Publication of the Rabat Declaration on Child-Focused DDR  as a Joint UN Security Council and General Assembly document.

Rabat – December 10, 2025. The Rabat Declaration on Child-Focused Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) has been published in the six official languages of the United Nations as a joint document of the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

This document has been recorded under agenda item 67 of the General Assembly entitled “Promotion and protection of the rights of children,” as well as among the official documents of the United Nations Security Council.

The Rabat Declaration was adopted during the African Ministerial Conference on the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of Child Soldiers, held on November 20, 2025, under the theme “Building Sustainable Pathways for Children Affected by Armed Conflict.”

This high-level event, coinciding with World Children’s Day, enabled a collective commitment to protecting children’s rights, preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, and promoting their sustainable reintegration into local communities.

The Rabat Declaration constitutes an African complement to existing international legal and institutional frameworks concerning child protection, while supporting efforts by the United Nations, as reflected in successive resolutions on children and armed conflict.

The Declaration expressed the determination of the African countries participating in the Rabat Ministerial Conference to launch a process for developing a specific African instrument, in the form of a Convention on the Prevention of the Recruitment of Child Soldiers and their Integration. For this purpose, a Group of Friends has been launched to realize this ambition.

This timely and significant African contribution enriches United Nations efforts to prevent and combat the recruitment and use of child soldiers on the continent and fosters international cooperation aimed at strengthening their protection.

This multilateral recognition of a process initiated by the Kingdom of Morocco in favor of combating the exploitation of children in armed conflict establishes the value and scope of the content of the Rabat Declaration within the UN framework.

The government of the Republic of The Gambia was represented at this event by the Honorable Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad.

In his speech delivered on this occasion, the Minister Njie emphasized the urgency and moral imperative of addressing the plight of children who continue to be exploited by armed groups across various regions. He noted that despite international efforts, the global response remains insufficient, underscoring the need for stronger collective action.

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 Rabat – December 10, 2025. The Rabat Declaration on Child-Focused Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) has been published in the…
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