Impact of war on children focus of side-event at 2022 Ministerial Council

Tackling the effects of armed conflict on children was the focus of a side-event held by the Belgian Chair of the Forum for Security Co-operation, in co-operation with Italy, Norway and Poland on 1 December 2022.

Held on the margins of the 2022 Ministerial Council, the event was dedicated to the impact Russia’s war has had on the children of Ukraine.

Addressing the participants, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib highlighted the disastrous and long-lasting effect Russia’s war against Ukraine has on children.

“Children have been among the most affected and are subjected to far-reaching and possibly long-lasting physical and emotional distress. The situation is dire.  According to OHCHR the war has left 1170 children killed or injured. This will likely have severe consequences for the long-term security and stability in our region,” she said. She emphasized that the recommendations made under the Belgian FSC security dialogue must become action.

“Every child that has lost its life, every child that has been forced to flee, every child that faces more risks because of this war, is one too many. This could have and should have been avoided. It is the Russian Federation that bears the responsibility for this situation.” Civil society participants also shared their testimonies on the impact of the war and challenges in documenting violations and possible war crimes.

Belgium, Italy, Norway and Poland concluded the side-event with the creation of a Group of Friends on this topic, dedicated to leveraging the OSCE to mitigate the effects of armed conflict on children.