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UN special representative explains why CAC reports use 'UN‑verified' figures; declines to comment on unpublished secretary‑general report
Summary
When asked about Gaza counts and accusations of bias toward a predecessor, Vanessa Frasier said she cannot comment on unpublished secretary‑general reports and explained the Children and Armed Conflict mandate requires UN verification (two primary sources), noting access limits affect reported numbers.
During the question-and-answer portion of the briefing, a journalist challenged Vanessa Frasier about perceived disparities in UN reporting on child casualties in Gaza and accused her predecessor of bias. Frasier declined to comment on unpublished secretary-general reports but outlined how the Children and Armed Conflict (CAC) reporting process works.
Frasier said CAC numbers are not absolute totals but trends based on "UN‑verified" documentation that requires two primary sources and a high level of verification so that the information can be used as evidence in courts. She explained that in contexts where the UN lacks access — she cited Gaza as an example — verification becomes more difficult and reported figures can be lower than other counts that use different methodologies.
"Our report is different than others. So it's they are reports that indicate the trend and indicate that that violation is occurring in that situation," Frasier said, adding that the mandate's methodology and preambles to annual reports explain those limitations. She said this reliance on strict verification standards is the reason numbers may differ across reports and that the CAC reports are designed to withstand evidentiary scrutiny.
Frasier also described how the mandate times country visits and reporting to have maximum impact; she said Ukraine and an upcoming country report there are priorities for this year, and that field access and methodological constraints determine how counts are compiled.
