Children and Armed Conflict Must be at the Forefront of the Global Agenda

Children and Armed Conflict Must be at the Forefront of the Global Agenda

By Mikiko OtaniTOKYO, Japan, Jan 19 2026 (IPS) Thirty years ago, the groundbreaking report by Graça Machel, renowned and widely respected global advocate for women’s and children’s rights, to the United Nations General Assembly laid bare the devastating impact of armed conflict on children and shook the conscience of the world. It led to the historic decision of the General Assembly to create the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secr…