The United States has reiterated its demand for stronger safeguards for children caught in armed conflicts, placing special emphasis on the alarming situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This statement came during the United Nations Security Council’s 10,182nd meeting, which focused on children and armed conflict worldwide.
Speaking on behalf of the U.S. government, Ambassador Jennifer Locetta, Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, highlighted that children continue to bear the heaviest burden of wars ravaging multiple regions across the globe.
“No child should be deprived of safety,” the diplomat declared, echoing a message first delivered by former First Lady Melania Trump during a Security Council session earlier this year. At that time, she drew attention to the devastating impact of international conflicts on children.
Democratic Republic of the Congo among primary concerns
In her remarks, Jennifer Locetta listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo among nations where violations of children’s rights remain especially severe. The United States condemned these abuses, asserting that Congolese children continue to be the primary victims of ongoing clashes among armed groups in the country’s eastern region.
“In conflict zones worldwide, children face numerous threats. In Sudan, reports show children being driven from their homes, separated from families, and subjected to sexual violence. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, millions of children endure the threat of violence, forced displacement, and conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by various armed groups. We firmly condemn these acts, and under President Trump, the United States continues to prioritize peace,” she stated in her address on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Children, the primary casualties of conflict
The U.S. ambassador emphasized that children are not merely collateral damage but are often deliberately targeted. According to her, conflicts also undermine their access to safe, quality education, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty, instability, and violence passed down through generations.
“All too often, conflicts deprive children of reliable, safe education, cutting off their pathways to the future and damaging their prospects. As everyone knows, this leads to a cycle of poverty and instability that repeats across generations, fueling further conflict and undermining global stability and economic prosperity. Everywhere in the world, children deserve to feel safe, to be educated, and to have a future. By taking steps to protect them, we safeguard our collective future and help bring an end to persistent conflicts,” she remarked.
Criticism of the UN report
The U.S. diplomat also took aim at the latest report from the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (CAAC), arguing that it does little to enhance child protection in war zones.
According to Jennifer Locetta, “the latest report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (CAAC) does not bring us closer to that goal.” She stated that the document presents “a misguided view of civilian harm under the laws of war,” asserting that “the deliberate killing of children by the Houthis or other malicious armed groups constitutes a grave violation; the accidental killing of civilians by a state’s armed forces does not.”
For the U.S. representative, this report once again demonstrates “how the UN spends time and resources on initiatives incompatible with the interests and sovereignty of member states.”
“This report only reinforces the decision of the United States to withdraw from the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. It further damages the credibility of that office by wrongly equating actions of U.S. armed forces with those of Houthi terrorists. Protecting children remains a priority for the United States. We continue to call for concrete measures to prevent children from being involved in armed conflicts. Publishing politicized and inaccurate reports will not achieve these objectives,” she declared.
Call for international action
Beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States also raised concerns about situations in Sudan, Ukraine, and Haiti, urging all parties to conflicts to better protect children from violence, forced displacement, and serious rights violations. For Washington, child protection remains a critical issue for fostering long-term peace and stability in regions affected by armed conflict.
The impact of conflict on children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo manifests mainly through six grave violations: recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals as well as associated protected persons, abduction of children, and denial of humanitarian access.
Though the situation was already concerning, it has further deteriorated with the resurgence of the AFC/M23 rebellion, backed by Rwanda, which currently occupies large parts of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, despite diplomatic initiatives led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union.
