Protection of children's rights an important issue for EU: Peter Stano

• Geo News asks EU what it thought of UN's Children and Armed Conflict report, what EU's position on violation of International Juvenile Convention by India is.
• Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for EU's external affairs, says protection of children's rights is an important issue.
• Says EU has a "keen eye on" India's violations in Kashmir.

BRUSSELS: The European Union has called the "grave violations" against children in Indian Occupied Kashmir an "important issue" that it has a "keen eye" on.

The violations were highlighted recently by the UN chief in the annual report on 'Children and Armed Conflict', which was launched last week by his Special Representative on the subject, Virginia Gamba.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had expressed his concern over the “grave violations” against children in Indian Occupied Kashmir and called upon the Narendra Modi-led government to take preventive measures to protect children, by ending the use of pellets against them.

Read more: ‘Grave violations’: UN chief asks India to stop using pellets against Kashmiri children

“I remain concerned by grave violations against children in Jammu and Kashmir and call upon the Government to take preventive measures to protect children, including by ending the use of pellets against children, ensuring that children are not associated in any way to security forces, and endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles,” the secretary-general had said in the report.

The UN chief's statement was raised by Geo News during a midday briefing hosted by the EU over the weekend.

The EU was asked what it thought of the Children and Armed Conflict report and what the EU's position on violation of the International Juvenile Convention by India was.

Answering the question, Peter Stano, the lead spokesperson for EU's external affairs, said that it was important that the special issues discussed by the UN in the Security Council and their outcomes be followed consistently.

"That is why the Security Council was formed. Therefore, the real forum for this question should be where this report was presented. However, as far as the EU is concerned, you are well aware of the basic principles with which the EU stands," the spokesperson said.

Read more: People of Kashmir 'will not follow a puppet regime', Bilawal says

He said the principles include the protection of children's rights. "This is an important issue. We have a keen eye on this issue and the whole world is paying attention to it," he said, adding that wherever such concerns arise, EU is raising them with its respective partners. "But if that is not possible, the UN Security Council is the key to dealing with the issue," he said.

According to the EU's guide on children in armed conflict, the group is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.

These principles are common to the member states. Respect for human rights features among the key objectives of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which includes the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). Respect for human rights is also part of the Community’s policies regarding trade and development co-operation and humanitarian assistance.

The promotion and protection of the rights of all children is a priority concern of the EU and its member states.

Read more: India may be contemplating further illegal measures in occupied Kashmir: Qureshi to UN, UNSC