India calls on UN Security Council to punish school attacks

India has urged the United Nations Security Council to hold accountable those responsible for attacking schools and children during armed conflicts, stating that protection without justice is incomplete. The call was made by India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, during a Security Council open debate on Wednesday, June 25.

Parvathaneni emphasized that education is a fundamental right that must endure even in wartime, calling it a powerful contribution to lasting peace. He stressed that those who target schools and children with impunity must be held to account. His remarks followed the release of the UN Secretary-General's annual report on children and armed conflict, which described violations in 2025 as reaching "shocking levels."

The report verified 38,558 grave violations affecting 24,174 children last year, the highest number recorded since the monitoring mandate began. It noted a 44 percent increase in attacks on schools in a single year. The report stated that parties to conflicts failed to uphold international law and committed violations with near-total impunity, disproportionately harming children and the facilities they rely on....