 Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, around the world, children are the silent victims of war, subjected to unimaginable horrors and atrocities. And in 1989, world leaders made a historic commitment by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC, defining children's identity and acknowledging their special needs and rights. The CRC is to date the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, with 196 state parties. However, despite member states' obligations to uphold these rights through the ratification of the Convention, the reality of today's world shows that the number of gray violations against children in armed conflict verified by the United Nations continues to increase year after year. Collectively, the international community must strengthen its actions to ensure respect for international humanitarian and human rights law in situations of armed conflict, to prevent gray violations against children and to reduce the impact of conflict. There is a need to remind the international community about the consensus to protect children affected by armed conflict and rally behind the instrument that has already been agreed upon widely. Therefore to do so, and in my capacity as special representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, I will launch in 2024 a global campaign advocating for renewed commitment and compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This campaign will last for three years and give a central place to the voices of children in order for them to be heard and included in key political negotiations and agreements. It is time for us to commit to our engagement and do better and more. Let us stand in solidarity with children who, despite facing unimaginable challenges, dare to dream of a better future. I thank you.