UNSC to discuss impact of armed conflict on children

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will meet today to deliberate on the effect of ongoing armed conflicts on children.

The debate forms part of the Brazilian UNSC presidency which began in July—a major geopolitical moment for the country with the presidential and legislative elections looming later this year. While Brazil is considered to be an emerging economy that was projected to be among the four largest economies in the world by 2050, the high death rate from the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic corruption have hampered its prospects in the near term. Although Brazil is a major exporter of raw materials and essential goods such as iron ore and soybeans, inflation—which reached 12.1% in June—is likely to dampen its short to medium-term prospects due to the outsized effect of higher prices for essential goods on less developed nations.

As a result, the UNSC presidency is likely to complement a new strategy of increasing Brazil’s diplomatic power both in South America and on the world stage to compensate for currently scarce potential in the economic sphere. The success of this strategy will be determined by Brazil’s ability to organize humanitarian relief efforts among conflict parties.