Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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March 2, 2026 Peace and security
The UN Security Council met on Monday for a meeting on "Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict." The meeting was opened by Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States of America, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council in March.
Addressing the Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo warned that one in five children in the world – that's 473 million children – lives in a conflict zone or is forced to flee war.
DiCarlo recalled that the number of armed conflicts worldwide has reached its highest level since World War II. According to the UN, the number of grave violations against children verified by the Organization increased by 25 percent between 2023 and 2024. The incidence of rape and other forms of sexual violence increased by 35 percent.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General noted that in recent days, schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman have been closed and switched to distance learning due to military operations in the region. There have also been reports of the deaths of possibly dozens of children in an attack on a primary school in the city of Minab, Iran.
Education as a lifesaver
Conflicts deprive the younger generation of access to education and future prospects, DiCarlo emphasized.
"In a violent environment, schools often remain the only safe space," she noted. Education protects children from recruitment, trafficking, and exploitation, and provides access to hygiene, psychosocial support, and other basic services.
Nevertheless, educational infrastructure continues to be attacked. In 2024, the UN confirmed 2,374 attacks on schools and hospitals. The largest number of attacks were recorded against educational and medical facilities in Ukraine, Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Haiti.
DiCarlo reminded about Security Council resolution 2601 (2021), which calls on parties to conflicts to immediately cease attacks on schools, children and teachers and to respect the right to education in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The speaker also paid tribute to the First Lady of the United States for her work in raising awareness of the problems of children in conflict, and "especially for her personal involvement in reuniting Ukrainian children with their families."
Technology as a tool for access to learning
With infrastructure crumbling and teachers short – there is a 44 million teacher shortage in conflict zones – digital technologies can be a vital tool for ensuring continuous learning, a UN official said.
She cited examples of initiatives by the Organization and its partners. For example, the "Learning Passport," developed jointly by UNICEF and Microsoft, provides 10 million children in 47 countries with access to a mobile educational platform.
Another program, implemented by the Vodafone Foundation in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency, provides internally displaced people and teachers with access to digital educational content in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. In Afghanistan, UNESCO is using digital technologies to support home and community-based learning, where 2.2 million girls are excluded from the education system.
Risks in the digital environment
DiCarlo emphasized that technology also carries risks. Children in conflict situations are particularly vulnerable to online threats such as exploitation, human trafficking, and radicalization. recruitment into armed groups and cyberbullying.
She called for strengthening legal and policy mechanisms to protect children's rights in the digital space in accordance with international law, and also emphasized the special responsibility of technology companies to ensure the safety of users, especially children and young people.
Conflict prevention is the main defense
Of additional concern is the decline in funding: funding for education in emergencies has fallen by 24 percent, despite growing needs. DiCarlo emphasized that the most effective way to protect children is to prevent and stop wars.
"Building peace is at the core of the United Nations," she said. "We must work together to achieve this goal."
Melania Trump called for promoting peace through education and technology.
Speaking to the UN Security Council, First Lady Melania Trump called on world leaders to prioritize education and access to technology as the foundation of lasting peace and global security.
Opening her speech with condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in conflicts around the world, she expressed solidarity with the wounded and emphasized her support for children affected by war. "The United States stands with all children around the world," she said.
Trump emphasized that sustainable peace depends on knowledge and mutual understanding, warning that societies that restrict access to education risk instability and conflict. Calling education a fundamental human right, she noted that when children are deprived of the opportunity to learn, society pays a high price.
She also highlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence and digital access in democratising knowledge and called on countries to bridge the technological divide.
"The path to peace depends on empowering our children through education and technology," she concluded.
France on the use of technology by armed groups
French Ambassador to the UN Jérôme Bonnafon thanked the First Lady of the United States for her mediation role, which facilitated the return of Ukrainian children forcibly removed to the Russian Federation. He also noted that Russian drone attacks are having an extremely negative impact on the lives of Ukrainian children.
"Today's debate is the focus of the Security Council," he said, calling on the Council to prevent the use of new technologies to undermine international security.
According to the diplomat, they are increasingly being used by armed groups, leading to increased violence. Children are the primary victims, he said.
Bonnafon stressed that, in coordination with all stakeholders, the Council should continue its work on the agendas of children and armed conflict, as well as youth, peace and security.
Russia advocates for the protection of children
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that his country "consistently advocates for the comprehensive protection of minors and respect for the civilian nature of educational infrastructure." He added that the Russian Armed Forces strictly adhere to international humanitarian law when conducting military operations.
He also said that children in the Belgorod region were forced to study online due to attacks last year, and that in the last week alone, Russian schools "have been attacked by the Ukrainian armed forces five times."
He called reports of 20,000 abducted Ukrainian children a "disinformation, false, and disgusting campaign," emphasizing that Russia is working to reunite minors with their families who lost contact as a result of the conflict. "Qatar, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Vatican are assisting us in this process," Nebenzya added.
He noted that the Russian side highly values the personal efforts of the US First Lady "on this issue in the context of the situation around Ukraine." "[We] continue to maintain constructive interaction through our children's ombudsman and look forward to further fruitful cooperation," the diplomat said.
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