After three decades of advocating for children affected by war, the UN’s top envoy on the issue is renewing the call for prevention and protection to go hand in hand. In an exclusive interview with UN News, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, reflected on the alarming rise in grave violations against children and the urgent need to safeguard their futures.
“The recruitment and use of children is still one of the most widespread and devastating violations we face. In 2024 alone, over 7,400 children were recruited or used by armed forces and armed groups, and those are only the verified cases,” Ms. Frazier said ahead of Thursday’s International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers.
“Over the last 30 years, we have separated over 220,000 children from armed gangs,” she emphasised, highlighting the impact of long-term efforts.
Her office monitors around 26 conflict situations worldwide, and the data paints a grim picture. “The violations are most prevalent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and Myanmar,” Ms. Frazier explained.
“But we’re also seeing worrying trends in Sudan, where children are specifically targeted because they are seen as useful as border guards, as workers, even as fighters,” she added, noting the human toll behind the numbers. “Each number in our report represents a child whose innocence has been interrupted.”
Beyond documenting abuses, Ms. Frazier’s office negotiates directly with combatants to secure the release of children and ensure their safe return home. “One of the strengths of our mandate is that we can negotiate directly with armed groups for the handover of children,” she said. “Once separated, UNICEF and our partners work on their reintegration, ensuring they receive psychosocial support, access to education and the chance to reclaim their childhood.”
Yet reintegration is fraught with challenges. “Girls who return may be shunned by their communities, especially those who come back with children,” Ms. Frazier noted. “For societal reasons, some girls cannot be fully reintegrated and are considered damaged goods.”
Prevention remains central to the UN’s approach. “Prevention is better than cure,” she said. “Even in times of war and armed conflict, children must remain in school. When they are out of school, they become very vulnerable to recruitment, whether forced or not.”
Accountability also plays a critical role. Ms. Frazier pointed to recent prosecutions before national courts and the International Criminal Court (ICC) as powerful deterrents. “When warlords or armed group leaders are prosecuted and sentenced for recruiting children, it sends a powerful message. Justice and accountability act as strong deterrents, showing armed groups that this crime carries real consequences.”
Her conviction is rooted in field experience, from meeting survivors of Boko Haram in Nigeria to listening to women once enslaved by the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. “You hear about a 13-year-old girl holding her baby, and you realise how deeply conflict steals childhood,” she said.
“Children are the epitome of innocence. They have not taken sides in any war, yet their innocence and childhood have both been interrupted. Children should never be treated as collateral of war,” she added, stressing that lasting peace begins with protecting and empowering them.
Through campaigns like Prove It Matters, Ms. Frazier invites children affected by war to send messages to leaders, folded into origami doves. “One child wrote to me, ‘I still have hope for a peaceful world. Never again should a girl be the wife of a guerrilla fighter. Never again being part of armed groups. Let’s save childhoods and families too.’ It’s such an innocent plea, but it is what we are about,” she said.
Grave violations against children are rising worldwide, with attacks on schools, hospitals, and essential services, coupled with restricted humanitarian access, compounding the crisis. To reverse these trends, UNICEF calls on leaders to prioritize the protection of children in conflict as a core pillar of international security, uphold international humanitarian law, ensure accountability, and provide sustained humanitarian access. “Children should be able to continue with their innocence even during times of conflict. It is about ensuring a sustainable and peaceful future for the world,” Ms. Frazier concluded.
