perpetuate inequality, such as poverty, social exclusion and the persistent gender digital divide, which is exacerbated in contexts of conflict. In contexts such as Afghanistan, for example, restrictions on women’s and girls’ access to, and participation in, educational and digital spaces demonstrate how gender gaps continue to limit opportunities and deepen vulnerabilities, especially when they intersect with social, economic and cultural factors that exacerbate exclusion. These situations highlight that access to technology is closely linked to the provision of essential services, development and stability, which are fundamental elements for international peace and security. We must also understand that the digital environment has become a new space of vulnerability for children and adolescents. Armed groups and criminal networks are increasingly using digital platforms to recruit, manipulate and exploit minors. Added to this are phenomena such as the spread of hate speech and misinformation, which can exacerbate violence and increase risks to children, particularly affecting girls and adolescents exposed to gender-based digital violence. This requires cooperation with the technology sector, effective prevention and response mechanisms and a human rights-centred approach. Similarly, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence presents new opportunities, but also risks that we cannot ignore. Artificial intelligence can facilitate innovative educational tools and expand access to learning in adverse contexts. However, without comprehensive and adequate safeguards at all stages of the technology lifecycle, biases can be amplified, privacy can be violated, and new forms of manipulation or exploitation can be generated. In the face of these challenges, multilateralism remains an indispensable tool for promoting a secure and inclusive digital environment and ensuring that technological innovation contributes to sustainable development, the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals and respect for human rights. We have common frameworks and principles; now we must move forward more decisively in their implementation. New technologies must be a tool for quality education, not a source of inequality, especially for children, particularly those suffering the impacts of conflict. Our responsibility is to ensure that the digital environment does not reproduce the dynamics of violence and exclusion that we are trying to overcome. Once again, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. The protection of the civilian population, particularly children, is an absolute priority. Collective security is not built through more confrontation, but through more guarantees and cooperation.

I welcome and thank the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump, for presiding over today’s meeting, the very first for the United States presidency this month. The convening of this meeting underlines the importance that the presidency attaches to this subject. Let me also thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing. Pakistan welcomes the Fostering the Future Together initiative of the United States First Lady, aimed at building a global coalition committed to enhancing children’s well- being through the promotion of education, innovation and technology. Pakistan is pleased to join this initiative. The issue before us is not simply about innovation and technology — it is about safeguarding human dignity and ensuring that conflict does not steal the future of an entire generation. Across conflict zones around the world, including situations of foreign occupation, notably Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, millions of children are growing up amid rubble and chaos, rather than in classrooms and in calm. Schools have been destroyed, damaged or militarized. Teachers have been displaced and digital networks disrupted. Education systems, already fragile, have been pushed to the brink of collapse. The Secretary-General’s most recent report on children and armed conflict (S/2025/247) paints a deeply troubling picture. It documents alarming levels of grave violations against children, including attacks on schools and hospitals, problems of recruitment and abduction and the denial of humanitarian access. The scale and intensity of these violations have increased worldwide. The erosion of education in conflict settings is not incidental; it is often systematic, compounding trauma and perpetuating cycles of conflict. When education is interrupted over extended periods, it creates generational consequences that extend far beyond the immediate conflict. We need to appreciate that education is not merely a service; it is a stabilizing and securing force. When education is denied, children become more vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, recruitment and radicalization. When protected, education fosters resilience, critical thinking and hope. Colleagues have mentioned technology. If harnessed responsibly, technology can help bridge this divide. Digital platforms and mobile learning tools can reach displaced or isolated children in conflict situations. Remote instruction can sustain continuity when physical classrooms are inaccessible. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, offer opportunities for personalized learning and inclusive education. Yet technology must be governed with vigilance, for access without safeguards poses risks. Digital environments can expose children to exploitation, disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, surveillance and abuse. We believe that our collective response should rest on three clear commitments. First, the digital divide in conflict-affected settings should be closed through investment in resilient infrastructure, affordable connectivity and the provision of devices, prioritizing girls and children with disabilities. Secondly, child protection should be integrated by design in all digital education initiatives, ensuring robust data protection standards, cybersecurity safeguards and accountability for online harm. Thirdly, partnerships and collaboration among Member States, the United Nations, civil society and the private sector should be strengthened to deliver context-appropriate solutions that reinforce national education systems and uphold international humanitarian and human rights law. Ultimately, technology is not a substitute for peace. The most effective way to protect children and their right to education is to prevent and resolve conflicts in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the Charter of the United Nations and international law. But while conflicts persist, we have an obligation to ensure that no child’s future is extinguished by circumstances beyond their control. In complex conflict environments, the transformative use of technology can be a shield and a bridge to enable children’s rights to safety, learning and development and a catalyst for resilience, dignity and lasting peace, which I understand from this discussion is a shared objective that merits our collective action and cooperation.

I am honoured to welcome the participation of First Lady Melania Trump, wife of the President of the United States of America. I would like to express the Kingdom of Bahrain’s appreciation for the “Fostering the Future” initiative aimed at enhancing the protection of children and their well-being, especially in fragile and conflict-affected environments. I would also like to congratulate the Mission of the friendly United States of America on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, wishing it continued success. I thank the Mission of the friendly United Kingdom for its distinguished presidency last month. In the light of the comprehensive briefing by Her Excellency Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, we cannot begin our statement at this meeting without addressing the brutal Iranian aggression against my country, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The resulting significant material and moral damage is threatening the security and safety of citizens and residents. The ongoing brutal Iranian aggression on civilian and service facilities and residential sites has led to the closure of schools as a temporary precautionary measure to safeguard the safety of children and teachers. This important meeting comes amid increasing risks facing children in our contemporary world, where the digital space has become an extension of conflict zones with the rise of the online recruitment of children through digital platforms, their exploitation in illegal activities and cyberattacks targeting educational infrastructure and the profound psychological effects on millions of children. UNICEF reports that 30 million children are out of school and formal education in the Middle East and North Africa, equivalent to one child in every three children not receiving an education. The Kingdom of Bahrain recognized the seriousness of these developments and established the Child Protection in Cyberspace Unit as an embodiment of the Kingdom’s commitment to protecting children from cyberrisks and crimes by monitoring and addressing online violations, raising awareness about the safe use of technology and strengthening community partnerships to ensure a safe digital environment that enables children to learn and grow confidently and safely. The thirty-third Arab Summit, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2024, adopted the Kingdom’s initiative to provide educational services for those affected by conflicts and crises in the region who have been deprived of their right to formal education owing to the security and political conditions and the repercussions of displacement, asylum and migration, in cooperation and coordination with the League of Arab States and UNESCO. This approach adopted by the Kingdom aims to intensify international cooperation in addressing digital and educational challenges and to expand access to safe and inclusive education in conflict-affected areas. Under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Kingdom of Bahrain is keen to place the protection of human beings, especially children, at the heart of its national and international action, as confirmed by His Majesty the King’s statement at the first meeting of the Board of Peace, of which the Kingdom is a founding member, by providing the necessary infrastructure and skills to establish an effective Government digital services platform in Gaza. Building on this approach, the Kingdom of Bahrain emphasizes the importance of joint action in three main areas. First, support must be afforded to United Nations efforts to develop frameworks that address the risks of digital recruitment and exploitation of children in armed conflicts. Secondly, strategic partnerships with the private sector, emerging technology developers and social media platforms must be enhanced in order to proactively identify and prevent digital violations against children. Thirdly, capacity-building must be provided to conflict-affected countries so as to protect educational and digital spaces for children and share best practices. In conclusion, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms its unwavering commitment to working with the international community and all partners to ensure that technology remains a tool for building, not threatening, the future. The Kingdom also underscores the importance of continued safe and quality education for children in conflict zones, including through reliable digital solutions that preserve children’s right to uninterrupted education and prevent the education gap from widening.

Let me start by congratulating the United States on the beginning of its presidency of the Council and for starting it with the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump, presiding over this meeting. We wish you a warm welcome, Madam President, and thank you for your leadership. I extend my sincere appreciation for the excellent work of the United Kingdom as the Council’s President in February, and I thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the First Lady of the United States for her dedicated efforts and personal commitment to the return of Ukrainian children who have been abducted, forcibly transferred and deported by Russia, and we welcome the First Lady’s initiative, Fostering the Future Together. It is indeed important and urgent that the Council focus on children in conflict and their access to education and technology, as almost 500 million children live in conflict-affected countries. Digital technologies are reshaping childhood. They offer children new ways to learn and stay connected. But for millions of children in conflict across continents, access to education or even basic connectivity is scarce and completely out of reach. These are children whose lives have been upended by war and conflict — displaced, forced to flee, living in constant fear and facing danger and violence every day and with no schools to go to, as in the Sudan, the Middle East and Haiti. Some children are spending years in shelters underground because of bombardments, with classrooms transferred underground in the dark and the cold, as is the case in Ukraine. In this context, I would like to underscore our support for the work of the United Nations, namely UNICEF, UNESCO and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Children and Armed Conflict, whose mandate is vital not only to safeguarding children’s access to education in conflict but also to addressing grave violations committed against them. Let me highlight three points. First, war and conflict have a profound impact on education. Children in conflict- affected countries are far less likely to complete primary school than their peers elsewhere. It is not hard to imagine what their future will be without education: they will become easy targets for recruitment, exploitation and further violence. Indeed, digital technologies can serve as a lifeline to ensure the continuity of education when traditional systems are disrupted. For example, in Ukraine, in response to First Lady Olena Zelenska’s Laptop Coalition initiative, Latvian foundations and private businesses donate laptops to schoolchildren in Chernihiv, whose education has been severely disrupted by Russia’s war of aggression. There are other such examples. Secondly, digital technologies and media provide unlimited opportunities, but without appropriate safeguards, they also cause significant harm. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools amplifies both these aspects. Children are increasingly exposed to harmful content, data and privacy risks, online grooming, manipulation and recruitment. Strengthening the educational curriculum and expanding capacity-building, including on information and media literacy, are a crucial part of the response. That is why, through development cooperation, Latvia supports education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills and digital skills, especially for girls and young women in various countries. Education alone is not sufficient to address harm in the digital environment. Protecting children requires a collective effort, namely by families and educators, who guide and support them and who also need the capacity to do so, and by public institutions and private companies, including online platforms, which identify risks and take responsibility for addressing them. Thirdly, digital tools alone cannot replace meaningful human interaction, and education is no exception to this. Technology and AI should enhance children’s learning, not replace it. As our experience during the coronavirus disease pandemic demonstrated, online learning is not a substitute for in-person learning. The lack of engagement with teachers and peers negatively affects children’s social and emotional development. Digital tools should support teachers, not sideline them. Our responsibility is clear: to ensure that all children, especially those in conflict zones, are safe, have access to education and can benefit from digital opportunities, while also remaining shielded from the harm thereof. For children whose schools have been destroyed or whose access to learning has been violently disrupted, protecting their right to education means finding reliable ways to keep learning alive and to build peace. Achieving this demands responsible action from all of us.

First of all, we would like to thank the United Kingdom for its presidency in February and wish the American presidency every success in March. Madam First Lady, we welcome your personal participation in today’s meeting. We appreciate the convening of this event on the important topic of children, technology and education in conflict. Children’s access to education is one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Moreover, it is an imperative for humankind if it aspires to follow the path of progress. Education should ensure that children inherit the abundant scientific, spiritual, moral and ethical trove amassed by humankind as a whole. Education is not the aggregate of the knowledge that is nowadays available online and controlled by artificial intelligence; education should foster a person’s sense of morality and capacity for creativity, that is, it should impart to people the most important attribute that distinguishes them from the animal kingdom and from increasingly capable robots. Armed conflict is the enemy of education in every respect. Children find themselves cut off from their schools, teachers and peers against their will and end up isolated and subjected to constant stress. It is important to remember that wars are waged to, inter alia, deprive children of access to education. Our country knows this first-hand. Hitler said: “On the issue of dealing with the Russians, our fundamental line is absolutely clear: these people need not be given culture. It is quite sufficient for schoolchildren to remember road signs, learn multiplication tables, learn to write their names.” That is precisely why our country will never forget the horrors of Nazism and will not allow Nazism to reborn and deprive the world of Russian culture and culture in general. Today we must spare no effort to ensure that during armed conflicts children’s education is safeguarded to the extent possible. The lack of access to education makes children even more vulnerable to violence and recruitment by armed groups. Technology and innovation have significant potential as tools for improving children’s lot in armed conflict. When educational institutions close owing to hostilities, remote education technologies come into play, but they cannot replace a full-fledged education. It is important to bear in mind that conflict-affected developing countries often lack the necessary infrastructure or the capacities to build such infrastructure and the digital technologies among the population could be extremely low. It is therefore crucial to assist them in bridging the digital divide. We must also remember that the online environment is also a place in which extremist ideology is disseminated. Children who have not received an education become easy prey for extremists and terrorists. If we fail to find a way to provide children with a decent, specialized online education, their so-called education may come from other, much more dangerous sources. The Internet is also a place for dissemination of content depicting sexual violence against children and their sexual exploitation. Combating these abhorrent developments is the focus of a number of provisions in the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which is the first universal treaty on this matter and was developed on Russia’s initiative. Malicious actors tend to use new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to stage disinformation campaigns and carry out cyberattacks, which affect, inter alia, national educational systems and students. We are convinced that the key to success in countering these threats lies in the adherence by digital solution developers to the national legislation of the countries in which they operate and that countries cooperate among themselves on this issue without politicizing it. While technologies offer countless opportunities, nothing can replace personal interaction with teachers and other children. Therefore, even during an armed conflict, schools must remain a safe space: they must not be used for military purposes or be attacked. We must note that the protection of children in armed conflict is sometimes used as a tool for political manipulation, by which the label of wrongdoer is unfairly placed on one, whereas the crimes of others are ignored. For example, very few people know, or more precisely many do not want to know, that in the past week alone Russian schools were targeted by the Ukrainian armed forces five times and that last year children in the Belgorod Oblast had to study remotely. Nor do they know that Russian schoolchildren from a number of regions now have mandatory training on safety procedures in the event of artillery shelling, drone attacks, hostage-taking, evacuation and first aid. Nor do they recall that many children in Donbas have come of age under shelling by the Ukrainian army, which has been ongoing since 2014, and hundreds of children have been killed or maimed. Russia is not conducting targeted strikes on educational facilities and has consistently advocated ensuring comprehensive protection of minors and respecting the civilian nature of educational infrastructure. The Russian armed forces strictly adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law in the conduct of their special military operation. This is despite the mendacious and repugnant disinformation campaign against Russia about the alleged abduction of 20,000 Ukrainian children, even though no one has ever proved that. We are working to reunite minors with their families whom they have lost contact with as a result of the conflict. Qatar, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Vatican are assisting us in this process. We highly value your personal efforts, Madam President, to address this issue in the context of the situation surrounding Ukraine. We continue to support constructive engagement through our Children’s Ombudsman and look forward to further fruitful cooperation in this area.