International Day Of Innocent Children Victims Of Aggression: When we think of the word “victim”, usually a picture of woman suffering harassment, or a man being under mental pressure comes to our mind. We rarely think and believe that children can be victims too, that they can also go through horror and fall prey to evils of the society. Every year, the world observes the International Day Of Innocent Children Victims Of Aggression on 4 June. The day commemorates the pain suffered by children across the globe, who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse. This day highlights the United Nations’ commitment to the protection of the rights of children. It also serves as a reminder that as a society what we can do to uphold the rights of children and make this world a better place for them.
History And Significance
The resolution to observe the International Day Of Innocent Children Victims Of Aggression on 4 June was announced at the United Nation’s emergency special session of 19 August 1982. This session focused on the plight and sufferings of Palestinian and Lebanese children, who were victims of Israel’s acts of aggression. They also pledged to intensify efforts to protect the rights of Lebanese children.
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According to the UN, it was “appalled at the great number of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children victims of Israel’s acts of aggression.”
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The observance of this day is important as children across the globe face unimaginable horrors. In its official statement, the UN states that children are not safe sleeping their homes or playing outside, learning in school or seeking medical care at hospitals. The kind of violence that children face includes killing, maiming, abduction, sexual violence, attacks on education and health facilities, and the denial of the humanitarian assistance.
Why The 1982 UN Pledge Still Matters?
The UN Secretary-General Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict highlights an alarming data. The report states that in 2023, 11,649 children were killed or maimed, 8,655 children were recruited or used, 4356 were abducted, 1, 470 children were victims of sexual violence. It adds that there were 5,205 incidents of denial of humanitarian access, and 1,650 incidents of attack were in schools and hospitals.
Earlier, the Graça Machel report drew global attention to the devastating impact of armed conflict on children. This led to the adoption of 51/77 Resolution on the Rights of the Child in 1997 by the General Assembly. It was considered a landmark development in efforts to protection of children in conflict situations.
Children are worst affected by the impact of armed conflict. The use of explosive ordnance, weapons and remnants of war, improvised explosive devices and landmines results in the killing and maiming of children. If we look at present, children are one of the most affected in Israel-Gaza conflict. They are the innocent victims of this war – who are dying, starving and spending their lives under heavy bombarding with uncertainty of what lies ahead.
According to the UN, “The most effective way to protect children from hostilities is to eliminate the push and pull factors that lead to their involvement in armed conflict.” Notably, there are millions of children who are living in countries and areas affected by the conflict. Efforts need to be made to protect children from getting targeted by violent extremists, international humanitarian and human rights law need to be promoted, and accountability for violations of the rights of children must be ensured.
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