The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on 19 October aimed at protecting children in armed conflicts from abuses committed or enabled through digital technologies.
Resolution 2832, drafted by Greece and supported by 92 co-sponsoring countries, received the backing of all 15 Council members. It addresses the use of social media, online gaming platforms and messaging services to recruit, exploit or otherwise harm children affected by war.
The resolution calls on governments to strengthen child protection systems, establish accessible reporting mechanisms and provide assistance to victims of abuses involving digital technologies.
"Recruitment through a smartphone is still recruitment. A mandate that cannot see where violations begin is a mandate that falls behind," Greece's ambassador to the United Nations, Aglaia Balta, said before the vote.
Balta argued that international protection mechanisms must respond to changing methods used by armed groups and other parties to conflicts, as technological developments create new opportunities for exploitation.
The measure builds on the Security Council's existing framework for protecting children in armed conflict rather than establishing a separate category of violations.
Protecting children online
The resolution encourages governments to take appropriate measures within their domestic legal systems to prevent violations facilitated or intensified by digital technologies.
It also calls for stronger digital literacy programmes, helping children recognise online threats and understand how to seek protection.
Other provisions encourage investment in distance learning and educational infrastructure, particularly in areas where warfare has disrupted access to conventional schooling.
Member states are urged to strengthen cooperation with technology companies and other relevant organisations to reduce the risks of children encountering harmful content or being targeted for recruitment.
The resolution also recognises the importance of protecting children's privacy and personal information, particularly where online exposure could increase their vulnerability.
Developing countries are to receive greater support in improving digital infrastructure and child protection capabilities, with the aim of narrowing technological inequalities between and within regions.
The Council further encourages the UN system to collect evidence, lessons and examples of effective approaches to protecting children from digitally enabled violations.
Disagreements despite unanimous vote
Although every Security Council member supported the resolution, negotiations exposed differences over its scope and implementation.
Russia's deputy permanent representative, Maria Zabolotskaya, said digital technologies could expose children to additional risks but argued that the resolution did not establish any new category of grave violations.
She also questioned why a reference to the military use of schools had been removed during negotiations.
Russia expressed support for compiling effective protection practices while arguing that the work should remain within the mandate of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.
The United States, Russia and other Council members had raised concerns during drafting over whether the issue required a new resolution and how additional work would be funded, according to Security Council Report.
Some proposed monitoring and reporting activities remain dependent on available resources.
Record violations against children
The resolution comes after the United Nations documented 38,558 grave violations against 24,174 children during armed conflicts in 2025, the highest recorded number of children affected since the organisation established its monitoring mandate.
The figures cover a range of violations, including killing and maiming, child recruitment, sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.
They do not represent a count of violations committed through digital platforms alone.
The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, welcomed the resolution, describing it as a further step towards addressing technology-related risks within existing child protection efforts.
The measure is the Council's 15th resolution focused on children and armed conflict.
Its implementation will depend on national measures, cooperation with digital service providers and the UN's ability to gather information about emerging threats.
