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National Statement of the Republic of Lithuania delivered by Permanent Representative to the United Nations H.E. Mr. Rytis Paulauskas at the United Nations Security Council Arria-formula Meeting “Red Hand Day 2026: Safe Education to Prevent the Recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Conflict” on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Lithuania aligns itself with the EU statement and would like to add the following remarks in its national capacity.

We thank the Permanent Mission of Panama for organizing this Arria Formula meeting on Red Hand Day, which highlights the urgent need to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and to safeguard every child from violence.

As underscored throughout today’s discussion, the latest Annual Report of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict presents record-high figures. The 41,370 verified grave violations in 2024 - the highest ever recorded under this mandate - include 7,402 children recruited and used by parties to conflict, as well as a continued rise in attacks on schools and education personnel. Taken together, these trends reflect the extent to which conflict environments are disrupting access to education, weakening protection frameworks and complicating children’s prospects for safe and sustained reintegration.

Lithuania condemns, in the strongest terms, the recruitment and use of children by parties to conflict, as well as the deliberate targeting of educational infrastructure.

Lithuania remains concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, where children face insecurity, recruitment risk and systemic restrictions, which particularly affects girls. Afghanistan remains among the major situations monitored by the CAAC system, with ongoing grave violations, including attacks on schools and the denial of education for girls, which stand in clear breach of international obligations. Lithuania calls for the full restoration of girls’ unrestricted access to education and the protection of all children from violence, exploitation and coercion.

Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine continues to generate grave violations against children and sustained attacks on educational infrastructure. As a direct result of Russia’s actions, Ukraine remains under CAAC monitoring for Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including educational facilities, violations of international humanitarian law that heighten displacement, trauma and the risk of recruitment.

In addition to these violations, independent research by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health has documented a systematic campaign of large-scale re-education and militarisation of Ukrainian children transferred into Russia and temporary occupied Ukrainian territories since February 2022. According to this investigation, children from Ukraine have been taken to at least 210 facilities across Russia and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory, where re-education activities have occurred in at least 61.9 % of locations and militarisation programmes in approximately 18.6 % of sites, including combat drills, tactical medical training and drone control training. These programs often target children aged 8–17 years and form part of a broader effort to impose pro-Russian cultural and patriotic narratives and military conditioning on Ukraine’s youngest citizens.

 Schools are never a legitimate military target. Lithuania urges all parties - and especially the aggressor state - to cease attacks, comply with international law, and enable safe humanitarian access.

Lithuania’s commitment to protecting education in Ukraine is practical, long‑term and substantial. Since the start of Russia’s full‑scale invasion, Lithuania has implemented eight reconstruction and rebuilding projects of schools and kindergartens, and the construction of bomb shelters for educational institutions. Together with the EU and partners, Lithuania supports the Construction of New Shelters for Ukrainian Schools programme, which brings children back to in‑person learning by building anti‑radiation shelters. Lithuania is also helping develop the Future School for Ukraine, an innovative and adaptable architectural model for rapidly building modern, resilient schools across the country.

We must remember that the consequences of these violations are lifelong. In 2024, 22,495 children were documented as victims of killing, maiming, recruitment, sexual violence and abduction. Reintegration support reached 16,482 children formerly associated with armed forces or groups, but the scale of violations far exceeds the resources available. Predictable funding and sustained support for reintegration are essential to prevent re-recruitment and break cycles of conflict.

Mr. President,

When educational spaces become unsafe the foundations of peace are weakened. Lithuania is deeply concerned by the recruitment of children and attacks on schools in situations such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Yemen, South Sudan, Mali and other contexts, and calls on all parties to prevent such violations and ensure safe access to education. Lithuania expresses its support for the SRSG-CAAC mandate and will continue working with partners to restore safe learning environments and protect children affected by conflict.

Thank you.