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Your Excellency, Francisco Fabi谩n Tropepi, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the 91茄子,

Under-Secretary General, Ms. Vanessa Frazier,

Distinguished colleagues and friends,

Thank you for joining us for the 12th official observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

As we gather, I am reminded of the profound responsibility we carry to protect the most vulnerable – the children caught in the harrowing realities of conflict who are often the most invisible casualties. Sexual violence against children in conflict is not merely a statistic; it is a tragic reality with profound consequences and a grave violation of human rights that leaves indelible scars on our collective conscience.

As I speak to you, I am reminded of the countless children survivors I have encountered over the past years – from the 8 months old baby girl in South Sudan to the young girl whom I saw in a hospital run by Heal Africa in Goma, shortly after she had undergone surgery for brutal sexual violence. At the time, her identity was still unknown to the medical personnel as she was dropped by some passer-by. I also vividly remember the 6-year-old Sudanese girl who had been raped in a refugee camp in Aweil, South Sudan, or the frail 13-year-old Sudanese girl who was gang raped by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) elements in her home in Khartoum, in front of her parents. When I met her, she had delivered a baby by cesarean section just a month earlier.

Conflicts are escalating around the world, in numbers as well as in severity and duration, with sexual violence used as a tactic of war, terror, torture and political repression by State and non-State actors.

Tragically, there are harrowing accounts of children being also targeted. Recent annual reports of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence – including the last one for the year 2025, paint a grim picture of children subjected to rape, gang rape, abductions, sexual slavery, forced marriage and forced pregnancy, with cases documented against children as young as 1 year old.

In 2024, sexual violence against children had even increased by a shocking 35 percent, with incidents of gang-rape rising dramatically. These violations are neither isolated nor confined to a handful of contexts. They are global in scale and demand a response centred on the rights, needs, and dignity of survivors and communities affected. Some disturbing trends include:

• Girls being subjected to gang rape, abduction and sexual slavery during incursions of armed groups in villages;
• Girls being subjected to sexual violence by extremist armed groups while undertaking essential livelihood activities;
• Others being collectively raped in public in total impunity;
• Girls being brutally raped due to a perceived association with rival groups and/or on the basis of ethnicity;
• Migrant girls are being subjected to human trafficking in border areas by illegal armed groups;
• Forced marriage of girls is rife and, in some contexts, it has even been legalized;
• Boys are being subjected to sexual violence in detention settings including as a form of torture.

The impact of these crimes is devastating. Children affected by sexual violence endure lifelong physical and psychological harm, often compounded by stigma, disrupted education, and increased risks of exploitation of further violations. The impact extends beyond individuals, fracturing families and destabilizing entire communities.

While the role of caregivers is critical in this challenging context, as the first line of support for these children, they, unfortunately, often operate in overwhelming adversity and in insecure environments. At the same time, the harsh reality is that at a time when violations are rising and humanitarian needs are mounting, funding for service-provision is falling dramatically leading to major gaps in essential services and support mechanisms. Every dollar diverted is a child left vulnerable. Every funding cut is a lifeline severed.

In the face of these challenges, through the interagency Network, UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, which is chaired by the SRSG, the UN system comes together across diverse contexts to deliver an integrated continuum of care that strengthens services and restores systems supporting survivors, including children, and their caregivers.

The Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict is working with national authorities in several settings to bolster justice and accountability by strengthening investigative capacity, supporting legislative reform, and enhancing child-sensitive judicial processes.

Excellencies,

The protection of children in conflict is a shared responsibility that transcends borders. Today I stand before you not only to bear witness, but to urge you to take action, to increase funding for programs that prioritize the protection and rehabilitation of child survivors of sexual violence, as well as justice and accountability.

Let us be the voice of those who cannot speak. Let us take decisive actions that reflect our commitment to end sexual violence against children in warzones.

We need stronger laws and policy frameworks for the prevention and response to sexual violence against children. We need to expand comprehensive services including education and ensure safe and confidential reporting mechanisms.

Let us stand united in our resolve to protect and empower the most vulnerable among us. Together we can build a world where every child is protected, valued and empowered. With sustained political resolve and financial resources equal to the scale of the challenge, progress is possible.

I urge you to renew your commitments- both in action and funding. The time for words has passed; the time for action is now.

Change is not achieved in resolutions alone. It is materialized through accessible and quality child-friendly support in conflict areas. It is achieved when no military or political leader is above the law, and no child is beneath the scope of its protection. It is achieved when survivors can reclaim their futures and replace horror with healing and hope.

Together we can be a beacon of hope for these children, transforming their trauma into resilience and their despair into a promise for a better tomorrow.

Thank you.