The United Nations Security Council’s high-level debate on Children and Armed Conflict on 26th June, 2025, featured a powerful intervention from St. Kitts and Nevis’ Permanent Representative, Ambassador Dr. Mutryce Williams, who delivered a passionate appeal on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for urgent and collective action—particularly in response to the escalating crisis in Haiti.
Representing CARICOM, Ambassador Williams demanded immediate strategies to end grave violations against children, with emphasis on protecting the rights, safety, and futures of vulnerable youth in conflict zones. Her statement drew sharp focus on Haiti, where the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 report reveals a staggering 492% surge in verified grave violations against children in 2024, including 154 attacks on schools and hospitals.
She warned that nearly 60% of Haiti’s population is under the age of 24, and the country is grappling with the recruitment of children as young as six into armed groups, many subjected to kidnapping tasks and sexual violence. UNICEF estimates that 30–50% of Haitian children are involved with armed groups. In Port-au-Prince alone, 1.2 million children live under the constant threat of violence.
Citing this dire situation, Dr. Williams applauded the leadership of Guyana, the Security Council President for June, for convening the debate. She called for the implementation of six key measures to address and prevent violations against children in conflict settings.
Among the top priorities was a call for member states to join the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines to protect children from explosive remnants of war. She also advocated for community-based child reintegration initiatives, safe access to education, and the full endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration.
“Education in emergencies must be protected and prioritised,” Dr. Williams said, insisting that child protection be integrated into UN country mandates and monitoring mechanisms. Without sustained monitoring and accountability, she warned, perpetrators of violations would continue to act with impunity.
Further, CARICOM urged enhanced enforcement of the UN arms embargo on Haiti and international sanctions against financiers of armed groups deploying children.
“Eighty-five percent of the world’s youth living in developing countries are affected by conflict,” Dr. Williams stressed. “The erosion of their future contributions to society weakens all of us.”
She reaffirmed CARICOM’s full support for the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and noted that long-term peace and security depend on protecting children and investing in their potential.
The Secretary-General’s 2025 report confirmed that 2,269 grave violations were committed against 1,373 children in Haiti in 2024, with the “Viv Ansanm” gang coalition newly added to the list of perpetrators.
Ambassador Williams concluded with a call for systemic, well-funded responses to the interlinked challenges of armed conflict, climate change, and economic instability—emphasising that traditional approaches are no longer adequate to protect the world’s most vulnerable.
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