As has already been widely reported, during the forthcoming two years, Malta shall be sitting on the Security Council of the United Nations. This is truly a historical event and is only the second time since its independence that Malta will be fulfilling this most important role on the world stage.
There have been other equally important occasions when Malta has shown leadership in taking forward important roles at the service of the international community, both regionally as well as internationally, which experiences continue to galvanise Malta’s recognition as a valuable partner in Euro-Mediterranean region and beyond.
Tomorrow, August 29, marks the start of the very first virtual summer school on the important theme of ‘Children and Armed Conflict’. It is being organised by the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, together with the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict, in collaboration with the University of Malta.
Over the next two weeks, the world’s leading policymakers, practitioners and experts in the field of children and armed conflict shall be meeting virtually to share experiences and discuss how to best protect children in armed conflict and how to be able to help them in the best way possible.
The wide variety of participants all have their own unique role to play in ensuring the protection of children in armed conflict. They hail from individual countries, United Nations organisations, non-governmental organisations, the military, regional and sub-regional organisations, the communication sector, academia and the legal profession.
Their interactions over the two-week period will allow them to establish connections and foster partnerships that will live on beyond the course. This in the firm belief that cooperation between different sectors of society is required to truly protect and work in the interests of such children. The virtual summer school shall be fulfilling an important role in bringing together these practitioners working in the field of child protection in armed conflict and will be filling a void that has existed so far in this regard.
News bulletins report on a regular basis about the recruitment and use of child soldiers
Why Malta, one may ask? The important role of states our size in taking forward and highlighting topics that are of universal concern has been proven time and time again. More often than not, states similar to our size are able to walk the talk, without having hidden agendas and with a genuine interest in addressing issues of international concern. This was the case in 1967 when Malta had asked for an agenda item at the UN General Assembly which started a process culminating in the adoption of the Law of the Sea in 1982 and the related concept of the Common Heritage of Mankind.
This was also the case in 1988, when Malta was the first country to formally table the issue of climate change as a political agenda item during the 43rd Session of the General Assembly which resulted in the unanimous adoption by the General Assembly on December 6, 1988 of a resolution on the ‘Protection of Global Climate for Present and Future Generations of Mankind’.
Malta is likewise in a position to take forward and spearhead action in this equally important domain of children and armed conflict.
News bulletins report on a regular basis about the recruitment and use of child soldiers; the killing and maiming, as well as abductions of children; the high number of rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against children; the repeated attacks against schools and hospitals; and the continued denial of humanitarian assistance.
All these present a very worrying picture where children in areas of armed conflict face both immediate dangers and long-term risks to the detriment of the societies they live in. The very substantial number of applicants and participants in the course, hailing from an equally substantial number of countries and entities, is testament to the shared concern for, and the awareness of, the needs of children in armed conflict.
Malta’s pivotal role within the international community was formally acknowledged in the widespread support we gained on June 9 at the United Nations in New York, when Malta was elected to the Security Council as a non-permanent member for the next two years.
The prioritisation of this theme, during Malta’s two-year term as an elected member of the Security Council, is testament to our commitment to continue advancing the important work undertaken by fellow UN member states together with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, convinced more than ever that this is an area where we can contribute in a concrete manner.
This is also in the context of our commitment to support and work in favour of stability and security, within the framework of our main objective of supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, of leaving no one behind.
The holding of this virtual summer school is the fruit of my ministry’s strategy of establishing, nurturing and developing meaningful partnerships with relevant partners in enabling and taking forward Malta’s priorities on the world stage.
This initiative would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the pertinent officials within my ministry assigned to work in the capital and abroad, as well as the active involvement of the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict and of the University of Malta, whom I thank for their sterling cooperation in bringing this long-awaited and much-needed project to fruition.
Ian Borg is Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade.