Third Committee Meeting of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Edna Stephanie Williams
Counsellor
Tuesday, 6^thOctober 2026
Conference Room 1
United Nations, New York

DURING THE  THIRD COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE 81^ST SESSION OF THE  UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 AGENDA: ITEM 66:PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

Md. Chair,

Ghana thanks the Secretary-General for his reports and recommendations on this agenda item.

A child’s safety should never depend on where they live or whether their family can afford support. The best interests of the child must guide our decisions, particularly where conflict, poverty and discrimination heighten children’s vulnerability.

For children caught in armed conflict, this demands urgent action. Ghana calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, end the recruitment and use of children, protect schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure,and facilitate safe humanitarian access. Child protection must remain central to peace efforts, supported by accountability and sustained assistance for recovery and reintegration.

Ending child sexual exploitation and abuse demands action across borders and sectors. Ghana’s National Child Online Protection Framework tackles exploitation and other digital harms, while improvements to trafficking shelters strengthen care for affected children. We urge States, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to prevent abuse, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure children can access child-friendly justice and recovery services.

Families and communities are central to child protection. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection’s Ghanaians Against Child Abuse campaign mobilises communities to prevent abuse. Ghana’s Integrated Social Services initiative coordinates child protection, health and social protection services. The Social Welfare Information Management System strengthens case management and referrals, while the National Care Reform Roadmap promotes family-based care.

Md. Chair, preventing child marriage means protecting children’s futures. Ghana’s National Strategic Framework to End Child Marriage is reinforced by investments in children’s welfare and education, including school feeding and free secondary education. We urge stronger enforcement of minimum-age laws, sustained investment in girls’ education, and close engagement with families and community leaders to address the pressures that drive child marriage.

Our work must be judged by the protection it delivers. Let us turn commitments into action through investments in adequate resources, effective enforcement and sustained cooperation. Every child deserves safety, a voice in their future, and the chance to fulfil their potential.

I thank you.