Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström and Fryshuset Foundation CEO Johan Oljeqvist to host the Child Forum on Children and Armed Conflict

On Thursday 22 March, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Fryshuset Foundation will hold a Child Forum, focusing on children and armed conflict. The Child Forum is part of a series of child consultations hosted in a number of countries.

During its time in the United Nations Security Council, Sweden has chosen ‘children and armed conflict’ as one of its focus areas. As chair of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, Sweden has consistently highlighted the vulnerable situation of children in armed conflict based on four Swedish priorities: implementing the children and armed conflict agenda, children’s right to have their voices heard, children’s right to education and children’s right to health.

“We cannot afford more lost generations of children deprived of their right to life, to education, who are orphaned, injured and traumatised. If we protect children today, we can prevent conflicts tomorrow,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström in a comment ahead of the event.

For more than a month, 60 children in Sweden have been working on issues concerning children’s protection, children’s rights and conflict prevention. Based on this work, the children have drafted recommendations to be presented to Ms Wallström during the Child Forum on 22 March.

Ms Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, will also take part in the Child Forum.