Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg launched a series of workshops in schools across Malta and Gozo, encouraging children and young people to contribute to international efforts for peace and the protection of children’s rights.
The first workshops, part of the United Nations Campaign Prove it Matters, are being held in four schools, on the sidelines of the international conference Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) – A Critical Component of the Emerging Global Peace and Human Security Framework, which the Foreign Ministry is hosting this week, in Valletta.
On Tuesday, Dr Borg, together with the Maltese Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Matthew Vella, met with some of the children participating in the first workshops of this initiative.
During these workshops, students discussed the meaning of peace and dialogue, and the universal nature of children’s rights, regardless of where they live. The students also created origami doves carrying messages of peace, which will be exhibited at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that peace is fundamental for children to feel safe in their communities and to access the healthcare and education they need. “Malta is committed to protecting children in situations of war and instability. Let’s continue listening to children and young people to strengthen this global effort,” he said.
“Visiting schools and engaging directly with children through the Prove It Matters campaign remind us that the protection of children is a daily responsibility. Education is one of our strongest tools to prevent recruitment, abduction, violence, and exploitation, and to empower children as agents of peace,” the Under-Secretary-General added.
The Prove It Matters international campaign, a new initiative by the Office of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, aims to remind international decision makers of the importance of children’s rights.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Borg also opened the Children and Armed Conflict Conference at the University of Malta’s Valletta Campus, bringing together international partners to advance efforts to protect children affected by armed conflict.
“In several conflict regions across the world, children continue to face violence, displacement, disruption of education, and other new risks, especially those related to digital spaces. The Children and Armed Conflict agenda is a core test of our credibility – how we respond to the protection of children says a great deal about the strength of our commitment to peace, to international law, and to human dignity,” Dr Borg stated.
Under-Secretary-General Frazier said that “protecting children today is an investment in more stable, just, and resilient societies tomorrow. Malta’s leadership in advancing this agenda sends a clear message: children’s rights and protection must remain at the heart of global action.”
With more than one in six children worldwide living in conflict-affected settings, the CAAC Conference in Malta is focusing on strengthening existing tools, addressing emerging challenges, and identifying forward-looking recommendations. Building on Malta’s experience on the UN Security Council, including its role as Chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and the adoption of Security Council resolution 2764 (2024), the Conference is co-sponsored by the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.
Photo: MFT
