UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations put Russian forces on its annual blacklist of nations that violate youngsters’s rights in battle for killing girls and boys and attacking colleges and hospitals in Ukraine, in response to a brand new report seen Thursday by The Associated Press.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned within the report back to the Security Council that he’s “appalled” by the excessive variety of “grave violations” towards youngsters in Ukraine in 2022, “shocked” on the variety of assaults on colleges and hospitals, “concerned” by the detention of kids, and “troubled” that some Ukrainian youngsters have been transferred to Russia.
The U.N. chief didn’t put Israel on the blacklist for grave violations towards 1,139 Palestinian youngsters, together with 54 killings final yr – as supporters had hoped.
Instead, he welcomed Israel’s engagement with the U.N. particular envoy for kids in armed battle, Virginia Gamba and its “identification of practical measures including those proposed by the U.N.” to guard youngsters.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, advised reporters Guterres “made a big mistake” in not itemizing essentially the most excessive authorities in Israel’s historical past.
“It is very disappointing to the Palestinian people and to the Palestinian children,” he mentioned.
In the wide-ranging report, the secretary-general mentioned that final yr youngsters have been disproportionately affected by battle. He mentioned the U.N. verified grave violations towards 13,469 youngsters, together with 2,985 who have been killed, in 24 international locations and one area.
“Grave violations” embrace the recruitment and use of children by combatants, killings and accidents, sexual violence, abductions, and assaults on colleges and hospitals.
Guterres mentioned the unfold of conflicts to new areas contributed to a 140% improve in grave violations in Myanmar and a 135% improve in South Sudan. An upsurge in exercise by armed teams, together with al-Qaida and the Islamic State, additionally prompted a extreme deterioration of the scenario within the central Sahel, notably in Burkina Faso, resulting in an 85% improve in grave violations.
Violations additionally elevated in Colombia, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan and Syria, the secretary-general mentioned.
The report additionally lists two new international locations of concern for kids: Haiti and Niger.
Guterres mentioned the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed teams have been listed for finishing up 480 assaults on colleges and hospitals, and for killing youngsters, particularly by means of their shelling and airstrikes on cities and city. According to the report, 136 Ukrainian youngsters have been killed and 518 injured.
The secretary-general urged Russian forces to abide by their obligations beneath worldwide regulation and their very own commitments to guard youngsters, together with by avoiding the army use of colleges and hospitals, putting in accountability and reparations measures, and exchanging data with the U.N. on all youngsters in conflict-affected areas.
Guterres additionally urged Russia to make sure that no modifications are made to the non-public standing of Ukrainian youngsters, together with their nationality.
Deportations of Ukrainian youngsters have been a priority since Russia’s invasion, and the International Criminal Court elevated stress on Russia when it issued arrest warrants on March 17 for President Vladimir Putin and the Russian youngsters’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting youngsters from Ukraine.
The U.N. chief mentioned he’s additionally involved by the variety of grave violations towards youngsters by Ukrainian forces and urged them to abide by protections for civilians beneath worldwide regulation.
According to the report, Ukrainian armed forces have been accountable for the deaths of 80 youngsters and accidents to 175 others, in addition to 212 assaults on colleges and hospitals.
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