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Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis published the speech he delivered at the United Nations (UN) Security Council session on "Children and Armed Conflict" held in New York. Referring to the 30th anniversary of the Graça Machel report, Gerapetritis emphasized that protecting children must play a central role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

Minister Gerapetritis stated that despite the progress achieved in recent years, the current situation remained alarming. Drawing attention to the UN Secretary-General's Annual Report, Gerapetritis noted that violations of children's rights in armed conflicts had reached a record high last year, the highest level since the establishment of the relevant monitoring mechanism.

Pointing out that new threats have emerged as the nature of conflicts changes, Gerapetritis addressed the dangers posed by digital technologies, stating: "Children are being recruited into armed forces and exploited through smartphones. Their natural ability to use technology is being turned into a weapon against them."

The minister stated that digital literacy and technology-supported education could be used as tools to protect children from online threats, emphasizing the need to bridge the digital divide between countries.

It was announced that a resolution drafted under Greece's leadership, addressing the impact of digital technologies on children and aiming to ensure that these technologies are used for their benefit, had been unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council with the support of 93 countries.

Concluding his speech with a reference to Greece's "Prove It Matters" campaign, Gerapetritis said: "A protected child is the foundation of a secure future. Let us ensure that the next thirty years are remembered not for the promises we made, but for the violations we prevented and the children we protected."