H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the UN, participated and made a statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate held under agenda item “Children and Armed Conflict” on 25 June 2026.
A deep concern was expressed on the alarming picture presented in the Secretary-General’s latest report on Children and Armed Conflict, which records unprecedented levels of grave violations against children in armed conflict in 2025.
Ambassador Hovhannisyan emphasized that in recent years, Armenia has faced significant humanitarian challenges in hosting more than 115,000 refugees, including over 36,000 children. Nearly 17,000 refugee children have been integrated into public schools and provided with educational and psychosocial support. Through close cooperation with UNICEF and UNESCO, Armenia has strengthened child protection responses and facilitated the inclusion of refugee children in the education system.
Expressing particular concern on the sustained pattern of attacks against schools and educational facilities, Armenia’s Permanent Representative underscored that building on the understanding that protecting education requires more than safeguarding schools from physical attacks, Armenia initiated the General Assembly resolution “Education for Peace,” adopted without a vote earlier in June and co-sponsored by around 100 Member States.
