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SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council 20 years after Graça Machel presented her findings on the impact of armed conflict on children (A/51/306) to the General Assembly, which through its resolution 51/77 subsequently created the mandate of the Special Representative. The Assembly also requested in its resolution that an annual report containing relevant information on the situation of children affected by armed conflict be transmitted to the then Commission on Human Rights. The anniversary thus provides an important opportunity to take stock of the longer-term achievements since the first report and to highlight to the Human Rights Council areas where progress is still required in order to enhance the protection of children and of their rights during armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- An ongoing concern in some contexts is the very definition of a child. While it is almost universally accepted at the international level that a child means every human being below the age of 18, in line with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, practice between and even within States is sometimes contradictory. Member States should take measures to close legal lacunae and ensure that the definition of a child is set at 18 years, in line with the international normative framework. Member States should also make additional efforts to ensure that the international obligations regarding the definition of a child are widely known and are adhered to by all national, regional and local authorities. A connected concern is the process for determining the age of a person who is allegedly associated with a party to a conflict. In many conflict settings, birth registration systems are lacking, and age assessment mechanisms are frequently inadequate and children are often presumed to be adults. In this regard, it is important for Member States to ensure adherence to the principle that if there is any doubt, the individual should be considered a child and protected as such.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Over the reporting period, the increased use of screening of civilians by government security forces or pro-government militias in situations such as those in as Iraq and Nigeria has been an emerging concern related to the deprivation of liberty of children. Centres have been established by parties to conflict in order to process civilians fleeing from armed groups. This practice has resulted in mass deprivation of liberty of civilians, including children, due to long processing times but also due to a presumption of affiliation with the very armed group from which they are fleeing. Screening has been undertaken by parties to conflict, including militias, who are poorly trained and, in many instances, lack the neutrality and capacity required to engage in a child-sensitive manner. Presumptions of affiliation have been based on broad categories, such as the age, gender or ethnic affiliation of the people being screened, and screening has also been used for intelligence gathering. This practice of screening and subsequent detention often violates the right to challenge the lawfulness of the deprivation of liberty before a court or another competent, independent and impartial authority. In some instances, the presumption of affiliation can also amount to a form of collective punishment. While the Special Representative is cognizant of the need to ensure the safety of civilians, she reminds Governments in conflict-affected countries of the importance of using civilian actors with child protection expertise to carry out screening and of adhering to the last resort and shortest possible time provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Screening without clear legal oversight also leaves children open to other violations, such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture. In this regard, the Special Representative welcomes the continuing attention that the Human Rights Council has given to the issue of deprivation of liberty in its country-specific and thematic resolutions, which has included calls for accountability in instances of secret detention, torture and practices tantamount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including under the pretext of countering terrorism.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- An issue connected to the deprivation of liberty of children for association with non-State armed groups is the recruitment and use of children under the age of 18 by government forces. Member States should be cognizant of the fact that when they recruit children under the age of 18, even in non-conflict situations, notwithstanding the provisions of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, this can be used by the leadership of non-State armed actors to legitimize their own actions. More children are thus likely to be encountered during military operations and detained by Member States. In this regard, the Special Representative calls upon Member States to consider establishing the minimum age for recruitment into the armed forces at 18 years, even if the children are not used in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The risk of trafficking from situations of armed conflict is a related issue of concern for the protection of girls, including during displacement. The Special Representative welcomes the Human Rights Council's call to Governments in June 2016 to ensure that the prevention of and responses to trafficking in persons continue to take into account the specific needs of women and girls and their participation in and contribution to all phases of preventing and responding to trafficking, especially in addressing specific forms of exploitation, such as sexual exploitation. The Special Representative has also undertaken a number of initiatives to support that aim, including contributing to the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of measures to counter trafficking in persons and addressing an event on the role of the United Nations in combating modern slavery and human trafficking in conflict, which was hosted in New York in November by the United Nations University.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Girls are also significantly affected by recruitment and use, with some estimates indicating that as many as 40 per cent of children associated with armed forces or armed groups are female. In addition to the use of girls in support functions, for sexual purposes or to be forced into marriage, they are also used for combat and to commit violent acts. For example, in a particularly grave example, in Nigeria in 2016, girls were increasingly being forced by Boko Haram to be suicide bombers, and were used for the purpose of avoiding detection by security personnel. Although the advocacy that has taken place since the Machel study has led to increased recognition of the plight of girls associated with parties to conflict, they still face significant obstacles in the process of being released and separated from parties to conflict. For example, it was noted in a recent report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo that out of the 1,004 children who had escaped or been separated from one armed group between 2009 and 2014, only 19 girls had been documented. While there was a significant number of young girls present in camps who were allegedly used as wives, concubines, cooks, and combatants in the ranks, male members of the group claimed that these girls were their daughters. In the light of this repudiation of their role, girls are often less visible and are frequently neglected in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. When their role is recognized, societal factors have an impact, as girls are sometimes reluctant to join disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, fearing rejection by their families and communities. Further action is required in order to raise awareness of the needs of girls in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes and also of the risks that they face after separation from armed groups, with special attention needing to be given to their reintegration into families and communities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Within the United Nations system, the Office of the Special Representative has continued to support the efforts developed as part of the Secretary-General's Human Rights Up Front initiative, and participated with the Deputy Secretary-General in the interactive dialogue on the initiative at the General Assembly in January 2016, highlighting the importance of strengthened collaboration to address human rights concerns in conflict-affected situations. Children and armed conflict concerns have also been mainstreamed in Organization-wide initiatives on human rights issues. For example, in connection with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Special Representative took part in the launch of Alliance 8.7, which is led by the International Labour Organization and is aimed at enhancing coordinated efforts to eradicate forced labour, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers. On another occasion, the Office of the Special Representative provided input for the Secretary-General's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674), in order to ensure that safeguards were included for the protection of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- In the light of the gravity and scale of the concern relating to children deprived of their liberty in situations of armed conflict, the Special Representative continues to bring this matter to the attention of the Human Rights Council. It is stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child that children must be detained only as a measure of last resort, in exceptional circumstances and for the shortest appropriate period of time. These provisions are recognition of the detrimental long-term impact that deprivation of liberty has on a child and his or her development, however for thousands of children around the world, these safeguards are compromised and their rights are denied, particularly in the context of counter-terrorism operations or other security responses.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls anew upon Member States to treat children allegedly associated with non-State armed groups primarily as victims entitled to full protection of their rights and to urgently adopt protocols for their handover to child protection actors. The Special Representative also urges the Human Rights Council, treaty bodies and the relevant special procedures to focus closely on the detrimental impact on the rights of children that results from exercises of widespread screening of civilians in situations of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- Despite the advances that have been achieved in those two decades, the basic rights of children were regularly violated during the reporting period. In the Middle East, in addition to the direct impact of current conflicts on children, with thousands being killed, maimed, and recruited and used, there were rapidly developing and evolving humanitarian crises that were of serious concern at the time of writing, in December 2016. In Iraq, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated that over half a million children and their families were trapped in Mosul with food and medicine running out and clean water in short supply. In a similar vein, in the Syrian Arab Republic, it was estimated that, at the end of the reporting period, nearly 500,000 children were living in besieged areas and were completely cut off from sustained humanitarian aid. In Yemen, intense conflict has resulted in a lack of food and water, which has put one and a half million children at risk of acute malnutrition.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- In a particularly important milestone in the reporting period, all Member States concerned by the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign have now concluded a formal written commitment with the United Nations to end the recruitment and use of children in their security forces. In March, the Government of the Sudan signed its action plan; high-level and technical committees have been established to facilitate and coordinate the action plan's implementation. In 2016, progress has also been ongoing in other countries concerned by the campaign. For example, the Government of Afghanistan endorsed age assessment guidelines for use in recruitment processes for its national defence and security forces. The Democratic Republic of the Congo continued to make progress to address the remaining gaps to prevent the recruitment of children into the country's armed forces, including by realizing most of the goals of the 2015 road map that had been developed to expedite the implementation of the action plan. In Myanmar, 101 children and young people recruited as children were released from the army and reintegrated into their communities during the reporting period. Regrettably, the high levels of conflict intensity in Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen had a detrimental impact on children and continued to hamper progress on existing action plans. Despite positive developments in most countries concerned by the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign, gaps nevertheless remain in almost all of these countries as regards ensuring systematic prevention and accountability in relation to the recruitment and use of children. Those gaps are outlined in the most recent report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (see A/70/836-S/2016/360).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, the Special Representative has been extensively involved throughout the reporting period in the Secretary-General's efforts to enhance the United Nations response to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. She has participated in the high-level steering committee on implementation of the recommendations of the report of the external independent review panel on sexual exploitation and abuse by international peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic. The Office of the Special Representative has also taken part in various working groups, including on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2272 (2016), and was involved in the drafting of related documents on improving responses. For example, her Office was heavily involved in drafting the guidance on the preparation, deployment and repatriation of current or future United Nations peacekeeping operations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative remains deeply concerned at the scale and severity of the grave violations that were committed against children in 2016, which included alarming levels of killing and maiming, recruitment and use and denials of humanitarian access, and calls upon the Human Rights Council and Member States to take all available measures to prevent these violations from occurring. In particular, in light of the impact on children, the Special Representative calls upon parties to conflict to immediately end all restriction on the receipt of humanitarian aid by civilians and allow unimpeded access by humanitarian actors.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages the Human Rights Council to maintain the practice of including recommendations on the protection of children affected by armed conflict when considering or adopting resolutions on country-specific situations or thematic issues as well as in the universal periodic review process, with particular attention to the implementation of the recommendations. The Special Representative also encourages the Human Rights Council to continue to include child rights violations in its resolutions establishing or renewing the relevant mandates of special procedures.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the recent ratifications of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and continues her call to States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the treaty, to enact legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment and use of children by armed forces or groups and the use of children in hostilities, and to establish the minimum age for recruitment into the armed forces at 18 years, when depositing their binding declaration upon ratification of the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- In the past year, the Special Representative has continued to prioritize interactions with parties to conflict to end grave violations against children. However, while progress has been forthcoming, the sheer number and differing nature of actors in armed conflicts has contributed to the creation of an environment where the protection of children is increasingly challenging and resource-intensive. In particular, the multiplicity of non-State armed groups, including militias that are used to fight on behalf of Governments, and the increasing number of military operations carried out by international coalitions, have challenged the child protection community's ability to prevent and respond to grave violations. The very nature of these actors, with their loose composition and the lack of clarity in their command structures, can hamper advocacy efforts seeking to ensure that fundamental safeguards are implemented, such as precautionary measures and adherence to the principle of distinction.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Education is a key component of empowerment, however in times of conflict, children's access to education is often severely restricted, with a particular effect on girls as their schools are often directly targeted by attacks. Even when schools are operating in situations of armed conflict where girls' enrolment rates were high prior to the conflict, some parents prevent girls from going to schools due to insecurity, or because the facilities have been used by armed actors. The military use of schools exposes girls to an increased likelihood of sexual violence by armed elements and also increases the likelihood of attack by other parties to the conflict. In addition, girls are sometimes given extra household responsibilities that oblige them to stay home. There is also increased vulnerability to forced early marriage in situations of conflict, which is at times encouraged by families with the aim of providing their child with physical and financial security and results in girls withdrawing from schooling. Forced marriage is another practice that has increasingly been used by armed groups as an expression of power and control over populations. Given these susceptibilities, it is important to develop protection and education programmes for conflict-affected girls in order to provide them with support and avoid long out-of-school interruptions. In this regard, the Special Representative welcomes the call by the Human Rights Council for all States to strengthen and intensify their efforts to realize progressively the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl and encourages a focus on girls affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- In countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria and Somalia, as well as others, hundreds of children have been detained, sometimes for specific criminal offences, but often purely for association with parties to conflict. Given the vulnerability of children who have been recruited and used, the Special Representative once again urges Member States to ensure that children's reintegration is the prevailing approach and that children are treated primarily as victims of recruitment. This approach is in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, in which it is stated that children should be the object of special respect and that parties to the conflict should provide them with the care and aid that they require. This protection is not lost even in cases where a child has been recruited and used by a party to conflict. In addition, Member States that have ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict should strongly heed the provisions stipulating that all feasible measures should be taken to ensure that persons recruited or used in hostilities are demobilized and that appropriate assistance is afforded for their physical and psychological recovery and their social reintegration. Standard operating procedures for the handover of children encountered during military operations to child protection actors are important tools for adhering to the principles of the Optional Protocol. In recent years, handover agreements have been signed by the Governments of Chad, Mali, Somalia and Uganda, and together with UNICEF and other United Nations entities the Special Representative has continued advocacy with Member States and provided technical support for the development of new procedures during the reporting period.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Given the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in October 2015 by Somalia, there is almost universal ratification of that treaty and the global normative framework to protect the rights of children is robust. However, the Special Representative continues to engage with Member States that have not already ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, with the aim of achieving universal ratification thereof and enhancing the legal protection of children's rights in conflict. In the reporting period, she held bilateral meetings with Member States and actively engaged with regional organizations, civil society and regional groups on the matter. Four additional countries - Brunei Darussalam, Guinea, Pakistan and Samoa - became States parties to the Optional Protocol during the reporting period.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- While this international legal framework has sometimes been supported and enhanced by legislation and policies adopted at the regional, national and local levels, the present report has outlined how there is a disconnect between the internationally agreed standards for children's rights and their practical implementation in situations of armed conflict. In this regard, the Special Representative has continued to prioritize closer cooperation between her Office and international human rights mechanisms, in particular the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Committee. Through State reporting mechanisms, treaty bodies have played an important role in identifying gaps between the legal and policy framework and the practice, and have made recommendations to address any shortcomings. The Special Representative is encouraged by the continued attention given to both progress and challenges in addressing the impact of armed conflict on children in State parties' reports reviewed by the respective committees. For example, in the reports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/COD/3-5) and the Human Rights Committee (CCPR/C/COD/4), the State party referred to the progress achieved in implementing the action plan to end the recruitment and use of children and other serious violations of the rights of the child by the armed forces and the security services. In this regard, increased collaborative efforts between the State party, the Special Representative and relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council have been highlighted as a way forward to put an end to the suffering of children caused by the armed conflict. As another illustration of mutually reinforcing messages, the situation of children affected by armed conflicts in the Central African Republic has been outlined in the report of the Government to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/CAF/2), and the Special Representative encourages the Committee and relevant actors to follow up in a timely manner, in particular through the adoption of strong concluding observations and by providing support for their swift implementation. The Special Representative also welcomes the collaboration with the Human Rights Committee, in particular through the list of issues in relation to the seventh periodic report of Colombia (CCPR/C/COL/Q/7) and the replies by the Government thereto (CCPR/C/COL/Q/7/Add.1), which resulted in a focus on the prevention of the use and recruitment of children by armed groups and on measures to prevent the involvement of children in intelligence activities or in civic-military activities. In addition, in its most recent concluding observations on Colombia (CCPR/C/COL/CO/7), the Human Rights Committee encouraged the State to continue and intensify its efforts to prevent the use and recruitment of children by armed groups, to provide adequate reintegration support and to guarantee that all children separated from armed groups are considered as victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The World Humanitarian Summit, held in May 2016, also focused on increasing adherence to international law by parties to conflict. At the summit, the Special Representative took part in the high-level leaders' round table on upholding the norms that safeguard humanity, where she represented the United Nations and made commitments on behalf of the Organization to intensify the monitoring, investigation and reporting of violations and to engage in increased advocacy with parties to conflict when violations occur. At the same event, the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action was launched. This initiative will help to ensure that the many children who are permanently disabled during conflict, sometimes purely as the result of a lack of basic medical services to treat minor conditions, are not forgotten.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The complexity of dealing with the increasing number of parties to conflict has also been detrimental to the investigation of incidents when there are allegations of violations. Accountability remains key to ending grave violations, and the Special Representative sustained strong engagement to end impunity, including through advocacy with individual Member States to pursue national accountability initiatives. International initiatives to pursue accountability have also borne fruit in 2016, with the launch of a policy paper on children by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in November. The Office of the Special Representative supported the development of this document, which will aid the inclusion of crimes in indictments where the evidence permits, as well as enhancing the Court's interactions with children as victims and witnesses. At the request of the Security Council, the Special Representative continued to brief sanctions committees throughout the reporting period and to provide them with information on grave violations committed against children, including the committees for South Sudan in March, the Sudan in April and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in November.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Relevant United Nations entities are also encouraged to use the concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Committee as advocacy tools to promote States parties' follow-up to and implementation of recommendations related to children and armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Since receiving a request from the parties in May 2015, the Special Representative has played an active role in the peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army. Important progress has been made during the reporting period, which is outlined in the present report in the section on field visits.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes national and international efforts to achieve accountability for perpetrators for grave violations against children. Member States are encouraged to strengthen their support to justice systems by allocating sufficient resources and capacity for investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate crimes against children in situations of conflict. The Human Rights Council is also urged to include a focus on the fight against impunity for grave violations when it mandates commissions of inquiry or holds special sessions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Children's rights to liberty and security of person were impacted by government security responses and many children were detained for their or their parents' alleged association with armed groups. While advocacy has been successful and some children have been released, many more remained deprived of their liberty in situations of armed conflict. In the reporting period, the screening of civilians during military operations was also an emerging detention-related concern in a number of situations on the children and armed conflict agenda, which is elaborated upon in the present report.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- In the reporting period, the Special Representative has engaged in extensive advocacy to protect children who have been deprived of their liberty for association with parties to conflict. Joint endeavours have helped to ensure appropriate protection of the rights of children separated from armed groups. For example, in the Sudan, following the Special Representative's visit and in the light of extensive efforts by many United Nations entities, 21 boys detained for their alleged association with a non-State armed group were released and pardoned by the President on 8 September 2016.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Notwithstanding the challenges to ending grave violations, the United Nations continued to utilize, inter alia, the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign and peace processes to engage with a wide spectrum of parties to conflict in order to gain additional commitments to protect the rights of children affected by armed conflict. When there is political will and political space, action plans are one of the strongest available mechanisms to improve the protection of children, and three were concluded in the reporting period. Throughout 2016, interactions took place between the United Nations and parties to conflict from the Central African Republic, Colombia, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Sudan and the Sudan. A number of the discussions took place in the context of a meeting convened by the non-governmental organization Geneva Call, which was held in Geneva in November and provided an important opportunity to engage with non-State armed groups from six country situations on the children and armed conflict agenda.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the continued attention to both progress and challenges regarding the impact of armed conflict on children in States parties' reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Committee. In this regard, all relevant Member States are urged to include, as appropriate, specific references to information on grave violations against children, on gaps in their applicable legal and policy frameworks and on accountability initiatives, in their own submissions to these bodies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- In Afghanistan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, the right of children to health has been severely compromised by attacks on hospitals and health-care professionals. A number of highly publicized attacks have taken place in 2016, which are indicative of trends that have seen increasing numbers of attacks and threats of attacks on health care in recent years. The right of girls to education has also continued to suffer, with attacks or threats of attacks on schools, teachers and female pupils in situations such as in Iraq, Nigeria and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as in Afghanistan and Mali.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Concrete commitments also resulted during the reporting period from engagement by the United Nations with non-State armed groups, including the signing of two action plans. In the Sudan, following a meeting between the Special Representative and the Secretary-General of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, held in Addis Ababa in May 2016, and the engagement of United Nations partners on the ground, an action plan was signed in Geneva in November, on the margins of the Geneva Call meeting, to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children, and was witnessed by the Special Representative. In South Sudan, in January 2016, an action plan was concluded with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children and to ensure their release to child protection actors. The action plan also covers the killing and maiming of children, as well as other grave violations. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, in December 2016, little effective action had been taken by the group to implement the action plan.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Dialogue on the separation and handover of children has continued in the Central African Republic with the anti-Balaka and Révolution et justice, as well as with a number of ex-Séléka factions that expressed interest in signing an action plan. In Mali, the Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad and its coordinating body, the Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad, began discussions with the United Nations regarding an action plan aimed at ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, and sexual violence and other grave violations against children; consultations were still ongoing at the time of writing, in December 2016. In Nigeria, a formal dialogue has begun between UNICEF and the senior leadership of the Civilian Joint Task Force, who have expressed interest in cooperating with the United Nations in halting child recruitment and use, and separating children, including through the formal signing of an action plan.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Despite the significant efforts to end impunity, girls continue to be targeted in incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, often in order to terrorize, humiliate and weaken their communities. Armed conflicts are also characterized by a breakdown of the rule of law as well as of community structures; this exacerbates the vulnerability of girls to sexual violence, as armed elements can take advantage of the vacuum to commit human rights abuses. Violations of this nature are frequently compounded by an inadequate response to help survivors as well as children born of war. While the provision of dedicated services for girls has improved in recent years, there are still significant gaps in the form of non-existent, limited or disrupted access to essential services in some situations of armed conflict, as a result of a lack of medical workers, supplies and the necessary infrastructure and also due to insecurity and restrictions on movement. For example, the Special Representative notes that in 2016 in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, girls who have been abducted and suffered sexual violence by armed groups have rarely been able to access services, due to ongoing conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- In November, the Special Representative was invited to the thematic debate of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, on protecting and promoting the rights of children during situations of armed conflict, foreign occupation, emergencies and disasters. She delivered an address in which she encouraged further interaction between her Office and the Commission. Pursuant to the cooperation agreement between the League of Arab States and the Office of the Special Representative, signed in 2014, the Office of the Special Representative also participated in the general meeting of cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States that was held in May 2016.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- In Somalia, also following the Special Representative's visit and wide-ranging advocacy efforts, 26 children aged between 12 and 14 who had been detained by authorities in Puntland for association with a non-State armed group were released; however, 38 children, assessed to be above the age of 14 and subsequently sentenced as adults, remained detained at the time of writing, some of whom have been condemned to death. In December, the United Nations was continuing efforts to secure the release of those children. These concerns are elaborated upon in the present report in the section on field visits. The release of the 26 children follows the handover to child protection actors of over 100 children detained in the Serendi and Hiil-Walaal centres as well as in Galmudug, in late 2015 and in 2016.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, one of the most disturbing trends documented in 2016, noted earlier in the present report, is the increasing incidence of attacks on health facilities, which has had a grave impact on children's right to health. Hospitals, ambulances and medical personnel have been attacked or threatened with attack in many countries that are on the children and armed conflict agenda, including Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, Mali, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. The Special Representative has engaged strongly on this issue with parties to conflict and has taken part in a number of United Nations system-wide initiatives. For example, the Office of the Special Representative has supported the development of recommendations on measures to enhance protection of the wounded and sick and of medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, and of their means of transport and equipment and of hospitals and other medical facilities, including through recommendations to parties to conflict, in line with the request made by the Security Council in its resolution 2286 (2016).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Office of the Special Representative contributed to the development of NATO policies and guidelines on children and armed conflict, including the "standard operating procedure on reporting and information-sharing in support of children and armed conflict", which was adopted in September 2016 and identifies the role of NATO in support of the United Nations in protecting children affected by armed conflict. In addition, staff of the Office of the Special Representative attended the NATO-United Nations staff talks held in March.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages all actors to renew their efforts to address the impact of conflict on girls. In this regard, the Special Representative calls upon Member States to ensure that appropriate services are in place to reintegrate girls associated with parties to conflict as well as supporting communities for the return of those who have been forcibly married and/or have suffered sexual violence and/or have borne children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Long-standing and well-established principles of detention are also being sidelined and overlooked in the context of armed conflict. For example, in many situations children are being held together with adults, and boys are also being held together with girls. Detaining children in this way exposes them to a range of risks to their physical integrity and can have harmful consequences for their psychological development. The nomenclature regarding detention is also a serious concern, as in some instances, the use of terminology such as a "reintegration", "rehabilitation" or "deradicalization" centre has been used to circumvent the applicability of safeguards and to deny the rights of those deprived of their liberty. In this regard, the Special Representative reminds concerned Member States of the importance of adhering to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules) in all instances of the deprivation of liberty of children. In all situations, priority must also be given to maintaining family ties for children in detention, and children should also have access to educational programmes, medical care and psychological support. These provisions will aid a child's reintegration into society once he or she is released.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In the Philippines, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces continued to work on implementing their action plan and achieved significant progress. In an encouraging development, the United Nations was able to re-engage with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the New People's Army on their declaration and programme of action for the rights, protection and welfare of children. In Myanmar, discussions moved forward with the Karenni National Progressive Party and Karenni Army, which signalled their readiness to sign an action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. The Executive Committee of the Kachin Independence Organization and Kachin Independence Army invited UNICEF to participate in a workshop on ending child recruitment, which led to gaps being identified in internal procedures regarding child recruitment and to a commitment to revise their code of conduct. Finally, the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army signalled its readiness to enter into discussions with the United Nations on the issue of child recruitment. Progress has, however, been constrained, pending the support of the Government for action plans to be concluded with non-State armed groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- With the resumption of fighting between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition in July 2016, children in South Sudan have also continued to bear the brunt of a devastating ongoing conflict. In the three years since the start of the hostilities, children have had their right to life, survival and development violated on a daily basis, and at the time of writing there was little end in sight to the conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative has also prioritized cooperation with the universal periodic review process by submitting three contributions in the reporting period, on the Philippines, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic. In this connection, she notes that during the review of Somalia, to which the Office of the Special Representative made a contribution in 2015, a significant number of Member States raised the issue of children and armed conflict, and recommended, inter alia, ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and ensuring effective implementation of the 2012 action plans on ending the recruitment and use of children and ending the killing and maiming of children (see A/HRC/32/12). She encourages the Human Rights Council to continue to address issues related to children and armed conflict for relevant countries, welcomes the practice of adopting concrete recommendations, and encourages references to relevant findings of treaty bodies and special procedures to ensure sustained mainstreaming and follow-up by the various actors involved in the protection of children's rights. In this regard, the Special Representative will continue to explore avenues for increased cooperation with the universal periodic review process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative sustained her deep engagement with the African Union throughout the reporting period. She briefed the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa in May 2016 at its third open session dedicated to children affected by armed conflict, which focused on the protection of schools. During the session the Special Representative received strong backing from all members of the Council, who expressed their support for the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign and made commitments to protect schools and hospitals, including refraining from using these for military purposes. In June, the Office of the Special Representative participated in a workshop designed to support the development of a human rights compliance framework for African Union peace support operations. As an indication of the depth of her engagement with the African Union, throughout the annual retreat of African Union special envoys and mediators on the promotion of peace, security and stability, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2016, the Special Representative worked with participants to highlight the children and armed conflict concerns relevant to their work. Lastly, the issue of violations attributed to contingents of African Union Mission in Somalia was discussed on a number of occasions during the reporting period.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- When a child who has been recruited and used is alleged to have committed clearly defined crimes under international or domestic law, the specific circumstances and best interests of the child must be taken into account. However, it is more commonplace that children are sent before courts and are accorded few safeguards or none. In this regard, the use of military or special courts is an acute concern for the Special Representative, as they frequently fail to apply fair trial standards or basic juvenile justice safeguards. In particular, instances of death sentences being handed down by these mechanisms have been documented in situations of armed conflict, notwithstanding the prohibition of capital punishment for offences committed by persons below 18 years of age, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Special Representative urges Member States to ensure that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in the administration of juvenile justice and that military or special courts are avoided in all circumstances. Moreover, additional special considerations for children should also be in place in regular justice systems. For example, in conflict and post-conflict settings, justice systems are often stretched to their limits: the processing of cases involving children should always take priority.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- The Central African Republic was also a particular concern in 2016, and in the latter part of the reporting period the situation deteriorated significantly. Clashes between ex-Séléka factions in November in the east of the country resulted in many civilians, including children, being killed or wounded, and in over 11,000 persons reportedly being displaced. These clashes have added to the tension and violent outbreaks that have been ongoing throughout the reporting period. The prevailing insecurity led to the suspension of humanitarian activities in certain areas of the country, gravely compromising the right of children to health and well-being.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- An important dimension of the Graça Machel study was the attention given to the distinct effects of armed conflict upon girls as compared to boys. In the past 20 years, there has been progress in addressing the impact of conflict on girls, including through developments in the normative framework and enhanced accountability efforts for the crimes of rape and other forms of sexual violence. However, a significant number of the challenges that were identified in the study two decades ago still remain, as the Human Rights Council acknowledged during the reporting period when it expressed outrage at the persistence and pervasiveness of all forms of violence against girls worldwide.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative continued to strengthen her partnership with the European Union, which is a key interlocutor that engages in human rights dialogue and capacity-building with many of the countries on the children and armed conflict agenda. In January she addressed the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence at an interactive session in which views and information were exchanged on the impact of armed conflict on children, the challenges of reintegration, and the challenges for Common Security and Defence Policy missions when they face issues related to children and armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- In situations of displacement, girls are particularly vulnerable. In addition to discrimination related to race, religion or ethnicity, girls are also often subject to abuses based on their sex, and therefore to multiple forms of discrimination. For example, displaced women and girls face high risks of sexual and gender-based violence, as highlighted in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly entitled "In safety and dignity: addressing large movements of refugees and migrants" (A/70/59). These specific protection challenges must be recognized in order to mitigate the risks that girls are exposed to in situations of displacement. Member States are therefore urged to ensure that the needs of girls are addressed as part of their response both to refugees and to internally displaced persons. Protection measures should be implemented at all stages of the displacement cycle and girls who have suffered violations should be prioritized in refugee resettlement programmes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative has continued to work with regional organizations that have a mandate on conflict-related matters. In particular, engagement with NATO was ongoing, with a view to deepening the partnership on the issue of children and armed conflict and supporting the ongoing mainstreaming efforts. In January 2016, the Special Representative met in Brussels with the incoming Assistant Secretary-General for Operations and the Deputy Secretary-General to discuss ways to further strengthen the protection of children in NATO-led operations. She also briefed the Operations Policy Committee and underscored the responsibility and role of NATO in protecting children in armed conflict. During her visit to Afghanistan in February 2016, the Special Representative met with the Commander of the NATO Resolute Support Mission and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative to voice concerns about rising child casualties and to advocate for the appointment of an adviser on children and armed conflict, within the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The position was filled in May 2016.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In the same vein, the Office of the Special Representative has sustained its efforts to improve the principles of protection for children deprived of liberty in situations of armed conflict. In November, in Geneva, the Special Representative attended the twenty-fifth anniversary of the creation of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and emphasized the importance of focusing on children in efforts to end arbitrary detention. The Office of the Special Representative also worked closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime throughout the reporting period, including by providing child protection expertise at two workshops with government officials on the issue of children recruited and used by violent extremist groups, which were held in Amman and Dakar. The Office of the Special Representative also took part in an event in association with the steering group for the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles), at Wilton Park, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on protecting children from extreme violence, which focused on the treatment of those who have been recruited and used. The outcomes of that conference will be used to prepare for an event for the tenth anniversary of the Paris Principles, which will be held in Paris in February 2017. Lastly, the Special Representative also continued to contribute to the initial phase of the in-depth global study on children deprived of liberty, in line with General Assembly resolution 69/157, and took part in an event in November in Geneva with the independent expert and lead author of the global study, Manfred Nowak.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2017, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Notwithstanding these pressing concerns and their impact on children, there has been progress in the last 12 months to protect the rights of children affected by armed conflict, which is described extensively in the report. This progress has included improvements in the normative framework, additional agreements with parties to conflict to protect children, and concrete action taken to separate and release children who were allegedly associated with parties to conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the international community’s increasing attention to the issue of the military use of schools, in particular with the adoption, at a conference held in Oslo on 28 and 29 May 2015, of the Safe Schools Declaration. In that regard, the Special Representative highlights the May 2014 guidance note entitled “Protect schools and hospitals: end attacks on education and health care”, prepared jointly by the Office of the Special Representative and other entities of the United Nations system. The guidance note includes a draft operational strategy for preventing the military use of schools. The Special Representative also commends the efforts of the Human Rights Council to dedicate attention to the continuing attacks on education around the world as a gross violation of human rights, particularly through Council resolution 29/7 on the right to education, adopted on 2 July 2015. The Special Representative will continue to support these efforts through the monitoring and reporting mechanism and sustained advocacy, with the hope of curbing such violations and promoting children’s right to education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative commends the Human Rights Council, the treaty bodies, the special rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for their work in relation to children deprived of liberty and encourages continued focus on this issue, including in the framework of the universal periodic review. She encourages Member States to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims, to consider alternatives to deprivation of liberty and to ensure that, at a minimum, deprivation of liberty be used as a last resort and for the shortest time possible.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In instances where children are accused of specific crimes during their association with an armed force or group, they should not be brought to trial before military courts or special courts, which often do not fully recognize the special status of juveniles before the law. The Special Representative continued to remind States that children accused of criminal acts should be treated in compliance with due process and juvenile justice standards. Accordingly, the best interests of the child should always be taken into account, detention should only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest time possible, and there should be no capital punishment or life imprisonment for children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Armed conflict has resulted not only in human casualties and physical destruction, but also in forced displacement. In the course of the past year, an ever-growing number of people have fled conflict zones and sought refuge in safer places. UNHCR reports that, globally, one in every 122 persons is now either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum. In many situations, as in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, children, many of them unaccompanied or separated from their families, represent a high proportion of the displaced population and have been at a particularly high risk of human rights violations and abuses. Children can be victims of grave violations inside and around refugee camps or camps for internally displaced persons. Armed groups take advantage of the vulnerability and concentration of displaced populations in camps to recruit children and commit other violations, including sexual violence and human trafficking.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, children continued to be severely affected by violent extremism and were often the direct targets of acts intended to cause maximum civilian casualties and terrorize communities. The recruitment and use of children was a prevalent concern, with armed groups controlling large swaths of territory, leaving many civilians without Government protection and resulting in children being abducted and forcibly recruited. The conduct of Government forces and their allies when retaking territory can also be a significant factor in the recruitment and use of children, since abuses and human rights violations can create or add to real or perceived grievances in the affected population as well as forcing civilians, including children, to seek protection from other parties to conflict. Social media also continues to be used for purposes of propaganda and to encourage recruitment of children, particularly outside areas affected by conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The right to education is a fundamental human right. It is key for the development of children, but also critical for peacebuilding, economic growth and sustainable development for society as a whole. In times of conflict, infringements of the right to education in the form of targeted attacks on and obstacles to safe access to schools, threats to children and teachers and the military use of schools have a negative impact reaching beyond the education sector alone. Moreover, education is often interrupted due to a general climate of fear and insecurity or because of the displacement of school children, teachers and school personnel. Not only is there a large financial cost to rebuilding schools, repairing infrastructure, replacing equipment and training new teachers, there is a significant individual and societal cost. The loss of educational opportunities owing to war has long-lasting effects on the social and economic development of a country, which in turn increases the likelihood of new cycles of violence and conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against schools, teachers and students during armed conflicts are particularly worrying as they interfere with education precisely when it can be of most benefit, not only to teach essential life skills but also to promote respect, tolerance and understanding, all of which are vital for social reconstruction and cohesion. Affected populations often view education as essential to both their short- and long-term well-being, as it helps mitigate the psychological and social impacts of conflict by creating a sense of normality, stability, structure and hope and, therefore, to overcome a crisis. All parties to a conflict have a responsibility to ensure safe access to education. It is essential that there be continuous engagement with non-State armed groups on the protection of education to remind their leadership of their obligations to avoid interfering with education, whether directly or indirectly.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Recalling that the sustainable reintegration of children is crucial for allowing children formerly associated with armed groups to exercise their human rights, the Special Representative encourages Member States to provide appropriate resources to the reintegration of the children recruited and used by any party to a conflict, giving special attention to the needs of girls.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages the Human Rights Council to highlight the rights of children displaced by conflict and the obligations of States of origin, transit and destination, in its resolutions on country-specific situations and thematic issues and in the mandates of special procedure mandate holders and commissions of inquiry.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution S-23/1 on atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram and its effects on human rights in the affected States, the Human Rights Council expressed deep concern regarding the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations by Boko Haram. In January 2015, following the listing of Boko Haram as a party in conflict that kills and maims children and that engages in attacks on schools and hospitals (see A/68/878-S/2014/339, annex II), the Special Representative travelled to Nigeria. During that visit, she assessed the impact of the conflict in north-eastern Nigeria on children, supported the roll-out of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and engaged with the Nigerian authorities. The Government of Nigeria agreed to enter into a formal collaboration with the United Nations on children and armed conflict through an interministerial committee based in Abuja and decentralized committees in the three conflict-affected states, and through the appointment of focal points at the federal and state levels. In her meetings with government and military officials, the Special Representative raised concerns relating to allegations of violations committed by the Nigerian defence and security forces, the Civilian Joint Task Force and other vigilante groups in the course of their operations against Boko Haram. In November 2015, on the margins of the International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, held in Dakar, the Special Representative met with the newly appointed National Security Adviser of Nigeria, who expressed interest in working to improve the protection of children separated from Boko Haram. At the same event, the Special Representative also met with the Force Commander of the multinational joint task force and advocated for enhanced protection of children in its operations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative notes with appreciation the attention paid by the special procedure mandate holders and commissions of inquiry to child protection concerns. She encourages mandate holders and commissions of inquiry to continue to include the plight of children affected by armed conflict in their monitoring efforts, reports and recommendations, and to bring those concerns to her attention. The Special Representative will continue to use such observations for advocacy purposes with the Member States concerned.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- All incidents must be investigated promptly and effectively, as ending impunity for attacks on health care is the best way to prevent their recurrence. Member States should investigate incidents, in a timely and transparent manner, and punish those responsible. Putting remedial measures in place is also a necessary element of accountability. When attacks have taken place, Governments should ensure that they mitigate the impact by repairing damage, clearing military hazards, providing emergency medical care and establishing safe routes and alternative medical facilities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States to treat children allegedly associated with non-State armed groups as victims entitled to full protection of their human rights, to ensure that they are not used as spies or for the purposes of intelligence gathering, and to urgently put into place alternatives to the systematic detention of children. The Special Representative urges the General Assembly to take these issues into account and ensure the protection of children in the review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Notwithstanding the challenges outlined above, the present report highlights important new initiatives taken by the Special Representative and other child protection actors to improve the well-being of children living through conflict. Encouragingly, progress has been achieved: thousands of children have been released by parties to conflict, commitments have been issued by non-State armed groups and progress has been made in implementing actions plans with Governments to end and prevent grave violations against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, children in conflict zones worldwide continued to face violations of their human rights. Much of the Middle East and North Africa was in the grip of, or affected by overspill from, increasingly complex and widening conflicts. In Africa and Asia, many protracted and relapsing conflicts showed no signs of abating. In all of those situations, many parties to conflict failed to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law. As the Human Rights Council has noted in recent resolutions, disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks have been committed against civilians, including children, and civilian infrastructure such as medical facilities and schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- The effect of armed conflict on children during the reporting period was unyielding, with the Central African Republic, Israel and the State of Palestine, Libya, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen serving as regrettable examples where the situation worsened to a significant degree or saw no improvement. In the Central African Republic, a breakdown in law and order led to more intense violence between armed groups and the large-scale forced displacement of children, particularly since September. Nearly 2,000 children have been separated from armed groups by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners in the Central African Republic in 2015. These children are now at risk of being re-recruited owing to the persistent instability and lack of appropriate reintegration programmes. In South Sudan, witnesses and survivors of government offensives between May and August 2015 gave horrifying accounts of children being thrown into burning houses, run over by military vehicles and hanged from trees, and of girls being killed if they resisted rape. In several instances, boys were reportedly found castrated and killed after attacks. In Yemen, heavy aerial bombardments and ground operations since the end of March 2015 have dramatically increased the number of child casualties and had a devastating impact on access to education in an already highly precarious environment. Nearly all parties to the conflict on the ground in Yemen have engaged in widespread child recruitment, with information indicating that four times as many children were recruited in the six-month period from March to September 2015 than in the whole of 2014. In the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, the increasingly complex conflict and persistent violations of international law are taking an ever-increasing toll on the civilian population, as evidenced by rising displacement and refugee outflows. Libya is also facing worsening instability, violence and localized conflicts, and the rising tensions and violence in the State of Palestine and Israel show no signs of abating at the end of the reporting period.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- Extreme violence was a prevalent feature of the conflicts taking place in 2015 in Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and the Syrian Arab Republic. Children were disproportionately affected and were often the direct targets of acts of violence intended to cause maximum civilian casualties and terrorize entire communities. Groups perpetrating extreme violence targeted, in particular, children pursuing their right to an education. The distribution of violent images and videos on social media placed the plight of children caught in the midst of these conflicts at the forefront of the world’s collective consciousness.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution 70/137 on the rights of the child , the General Assembly underlined that full access to quality education was an essential precondition for achieving sustainable development and for the full realization of the right to education. In that regard, Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Inclusiveness, quality and non-discrimination are fundamental principles that need to be systematically associated with education. When these principles are not given due consideration, education may increase social, ethnic and gender inequalities, further exacerbating divisions in society.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- All too often counter-terrorism strategies are implemented without regard for the long-term effects the policies may have. Prolonged detention is not only detrimental to the development of the child, who misses out on crucial years of education, but also for society as a whole. The effective reintegration of children who are allegedly associated with non-State armed groups must be the primary response since it is essential for their well-being and to ensure long-term peace and security. These children should be primarily treated as victims, as the majority have suffered ill treatment and violations. The Special Representative calls upon Member States to develop operating procedures to expeditiously hand over children who are captured or who surrender in the course of military operations to child protection actors to reintegrate them into their communities. Upon return, such children are often stigmatized, and sufficient resources should be allocated for their reintegration. Resources and assistance should also be given to the receiving communities to support reintegration efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- As a key element in protecting children from being unlawfully deprived of their liberty, the Special Representative called on Member States to put in place standard operating procedures for armed forces regarding the handover to child protection actors of children who are captured or who surrender in the course of military operations. In line with the standard operating procedures, armed forces should hand children over as soon as possible after they have been encountered by the military so that they can be reintegrated into society and not be deprived of their liberty.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative continued to advocate for the strengthening of protection frameworks for children deprived of their liberty in times of conflict. To that end, she welcomed the adoption of the Basic Principles and Guidelines on Remedies and Procedures on the Right of Persons Deprived of Their Liberty to Bring Proceedings Before a Court, which were submitted to the Human Rights Council in September 2015 (see A/HRC/30/37, annex). The Basic Principles highlight that basic legal safeguards must be provided in all circumstances, including for children deprived of liberty for their protection or rehabilitation, particularly if detained by military or security services. The Special Representative urges the Council to use the tools at its disposal to ensure the implementation of the Basic Principles. The Special Representative is also engaged with other United Nations actors on the initial phase of the in-depth global study on children deprived of liberty, to be prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 69/157. Moreover, during the reporting period her Office participated in other forums related to the deprivation of liberty of children, such as the subregional workshop on the treatment of children allegedly involved with Boko Haram as alleged offenders, victims and/or witnesses of crime organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Senegal in October and the expert meeting on juvenile justice in a counter-terrorism context organized by the Global Counterterrorism Forum and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, held in Malta in November.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Conflict continues to cause displacement as civilians seek safety and refuge. The Special Representative noted, in her 2014 report to the Human Rights Council, that the number of displaced persons globally was the highest since the Second World War, including millions of children (see A/HRC/28/54, para. 6). That situation has not improved, as the number of protracted and new conflicts continues to grow. In June 2015, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicated that there were more internally displaced persons and refugees than ever before. This has led to vulnerable persons, including many children, losing their lives while taking perilous journeys to perceived safety.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative notes that the Human Rights Council has extensively considered the issue of extreme violence and the protection of human rights in relation to counter-terrorism, both in the context of country-specific situations and in general debates. In her advocacy efforts during the reporting period, the Special Representative emphasized that respect for human rights was a prerequisite for any effective response to extreme violence, in line with the conclusions of the Human Rights Council’s panel discussion on the effects of terrorism on the enjoyment by all persons of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In addition, military responses targeting groups perpetrating extreme violence continued to raise challenges for the protection of children. Children caught in the middle of such operations have been killed and maimed and their homes and schools destroyed. The proliferation of airstrikes is of particular concern for the protection of children, as many airstrikes are of an indiscriminate nature. Moreover, in some cases, State-allied militias and vigilante groups have been mobilized, and children have been used in support roles and even as combatants. The Special Representative has continued to remind Member States concerned by her agenda that efforts to counter extreme violence and armed groups engaged in such violence must be carried out in full compliance with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law. Failure to abide by those obligations only worsens the suffering of the civilian population and can have the unintended consequence of creating or adding to real or perceived grievances in the affected population. Moreover, when responding to extreme violence, Member States should ensure that their rules of engagement take into account the fact that a large number of children are associated with these groups and may have been placed on the front line, either to engage in combat or as human shields.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the recent ratifications of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and reiterates her call upon States who have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Convention and its Optional Protocols; to enact legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment and use of children by armed forces or groups and the use of children in hostilities; and to establish the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into the armed forces at 18 years, when depositing their binding declaration upon ratification of the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The international community has an important role to play in promoting accountability, protection and prevention. In resolution 69/132 on global health and foreign policy, the General Assembly urged Member States to protect, promote and respect the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, in accordance with obligations under relevant provisions of international human rights law. Similarly, the Security Council, in resolution 2286 (2016), demanded that all parties to armed conflict comply fully with their obligations under international law. The provisions set out in resolution 2286 (2016) complement those contained in Assembly resolutions relating to the children and armed conflict mandate to monitor and report on attacks on hospitals and schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The protection of health care is also a key element of Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (General Assembly resolution 70/1). Initiatives to implement the Goals must include specific provisions for children affected by armed conflict. In that regard, the Special Representative welcomes the launch of the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action at the World Humanitarian Summit. The initiative will help to ensure that the many children who are permanently disabled during conflict, sometimes purely as a result of the lack of basic medical services to treat minor conditions, are not forgotten.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The protection of health care from attack is vital and the primary responsibility for upholding international humanitarian law lies with parties to conflict. The United Nations can support such efforts, but cannot make up for the lack of political will to comply with basic legal obligations. Clear and concrete actions are required; the Security Council, in its resolution 1998 (2011), called upon the parties listed in the annexes to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict that commit recurrent attacks on schools and/or hospitals and recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, in situations of armed conflict, to prepare concrete time-bound action plans to halt those violations and abuses. The Special Representative urges listed parties to heed the Council's request and enter into dialogue with the United Nations regarding an action plan. Other parties to conflict should also take the necessary measures to protect schools and hospitals.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Armed conflict has resulted not only in human casualties and physical destruction, but also in forced displacement. Over the course of the past year, an ever-growing number of people have fled armed conflict and sought refuge. The most recent estimates by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees indicate that an unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world have been forced from their homes. Among them are nearly 21.3 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. In addition, unaccompanied or separated children submitted 98,400 asylum requests in 2015, most of whom were from conflict-affected countries, which is the largest number ever recorded. Displacement has a critical impact on children, since parties to conflict take advantage of the vulnerability and concentration of displaced populations to recruit children in camps and commit other violations, such as abduction, sexual violence, forced marriage and human trafficking.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The international community and countries of origin, transit and destination should take all feasible measures to protect the rights of refugee and internally displaced children affected by armed conflict. The need for more equitable sharing of responsibilities is also clearly evident, as 90 per cent of all refugees are hosted in developing countries in close proximity to conflict areas. In September 2016, the General Assembly will host a high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach. In line with other United Nations partners, the Special Representative emphasizes that the fundamental principles of the best interests of the child and non-discrimination should be given primary consideration at the meeting and in the development of all relevant policies on internally displaced and refugee children. In particular, the institution of asylum needs more than ever to be respected, preserved and reinforced, particularly in relation to children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Throughout the reporting period, the Special Representative continued to remind Member States of their obligations under international law, in particular during addresses to the General Assembly and the Security Council. In October 2015, she participated in the sixth high-level retreat on the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa, convened by the African Union, on the theme "Terrorism, mediation and non-State armed groups". On the margins of the International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, held in Dakar in November 2015, the Special Representative met with the newly appointed National Security Adviser of Nigeria, who expressed interest in working to improve the protection of children separated from Boko Haram. During the same event, she met with the Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force and advocated for enhanced protection of children in Task Force operations against Boko Haram.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, the Office of the Special Representative also joined the Working Group on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law while Countering Terrorism of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, with the aim of further mainstreaming the protection of children. The Special Representative will continue contributing to the dialogue and work of the General Assembly, Security Council and Human Rights Council and of the Secretary-General regarding violent extremism in the coming year to ensure that the protection of children is a priority in national, regional and international responses. In that regard, the Special Representative urges the Assembly to prioritize the protection of children and to take into account the above-mentioned elements in the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- The international community, as well as countries of origin, transit and destination, should take all feasible measures to protect the rights of refugee and internally displaced children, particularly those living in areas affected by armed conflict. Increased efforts should be made, not only to identify long-term solutions that will reduce and mitigate the root causes and structural factors of displacement, but also to provide support to displaced children and ensure family reunification, keeping in mind the best interests of the child.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- The rise in extreme violence has been a significant factor in the increase in incidents of abduction in recent years. In that regard, the information gathered through the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict informed and helped to galvanize international action on abductions during the reporting period. This resulted in the Security Council adding abduction as a trigger for listing in the annual report of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict (see resolution 2225 (2015), para. 3).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Addressing grave violations of children’s rights is imperative and all parties to conflict who commit crimes must be held to account. In 2014, progress at the national and international levels was made in ensuring appropriate judicial responses to address grave violations against children during conflict. However, the wave of violence, in particular by extremist groups, that has affected children has compounded the challenge of addressing accountability comprehensively owing to the breakdown of law and order in areas under the control of non-State armed groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In regard to education, as the Secretary-General noted in his report on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants (A/70/59), with millions of children currently out of school, the promise made by the General Assembly one year ago to leave no one behind in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals risks becoming a meaningless cliché. The Special Representative echoes the Secretary-General's message that primary education should be compulsory and available to all refugee children, and that educational opportunities should be expanded. In that regard, a key achievement of the World Humanitarian Summit was the launch of the Education Cannot Wait Fund. On 23 May 2016, the Special Representative attended an event by the Global Business Coalition for Education during which the private sector announced its intention to mobilize $100 million for the Fund in financial and in-kind contributions. The Special Representative encourages Member States and other partners to further support initiatives aimed at helping displaced children to rebuild their lives.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Almost half of all medical facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic are closed or only partially functioning. In Aleppo, there have been a number of air strikes on hospitals in the last six months, and children living there are confronted with the almost impossible task of obtaining basic health care in order to survive. In May, a Syrian doctor wrote in response to one attack that what was most heart-breaking was the need for doctors to choose which patients to save because there were not enough doctors to treat everyone; their hospitals, though they were the targets of bombs, still overflowed with the sick and injured. In Afghanistan, the attack on the Médecins sans frontières hospital in Kunduz in October 2015 caused deaths and injuries of 49 medical staff. The hospital was the only fully functioning trauma care facility for the north-eastern region of Afghanistan and had provided lifesaving procedures to 5,000 people in the period running up to the attack. In Yemen, to give one example, in Taiz, three health facilities were repeatedly hit in 23 separate incidents throughout 2015.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- While protecting displaced children and providing for health care and education are important steps, it is clear that strong leadership is needed by Member States to end conflict and create conditions conducive to sustainable return. Increased efforts should be made to identify long-term solutions that will mitigate the root causes and structural factors of displacement, provide support to displaced children and ensure family reunification, keeping in mind the best interests of the child. Only when children are reunited with their families, in a safe environment and with access to basic services, will they be able to flourish and fully contribute to the future of their society.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- The General Assembly has recognized that attacks upon medical and health personnel result in the loss of life and human suffering, weaken the ability of health systems to deliver essential life-saving services and produce setbacks for health development. Numerous attacks on medical facilities, including aerial bombardment, have heightened concerns about the protection of health care in conflict in recent months. However, hospitals, doctors, nurses, ambulances and patients have long suffered from acts that challenge the most basic principles of international humanitarian law.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Throughout the reporting period, the Special Representative used other platforms to remind Member States of their obligations under international law, in particular during addresses to the General Assembly and the Security Council. Moreover, on 21 and 22 October 2015, the Special Representative participated in the African Union sixth annual retreat of special envoys and mediators on the promotion of peace, security and stability, organized on the subject of terrorism, mediation and non-State armed groups. Lastly, during the reporting period the Office of the Special Representative joined the Working Group on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law while Countering Terrorism of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force to further mainstreaming the protection of children in the United Nations work on counter-terrorism. The Special Representative will continue to contribute to the dialogue on and work of the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council and the Secretary-General regarding extreme violence in the coming year. Her focus will be to ensure that that the protection of children is a priority in national, regional and international responses. Furthermore, given the increasingly cross-border nature of the operations of groups using extreme violence and the involvement of multinational coalition forces, multilateral coordinated action and more extensive efforts involving regional organizations will be crucial to ensure the protection of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In its 2015 Education for All Global Monitoring Report, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization highlighted that about 124 million children were out of school and that one third of those children lived in countries where there was or had recently been armed conflict. Furthermore, in many of those countries, net school enrolment had been below 50 per cent even prior to the start of the conflict. The devastating impact of war on the education system is all too visible in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, and in the State of Palestine. The Special Representative remains deeply concerned about the increasing number of attacks on schools in those countries, despite the fact that schools have protected status as civilian objects under international humanitarian law. The Special Representative highlighted these issues during a high-level meeting entitled “Ensuring the inclusion of the right to education in emergencies in the post-2015 development agenda”, held on the margins of the seventieth session of the General Assembly, in September 2015. The Special Representative also emphasized the need for funding for education in emergencies during the Law, Justice and Development Week organized by the World Bank in November 2015.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- As noted in the Special Representative's previous report to the General Assembly (A/70/162), children encountered in security operations are often treated systematically as security threats rather than victims. Increasingly, large numbers of children are being systematically arrested and detained in counter-terrorism operations for their alleged association with parties to conflict. Detention has also been employed as a tactic to recruit and use children as spies and for intelligence-gathering purposes, which puts them at serious risk. The detention of children should always be a last resort, for the shortest time possible and guided by the best interests of the child. If they are accused of a crime during their association with armed groups, children should be processed by the juvenile justice system rather than military courts, which frequently fail to apply the relevant juvenile justice standards and due process. Of greatest concern are reports that children allegedly associated with non-State armed groups have been sentenced to death, notwithstanding the stipulation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child that capital punishment or life imprisonment without the possibility of release may not be imposed on juvenile offenders.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- While extreme violence is not a new phenomenon, with similar acts committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and the atrocities perpetrated in Liberia and Sierra Leone still in recent memory, the increasing cross-border aspect of the violence has created additional challenges for those trying to formulate well-calibrated responses. Unfortunately, in a number of situations, the regional or international response to the threats have posed additional child protection challenges.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Purely military and security approaches have not proved effective in addressing extreme violence; prevention must be a key component of response strategies. Extreme violence does not occur in a vacuum, which is why it is necessary, as a first step to finding a lasting solution, to identify and address its root causes and catalysts, such as poverty, lack of good governance, political grievances, the alienation of communities and lack of opportunities for youth. Action is required by the international community, regional organizations and individual Member States to mobilize resources to build resilience and strengthen protective environments for children. In countries affected by conflict, education is one tool that can help to prevent social exclusion and promote respect for human rights, peace and diversity, and reduce the vulnerability of children. In addition, the effective reintegration of children associated with armed groups is crucial. Indoctrination and trauma from exposure to extreme violence can increase the complexity of reintegrating children into their former communities. In addition, a new and compounding challenge for Member States is the regular use, by groups perpetrating extreme violence, of propaganda on the Internet and social media to recruit youth and children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages the General Assembly to highlight the rights of children displaced by conflict and the obligations of States of origin, transit and destination in the high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees and migrants and in its resolutions on country-specific situations and thematic issues.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages Member States concerned by the "Children, not soldiers" campaign to redouble their efforts to fully implement their action plans in the coming year, and invites regional organizations, the international community and all relevant partners to provide increased support to the concerned Member States.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Recalling that the issue of the reintegration of children is crucial to ensure the long-term sustainability of peace and security, the Special Representative encourages the Member States concerned to take appropriate measures to reintegrate those children, giving special attention to the needs of girls. She also calls on all Member States to provide the necessary political, technical and financial support to reintegration programmes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon the General Assembly to ensure that special attention is paid to children affected by armed conflict in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, it is important that the General Assembly highlight the need to give adequate resources for education in emergencies during times of armed conflict and holistic support to children disabled during conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- The deprivation of liberty of children owing to their actual or alleged association with armed groups is a concern in nearly all countries covered by the Special Representative’s mandate. States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict should take all feasible measures to ensure that former child soldiers are demobilized or otherwise released and that they are provided with all appropriate assistance for recovery and reintegration. It is therefore particularly worrisome that increasing numbers of children are deprived of their liberty for their association with armed groups under counter-terrorism and national security laws. In such contexts, but also in more traditional conflict settings, children are seen not as victims of violations and released but as offenders who are administratively detained for long periods or even prosecuted for association. Depriving children of liberty is contrary not only to the best interests of the child but also to the best interests of society as a whole. Indeed, the denial of access to education and health care that often comes with deprivation of liberty has long-term negative impacts not only on the child, but also on society. Moreover, children can be vulnerable to radicalization while in detention with adults.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon the Human Rights Council to ensure that special attention is paid to children affected by armed conflict in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals on quality education and healthy lives for all. In particular, it is important that the Council highlight the need to give adequate resources for education in emergencies occurring during times of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Parties to conflict must consider the long-term impact of attacks on health care. When a community is recovering from conflict it can take decades to reinstall skilled doctors, nurses, and the physical infrastructure to provide health care. Even a short period of hostilities can have a lasting impact, in particular because efforts to repair damage from attacks are sorely lacking.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Governments bear the primary responsibility for protecting civilians, and all parties to conflict must refrain from attacking civilian objects. Governments should adopt clear legislation and issue orders to their security forces to protect hospitals, doctors and patients. It is equally important that parties to conflict emphasize that hospitals are neutral civilian spaces and that medical personnel should be free to treat all wounded persons in line with medical ethics and without fear of repercussions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States and parties to conflict to ensure the protection of hospitals, health-care works and transports, in line with international law. She calls upon the General Assembly to continue to give due consideration to the issue and its impact on children in its resolutions on humanitarian and development issues.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- One focus of the high-level meeting should be to highlight the responsibility of all States to ensure appropriate protection for all displaced children, to avoid aggravating their vulnerability, through equal access to health care, education and psychosocial support. The Special Representative communicated those messages to Member States at an informal meeting of the General Assembly, held in November 2015, to consider ways to advance a comprehensive response to the global humanitarian and refugee crisis. In December 2015, she attended the annual Dialogue on Protection Challenges organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, and advocated for children displaced by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Children associated with parties to conflict should be handed over to child protection actors, in line with the Optional Protocol and Security Council resolution 2225 (2015), in which Member States were encouraged to consider non-judicial measures as alternatives to prosecution and detention that focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration for children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups. Treating children that have been recruited and used in conflicts as victims of violations will ultimately serve the long-term interests of communities and States by preventing further victimization and the creation of grievances. In that regard, the Special Representative welcomes the release, in September 2015, of children from the Serendi Rehabilitation Centre in Mogadishu. Handing over these children to child protection actors will help to safeguard their rights.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Training must be at the core of prevention efforts. Parties to conflict should develop specific child protection training modules, including outlining the responsibilities under international humanitarian law regarding hospitals, medical personnel and patients, and conduct training sessions and closely monitor awareness of laws and procedures. Precautionary measures for military operations must also be put in place, and the human cost of military actions should always be considered. Even in circumstances in which acts do not amount to international crimes, the civilian costs are nearly always too high; parties to conflict should refrain from engaging in combat and using explosive weapons with a wide impact in populated areas. To make these assessments, mechanisms can be put in place such as establishing a review board composed of military and civilian experts to act as an internal oversight mechanism on the conduct of operations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- In line with other United Nations partners, the Special Representative emphasizes that a human rights-based approach, including the fundamental principles of the best interests of the child and non-discrimination, should be given primary consideration in the development of all relevant policies on children displaced by conflict. All States have a responsibility to ensure appropriate protection for displaced children and to avoid aggravating their vulnerability, through equal access to health care, education and psychosocial support, regardless of their status. The Special Representative also encourages Member States to prioritize investing in education in emergencies to support displaced children in rebuilding their lives. Failure to do so will only increase the cost of restoring a sustainable society in post-conflict situations. These messages were emphasized by the Special Representative at the informal meeting of the General Assembly to consider ways to advance a comprehensive response to the global humanitarian and refugee crisis, held on 19 November 2015.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In addition to recruitment, security responses by Member States, in particular during military operations, have also directly and indirectly affected children. The increased proliferation of airstrikes is of particular concern for the protection of children owing to the high number of civilian casualties. When responding to extreme violence, Member States should ensure that their rules of engagement take into account that a large number of children are associated with those groups and may have been placed on the front line, either in combat or as human shields. The Special Representative continues to emphasize that efforts to counter violent extremism must be carried out in full compliance with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law. Failure to abide by these obligations only worsens the suffering of the civilian population.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative urges Member States to ensure that their engagement in hostilities and responses to all threats to peace and security, including in efforts to counter violent extremism, are conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law. She also calls upon all parties to conflict to refrain from using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas, and to consider making a commitment to this effect.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages Member States and the donor community to strengthen their support to national justice systems in conflict and post-conflict situations by providing sufficient resources and technical capacity for investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of grave violations against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- In order to ensure the adequate treatment of children separated from armed groups, the Special Representative advocated with the Member States concerned for standard operating procedures for the handover of children to child protection actors. In September 2014, the United Nations and the Government of Chad signed a protocol on the handover of children, which included specific provisions regulating detention. Those standard operating procedures build on previous agreements signed with the Governments of Mali, Somalia and Uganda in recent years. Child protection provisions have also been included in the concept of operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force to fight Boko Haram/JAS. The Special Representative encourages all Member States to develop such standard operating procedures where applicable to prevent the detention of children and protect their primary status as victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The burdensome process of rebuilding and reopening schools and restoring a community's trust in their safety often leaves children without education for months or even years. In that regard, the Special Representative underlines the importance of targeted initiatives, such as the Secretary-General's Global Education First Initiative, the "No Lost Generation" initiative by the United Nations and its partners in the Syrian Arab Republic, the planned data hub project on global attacks on education by Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict, which will be publicly available for advocacy use, and the European Union Children of Peace initiative. Children growing up in the absence of health care or education will have an impact on a society's potential for development and peace for many years after a conflict has ended. Ensuring access to education and health care, in particular during times of war, must be a priority so as to better protect children from the impact of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Sexual violence continues to be a prominent violation of children's rights in most situations of conflict, affecting both girls and boys dramatically. Rape and other forms of sexual violence are committed in the context of attacks against the civilian population and children are usually targeted due to their vulnerability and frequently because of their ethnicity. Violations are also committed in the context of recruitment and use of children and abductions. Girls are particularly vulnerable to abduction or recruitment by armed groups to be used for sexual purposes. Parties to conflict use sexual violence against children as a tactic to instil fear so as to assert control over people and land. It is also an increasing trend used by extremist groups to terrorize populations. For example, Boko Haram has been abducting girls from schools, and reports indicate that those girls have been forcibly married to local commanders.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In Sudan, following advocacy by the United Nations, several non-State actors issued command orders or launched internal sensitization campaigns on the protection of children and the prohibition of their recruitment and use. In August 2014, Minni Minnawi, leader of a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, further operationalized its commitment by putting in place a mechanism to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. A community-based strategic plan was also initiated by Sheikh Musa Hilal and endorsed by the leaders of five tribes. The strategic plan was designed to curb the use of children as fighters in inter- and intra-ethnic clashes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative met in Addis Ababa, in May 2014, with the former Vice President of South Sudan and leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition, Riek Machar, to whom she relayed her concerns regarding reports of large numbers of children recruited and used, killed, maimed or raped by his forces. She obtained a signed commitment to end the recruitment and use of children and all grave violations against children, and command orders were issued following the meeting. However, at the time of reporting, the commitment had yet to be implemented and violations against children continued unabated by both sides.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative commends the inclusion of accountability for grave violations against children in armed conflict in the Committee on the Rights of the Child's consideration of States parties' reports, and encourages the Committee to continue to integrate the monitoring of the six grave violations against children affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, extreme violence rose to an unprecedented level. The impact on children has multiplied in a number of countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and the Syrian Arab Republic. Children were victims of grave violations and were often forced to witness or take part in beheadings, immolations and summary executions. They were also indoctrinated, recruited and forced to be suicide bombers or human shields. Girls were subjected to additional abuses, including sexual slavery, abduction and forced marriage. The violations often took place in the context of mass abductions. Such brutal tactics had severe repercussions on children, which will have lasting effects for generations to come.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Extremist groups have benefited from advances in technology, which have facilitated their rapid growth and led to the expansion of their territorial control, often across national borders. The military response to the threat has also raised protection challenges for children. Children caught in the middle of counter-terrorism operations have been killed and maimed and their homes and schools destroyed. In some cases, State-allied militias have been mobilized, resulting in boys and sometimes girls being used in support roles and even as combatants. Despite international calls for due process and respect for the rule of law, counter-terrorism operations often lack those elements. The Special Representative recalls that efforts to counteract extremist groups must be carried out in full compliance with international humanitarian, refugee and human rights law and must ensure that children are treated primarily as victims.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution 2225 (2015), the Security Council also encouraged Member States to take concrete measures to deter the military use of schools by armed forces and armed groups. In that regard, the Special Representative welcomes the adoption by 37 countries of the Safe Schools Declaration on 29 May 2015, which endorsed the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. An additional 10 countries have adopted the Declaration since its launch. Although the Guidelines are not legally binding, they highlight good practice for all parties to conflict and aim to provide guidance to reduce the impact of armed conflict on education, particularly in relation to military use.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Access to justice by survivors of sexual violence remains a challenge in most conflict situations, with social stigma and fear of reprisal being contributing factors. The challenge of accessing justice in areas where instability prevails and State authority is weak or absent is an additional constraint. Inappropriate legislation or administrative obstacles also exist. In some cases, criminal codes do not have a definition of the rape, which may lead to inconsistent application of the law by the police and judicial authorities. In other cases, corruption - for example, the false requirement to present costly medical certificates - may prevent victims from filing complaints. Another major impediment to accessing justice is the often inadequate compensation provided to survivors, as well as lengthy and costly procedures before the courts, which may lead a victim's family to reach an amicable settlement with the perpetrators, rather than bring the case to justice.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the recent ratifications of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and reiterates her urgent call upon States who have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Convention and its Protocols; to enact legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment of children into armed forces or groups and the use of children in hostilities; and to establish the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into the armed forces at 18 years, when depositing their binding declaration (under article 3) upon ratification of the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative commends the Human Rights Council for its work in relation to persons deprived of their liberty as well as on juvenile justice, and encourages the Council to continue to give due consideration to the rights of children affected by armed conflict in that regard, including in its resolutions on country-specific situations and thematic issues and in the mandates of special procedures and commissions of inquiry.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The detention of children without criminal charge or on national security charges constitutes a growing challenge and a grave concern for the Special Representative, and is present in nearly all situations that fall within the scope of her mandate. The challenge has been compounded by the response of governments to extremist groups and the changing perceptions of the status of combatants within the counter-terrorism framework. Governments holding children for their alleged or actual association with radical armed groups no longer view them primarily as victims of armed conflict but often consider the children as security threats. Many counter-terrorism strategies typically comprise the long-term deprivation of liberty and solitary confinement of individuals involved in perceived or actual terrorist activities, which not only violates their rights to a fair trial but also has a particularly devastating psychological impact on children. The impact of treating children recruited and used by armed groups as security threats compounds the challenge of addressing reintegration.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The problem of children detained by government authorities is also present in situations in which there is little threat from extremists. Children arrested or captured in the course of more conventional military operations are often held in poor conditions and detained without being brought before a judge or granted access to a lawyer. If children are prosecuted for acts allegedly committed during their involvement with an armed group, the courts do not apply basic standards of fair trial and juvenile justice standards. Military courts are particularly inappropriate forums for hearing cases involving children, given that they do not fully recognize the special status of juveniles in conflict with the law. Moreover, when deprived of their liberty, children are vulnerable to human rights violations, including sexual abuse, degrading and inhumane treatment and, in some instances, torture.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Despite the challenges, agreements have been reached with a number of governments to ensure that detained children are handed over to the United Nations. In March 2014, a standard operating procedure for the handover of children formerly associated with armed forces and groups was adopted by the Government of Somalia. An agreement for the handover of children formerly associated with armed forces and groups was also reached with the African Union Mission in Somalia. On 10 September 2014, the United Nations and the Government of Chad signed a protocol on the handover of children associated with armed forces and groups, which includes specific provisions regulating detention. Those procedures build on the progress made with protocols for the handover of children formerly associated with armed forces and groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Mali signed in 2013.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Accountability for those who attack schools and hospitals is a key aspect of prevention. The Special Representative reiterates her call upon Member States to promote the guidance note, institute changes in national policies and legislation as well as in military doctrine, manuals and training, and investigate and prosecute those who deliberately target schools and hospitals. The Security Council expressed deep concern about the military use of schools and hospitals as it compromises their civilian status, puts them at risk of attacks as lawful military targets, and has a disruptive effect on educational and medical activities. The Special Representative invites the Human Rights Council and other human rights bodies to use all available means to draw attention to the issue, including the universal periodic review, country situations and thematic reports. Lastly, the Special Representative welcomes the release on 16 December 2014 of the "Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict", by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, and encourages Member States to adopt them.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Noting that 2015 is the year that the sustainable development goals will be adopted, and noting with concern the increasing number of attacks on schools and hospitals, the Special Representative calls upon Member States to ensure that the rights to education and health are a cornerstone of efforts to protect children from conflict, and upon the General Assembly to continue to give due consideration to the issue in its resolutions on humanitarian and development issues.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- In Mali, the joint leadership of the Mouvement national pour la libération de l'Azawad and the Mouvement arabe de l'Azawad signed command orders prohibiting the six grave violations against children and granted screening access to the United Nations. Dialogue with other armed groups is ongoing. Armed groups also came forward in the Syrian Arab Republic, pledging to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children as well as other grave violations, including attacks on schools and hospitals, and the military use of schools. In Yemen, the United Nations country task force on monitoring and reporting engaged with the Al-Houthi armed group and maintained dialogue over a draft action plan, despite the challenging security developments.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- As part of global efforts to address sexual violence against children, the Special Representative participated in the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, held in London, in June 2014, and was the keynote speaker for the session dedicated to the vulnerabilities of children to sexual violence in armed conflict. Her Office also contributed to the Secretary-General's guidance note on reparations for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, which was jointly coordinated by OHCHR and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The inclusion of special guarantees for non-repetition in the design and implementation of State policy, as well as the establishment of legal and institutional frameworks to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish crimes of sexual violence committed against children in situations of conflict, is a positive development.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Fifty-one armed groups are included in the lists annexed to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/68/878-S/2014/339). Those groups are very diverse in nature, which requires different strategies of engagement, and the implementation of child protection commitments may vary considerably. Advocacy strategies require the identification of specific incentives based on the military structure, size, modus operandi and other characteristics of armed groups. Taking those aspects into account, concrete commitments are then identified by the United Nations and translated into activities and measures with the armed group concerned, culminating in an agreed action plan.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- A multi-dimensional approach is also required to engage non-State armed groups to advocate for compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law by all parties to a conflict. In that spirit, the Special Representative continued to engage with mediators, special envoys and regional organizations to integrate the protection of children into peace-making initiatives on a case-by-case basis. During the reporting period, the Special Representative maintained dialogue with the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, the former Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, the Deputy Mediator of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for South Sudan, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen and representatives of the Gulf Initiative. She also engaged regularly with mediators involved in peace efforts, including representatives of third-party governments, the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, IGAD and the United Nations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States to protect children caught up in conflict in line with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law, particularly in the context of counteracting terrorism and extremist groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The indoctrination of children by extremist groups poses new challenges with regard to their protection and psychosocial rehabilitation and reintegration. The Special Representative encourages the Human Rights Council to make use of its mechanisms to highlight and address the need for appropriate measures to rehabilitate those children, in compliance with the principle of the best interest of the child and respecting the child's primary status as a victim.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States to consider alternatives to the deprivation of liberty of children for their alleged or actual association with armed groups or as part of counter-terrorism measures. She calls upon Member States to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims and to ensure that the deprivation of liberty, for any purpose whatsoever, should be a last resort and for the shortest time possible.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The accountability of those who attack schools and hospitals is a key aspect of prevention. The Special Representative appreciates the importance conferred to the protection of education and health of children by Member States and reiterates her call to them to consider, where needed, changes in national policies, military procedures and legislation. Those who deliberately target schools and hospitals must be investigated and prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Ensuring access to education and health care for children in conflict and for displaced children must be a priority. The General Assembly will be endorsing the sustainable development goals at its seventieth session. In the implementation of the goals, the Special Representative urges Member States to prioritize addressing the impact of conflict on the rights of children to education and health.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Noting the progress made in the "Children, not soldiers" campaign, the Special Representative calls upon the countries concerned to galvanize their efforts to finalize the implementation of their action plans. She also notes with concern the deteriorating situation in a number of countries involved in the campaign, and calls upon their leaders to uphold earlier commitments to end the recruitment and use of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Recalling that the issue of the reintegration of children is crucial to ensure the long-term sustainability of peace and security, the Special Representative encourages the Member States concerned to take appropriate measures to reintegrate those children, giving special attention to the needs of girls. She also calls on all Member States to provide the necessary political, technical and financial support to reintegration programmes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- The deprivation of liberty of children owing to their actual or alleged association with armed groups is a concern in nearly all country situations covered by the Special Representative's mandate. It is particularly worrisome that the number of children arrested and detained in the context of counter-terrorism operations has increased significantly. In such contexts, but also in more traditional conflict settings, children are no longer seen as victims but are treated as security threats. In many cases, they are either held under the authority of military actors or are handed over to national security agencies that deprive them of their liberty for long periods. Children associated with parties to conflict should be treated as victims and handed over to child protection actors. In circumstances in which children are accused of a crime, any legal process should be conducted in compliance with due process and juvenile justice standards. Accordingly, the detention of children should always be a last resort, for the shortest time possible and guided by the best interests of the child. Those principles apply to any form of deprivation of liberty, be it detention under security charges, administrative detention or deprivation of liberty for the child's own protection or rehabilitation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The General Assembly has recognized that attacks on education and health-care facilities deprive millions of children of their rights to healthy lives and to learn and realize their potential. This not only has an immediate impact on children, but also affects the future prospects of societies. In line with its recent debates and resolutions on education in emergencies and attacks on medical facilities, the Assembly welcomed the issuance of the guidance note entitled "Protect schools and hospitals: end attacks on education and health care" in May 2014, which was co-produced by the Special Representative and other organizations of the United Nations system. In her own efforts to promote the guidance note, the Special Representative attended a workshop on the protection of schools and hospitals in January 2015 in Berlin at the invitation of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Prevention of the violation of the rights to education and health was also supported by the Security Council through its resolutions 1998 (2011), 2143 (2014) and 2225 (2015), in which the Council urged all parties to conflict to respect the civilian character of schools and to refrain from actions that impeded children's access to education and health care.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes General Assembly resolution 69/157 on the rights of the child, in which the Assembly invited the Secretary-General to commission an in-depth global study on children deprived of liberty. Her Office has taken part in the initial phase of and continues to contribute to the study, in close cooperation with relevant United Nations agencies and offices outlined in the resolution.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Despite the ongoing challenges in respect of access to and dialogue with non-State armed groups to end grave violations against children, the number of public statements and command orders issued by armed groups prohibiting the recruitment and use of children has increased. That trend was observed in a number of situations and provided a basis for building momentum to address grave violations against children by armed groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- That approach has assisted in the effort to gain commitments and positive developments from a number of non-State actors on the recruitment and use of children and the prevention of other grave violations throughout the reporting period. In the Philippines, during the course of 2014, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front renewed its commitment to its Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children, which was signed in August 2009.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon the Human Rights Council to use all available tools to promote alternatives to the prosecution and detention of children for their alleged association with armed groups, in particular under counter-terrorism responses. In that regard, she commends the work of the Human Rights Council on detention and welcomes the panel discussion at the 27th session of the Council on the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of their liberty. The Special Representative attended the global consultation on the right to challenge the lawfulness of detention before court, organized by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in Geneva, on 1 and 2 September 2014. The Working Group will submit draft basic principles and guidelines to the Human Rights Council in 2015. The Special Representative anticipates that those documents will address the impact of detention on children in armed conflict. Lastly, the Special Representative welcomes the invitation by the General Assembly, in resolution 69/157 of 18 December 2014, to request the Secretary-General to commission an in-depth global study on children deprived of their liberty, conducted in close cooperation with relevant United Nations partners, including the Office of the Special Representative. The study will aim to formulate recommendations for action to effectively realize the rights of the child and will be submitted to the General Assembly at its seventy-second session.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Attacks on schools and hospitals are becoming an all-too familiar aspect of conflict, depriving millions of children of their right to education and health. The Special Representative remained deeply concerned by the increasing number of attacks on schools and hospitals, despite their protected status under international law. In almost every situation relating to the children and armed conflict agenda, the right to education and health was gravely affected by attacks on and the widespread military use of schools and hospitals as well as by attacks and threats of attacks against teachers and doctors. In many situations, such as in Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Israel and the State of Palestine and the Syrian Arab Republic, parties to conflict destroyed schools and hospitals by indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas or in targeted attacks against education facilities, teachers, school children, health workers and clinics. In 2014, we witnessed attacks on schools and ideological opposition to standard school curricula in places as varied as Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, southern Thailand, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic. Attempts by certain groups to radicalize teachings or exclude girls or minorities from education pose an even greater risk to the fundamental right of all children to an education. Health centres and health workers were also targeted, leading to the resurgence of preventable diseases, such as polio.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative notes with appreciation the attention paid by the special procedures mandate holders and commissions of inquiry to including child-protection concerns in their work. She encourages them to continue to include the plight of children affected by armed conflict in their monitoring, reports and recommendations, and to bring those concerns to her attention.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes national and international progress in achieving accountability on the part of perpetrators for grave violations against children. Governments are encouraged to strengthen their support to justice systems by allocating sufficient resources and capacity for investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate crimes against children in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In recent years, the international community has become increasingly aware of the impact on children of attacks on schools and hospitals and taken important steps to protect those institutions. The Security Council recognized this important aspect in its resolutions 1998, and requested the Secretary-General to list in the annexes of his annual reports on children and armed conflict the armed forces and groups who attack schools and/or hospitals and related protected persons. In resolution 2143, the Security Council called for enhanced monitoring of the military use of schools. To better implement those resolutions, the Special Representative, together with UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published the guidance note "Protect Schools and Hospitals" on 21 May 2014. With this guidance note, child protection actors in the field will be better equipped to monitor, report on and engage in advocacy, and work with parties to conflict to end and prevent attacks on schools and hospitals. It also calls for increased collaboration with both traditional and new partners, including a range of civil society partners whose work is crucial to protection from and monitoring of attacks on education and health care.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Prevention must complement any legal or military action to counteract extreme violence. Action is required by the international community, regional organizations and individual Member States to mobilize resources to build resilience and strengthen protective environments for children. Identifying and addressing the root causes and catalysts of extremism, such as poverty and the alienation of communities, is a necessary first step in the effort to find a lasting solution. Extremist groups also regularly recruit young people and children from around the world using propaganda on the Internet and social media. This is a new and compounding challenge, and is complex for Member States to address. The Special Representative notes that attention should be given to the recruitment networks of extremist groups, with the aim of preventing the recruitment of children in the first place. Education is one tool that can reduce the appeal of extremist groups and help to prevent social exclusion and promote respect for human rights, peace and diversity.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative continued to advocate for the strengthening of legal frameworks to ensure the protection of children deprived of their liberty in times of conflict. To that end, the Special Representative participated in the consultation on the right to challenge the lawfulness of detention before courts, which was organized by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in Geneva in September 2014. The Office of the Special Representative also contributed to the draft basic principles and guidelines that the Working Group will submit to the Human Rights Council in 2015. The Special Representative anticipates that the documents will provide important guidance on addressing the issue of the detention of children in armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- In the Central African Republic, the United Nations successfully advocated with both the ex-Séléka and the anti-Balaka groups. The ex-Séléka leadership committed to take measures against the recruitment and use of children and disseminated command orders among its ranks with the support of the United Nations, which resulted in the release and separation of over 70 children. Dialogue continued with field commanders of anti-Balaka units, resulting in the separation of children in several instances. Discussions were also held with United Nations and African Union partners to ensure that commitments to end the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations against children would be included in a political settlement. Protection concerns were included in the Accord de cessation des hostilités en République centrafricaine signed on 23 July 2014.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative underlines the continuing importance of efforts to protect education in conflict situations, such as the dedication of the Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, the work of the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, the No Lost Generation initiative by the United Nations and its partners for children affected by the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, the Oslo Summit on Education for Development, the Incheon Declaration, the planned data hub project by Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict on global attacks on education, and the Children of Peace initiative of the European Union. With 39 million children and adolescents deprived of education owing to conflict and internal and cross-border displacement, however, those efforts are only a small step towards the goal of safeguarding universal education for those affected by conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon States to consider alternatives to prosecution and detention of children for their alleged or actual association with armed groups or as part of counter-terrorism measures, and to ensure, at a minimum, that trials and procedures are consistent with international juvenile justice standards and the principle of prioritizing the best interests of the child.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The reintegration of children associated with extremist groups poses challenges. Indoctrination and trauma from exposure to extreme violence make it more difficult for children to reintegrate into their former communities. The Special Representative calls upon the international community to prioritize developing specialized reintegration programmes to address the psychological harm experienced by children who are exposed to extreme violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States to continue to facilitate United Nations access to and dialogue with non-State armed groups with a view to ending and preventing grave violations of children's rights. Particular attention should be given to the inclusion of child protection concerns in ceasefire and peace negotiations with non-State armed groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Early consideration of children's issues in peace-making processes can also facilitate the planning and mobilization of resources. For instance, the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces or groups is strongly linked to security arrangements in peace processes. It is also an integral part of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, which requires a specific focus on provisions for children, in particular girls. In that regard, the Special Representative commends the General Assembly for its continued call to States and regional organizations to support the inclusion of such commitments in peace agreements (see resolution 68/147). However, this aspect often remains neglected.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In that spirit, the Special Representative reached out to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region to ensure that the issue of children remained central in her engagements with pertinent parties. Similarly, she liaised closely with the former Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria. Regarding the conflict in the Central African Republic, the Special Representative engaged with mediators involved in peace efforts, such as representatives of the Economic Community of Central African States, the African Union and the United Nations, to advocate for the inclusion of specific commitments. Regarding the situation in Yemen, the Special Representative reached out to the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen and engaged with representatives of the countries of the Gulf Initiative to ensure that the protection of children, including in respect of implementing the action plan and reintegration, will be included in their discussions and initiatives. More recently, she engaged with Intergovernmental Authority on Development mediators to identify ways of strengthening cooperation in the context of the peace talks in South Sudan.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The recent commitments that the Special Representative was able to obtain from the Government of South Sudan and the opposition forces demonstrate that, in some cases, eliciting commitments by parties to conflict in the context of a mediation process to end grave violations committed against children can only be achieved through complementary and synergistic actions by different actors. In that regard, the Special Representative is engaging with a number of partners to identify and refine key elements of guidance that can be used in mediation processes, with due consideration given to the specifics of each mediation process. She will continue to work closely with the mediation community and to reach out to representatives of academia, specialized civil society organizations, experienced third-party mediators and other practitioners.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- It is the Special Representative’s hope that, through acknowledgement that the military use of schools may result in increased risk of attack, consensus will grow to address this concern. The Special Representative calls upon Member States to tackle this issue by taking concrete and proactive initiatives to protect schools and promote their civilian status, through the inclusion of protection elements in military training and doctrine and operational planning, as well as the incorporation of the recent Lucens Guidelines into national legislation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- During the universal periodic review process, States are urged to include, as appropriate, in their recommendations to the State under review, specific references to information from the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children that was established in accordance with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in addition to the country conclusions adopted by the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, as appropriate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative also commends the pilot mobile court scheme initiated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to improve access to justice for refugees who have been victims of crime. Such projects have recently been initiated in Uganda, in collaboration with the Government of Uganda, and aim to address the lengthy wait that refugees face before their cases are heard, and to encourage victims of sensitive crimes including rape, sexual assault and domestic violence to report allegations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- This initiative aims at increasing knowledge and understanding, improving monitoring and reporting, and advocating for clear and explicit domestic legislation on the interaction of military forces with schools and schoolchildren. Member States are encouraged, both in times of conflict and of peace, to support and adhere to this set of principles, and to integrate them in a practical way into their national policies and legislation, as well as into their military doctrine, manuals and training. While the Lucens Guidelines have been produced specifically for application during armed conflict, they may also be instructive in other situations, including post-conflict situations with the potential to return to armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The Office of the Special Representative has developed, in cooperation with partners, an operational strategy to reduce the military use of schools and to mitigate the impact of this on children. The strategy aims to address the concern raised by the Security Council in its resolution 1998 with regard to the military use of schools and the impact of this on the safety of schoolchildren and their teachers and on the right to education. Complementing the principles outlined in the Lucens Guidelines, this operational strategy provides a number of concrete, practical activities that can be voluntarily undertaken by parties to conflict with a view to implementing a voluntary commitment to further refrain from using schools for military purposes. The activities proposed in the operational strategy pave the way for the practical implementation of the Lucens Guidelines by parties to conflict, with the support of the United Nations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Adherence to international law through the ratification of legal instruments is a crucial first step for States to improve the protection of children affected by armed conflict, and to address impunity for perpetrators. However, the establishment of national legislation and institutions frequently represents an obstacle to the effective implementation of obligations in States affected by conflict, owing to their weakened capacity. Even when legislation and institutions are in place, the challenge remains to ensure access to independent courts so that right holders can enforce respect of their rights.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the surrender into the custody of the International Criminal Court, on 22 March 2013, of Bosco Ntaganda, against whom the Court had issued two arrest warrants, on 22 August 2006 and 13 July 2012 respectively. As the alleged former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Forces patriotiques pour la libération du Congo, Mr. Ntaganda is accused of seven counts of war crimes, including the enlistment of children under the age of 15, the conscription of children under the age of 15, and using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities, as well as murder, attacks against the civilian population, rape and sexual slavery, pillaging, and three counts of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Ituri (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 2002 and 2003. At the time of writing, the hearing for the confirmation of charges, which was initially scheduled for September 2013, had been postponed to allow the Prosecutor to complete the numerous tasks necessary after the case had been “dormant” for several years.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative reiterates the recommendations made in previous reports and in her recent oral update to the Human Rights Council, in which she encouraged the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review to systematically take into account the concluding observations made by the Committee on the Rights of the Child when reviewing a State submission. The Special Representative urges State parties to accord priority to the implementation of relevant recommendations of the Working Group, with the assistance of the international community as needed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative continues to mobilize support for the signing and ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. During the reporting period, she held bilateral meetings with Member States that had not ratified and/or signed the treaty, and actively briefed regional organizations, civil society, and regional groups on the matter. The Special Representative also highlighted the need for Member States to ratify and implement the Optional Protocol at the 2013 annual treaty event organized by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to education in times of armed conflict]: The Special Representative is deeply concerned by the fact that education is too often treated as a secondary need in situations of emergency. The life-saving and protective role of conflict-sensitive education must be fully acknowledged and prioritized, and initiatives aiming to ensure that schools are considered as safe spaces, neutral areas, or zones of peace should be strongly encouraged, promoted and supported, in order to make education the best weapon against ignorance and intolerance.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Addressing grave violations by State and non-State armed groups and engaging perpetrators on concrete measures to end and prevent such practices must be made using a case-by-case approach. One suggested strategy of engagement is the mainstreaming of child protection concerns in mediation and peace processes. Incorporating specific commitments into political settlements, ceasefire arrangements, peace agreements and relevant implementation mechanisms can provide unique opportunities and entry points for the protection of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Between June 2012 and December 2013, the Optional Protocol was ratified by Cameroon, Indonesia and Nigeria, and was acceded to by Swaziland and Zimbabwe, bringing the total number of States parties to 152. To date, a total of 20 Member States have signed but not ratified the Optional Protocol. Furthermore, the Special Representative welcomes the firm pledge made in December 2013 by Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, to adhere to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and hopes that this will translate into ratification of the Convention and its Optional Protocols as soon as possible.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty by the General Assembly in its resolution 67/234 B of April 2013 constitutes an important opportunity for child protection. The entry into force of the Treaty falls in line with the long-standing interpretation by the Committee on the Rights of the Child of State parties’ obligations, and is expected to have strong potential for generating a positive long-term impact on the situation of children in conflict, as it forbids the transfer of arms that could be used in committing attacks directed against civilians, including children, or in committing grave breaches of international humanitarian law and war crimes as defined by the international agreements to which the State is a party, such as the crime of child recruitment under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In addition, under the Treaty’s export assessment provisions, exporting States are requested to assess whether arms transfers would directly or indirectly lead to serious acts of violence against women and children, including killing and maiming, but also to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and, if an overriding risk is identified, to refrain from exporting.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Armed forces and armed groups use schools for a variety of military purposes, including as barracks, sniper or defensive positions, munitions depots, detention centres, recruiting grounds and training facilities. This is particularly true in remote locations, where shelter and large structures may be rare. It can involve parts that are central to the functioning of schools, such as classrooms, or those that are more peripheral, such as playgrounds, and water and sanitation facilities. The Security Council, in its resolution 1998, explicitly mentions the use of schools for military purposes as a concern and an integral part of monitoring and reporting.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to health care in times of armed conflict]: Hospitals that remain operational during conflict are often looted or forced to close down for one or another reason. They run out of medical supplies. Military personnel stay close by, or set up check points near hospitals. Medical personnel are sometimes threatened and forced to withdraw medical care from patients. In some cases, health services are diverted to satisfy military needs. Attacks on hospitals, health workers and patients strike at the heart of protection of children affected by armed conflict. Health services save and sustain lives. Health services are crucial in order to meet the needs of children in conflict situations. Hospitals should have no part in warfare.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to health care in times of armed conflict]: Unfortunately, this principle stands in sharp contrast to reality. The civil war in the Syrian Arab Republic is a tragic example that demonstrates how the strongest principles of humanity can be trampled on by warfare. A recent report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic dealing with the issue of medical care has illustrated how the deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical personnel and transport, the denial of access to medical care, and ill-treatment of the sick and wounded have become some of the most alarming features of the Syrian conflict. Violence against health care workers has a significant compound effect, which causes dramatic increases in the mortality rate of patients. The breakdown of medical services disproportionately affects the most vulnerable segment of the population, especially children, nursing mothers and the disabled.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to health care in times of armed conflict]: These incidents are of grave concern, and constitute a complete disregard for the special status of medical facilities, persons and functions, and a failure to protect the civilian population, including children. Concerted action by the international community is needed in order to highlight and tackle this issue, by strengthening the engagement of Member States, the United Nations, humanitarian and human rights organizations, civil society partners, the global health community, and above all, the parties to conflict. Medical professionals in neighbouring countries also need support, in order to respond to the urgent medical needs of persons fleeing conflict, the majority of whom are women and children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the Special Representative participated in initiatives to promote South-South dialogue on child reintegration, such as the Third Global Conference on Child Labour organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which was convened in Brasilia in November 2013. At the conference, the Special Representative encouraged participants to prioritize the issue of child soldiers; participated at a side event hosted by Luxembourg during the African Union open debate held in May 2014; and attended a ministerial round table on children and armed conflict at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict convened in London in June. The events provided the opportunity to generate discussions between countries that have undergone similar experiences in child disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and allowed participants to share experience and lessons learned. The Special Representative will continue to build upon such positive initiatives that promote South-South networking around child reintegration.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative is particularly pleased to note the efforts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to increase access among refugees and internally displaced persons to education, even in the emergency phases of its operations. The UNHCR focus on access to education as a protection tool to prevent forced recruitment, sexual violence, child labour and early or forced marriages is a step in the right direction. With 51 million persons under its mandate, UNHCR has gone a long way, alongside host authorities, to ensure that education brings a brighter future for young people in difficult circumstances.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- While disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes are crucial to addressing the recruitment and use of children, the reintegration aspect is fundamental to mitigating the risks of rerecruitment by armed groups by providing appealing and durable options to children. Family tracing and reunification, community reintegration, psycho-social assistance, education and skills training are just a few of the services that are essential to helping children to recover from the impact of conflict and to transition into adulthood.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative reiterates her urgent call upon States to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict; to enact legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment of children into armed forces or groups, and the use of children in hostilities; and to establish 18 years as the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into the armed forces when depositing their binding declaration (under article 3), upon ratification of the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to health care in times of armed conflict]: Realities on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen indicate that patients, medical facilities, workers and ambulances are increasingly being targets of attack. This is a direct violation of the rules and customs enshrined in international humanitarian law, and is happening in many conflicts around the world. Both the recent initiative by the International Committee of the Red Cross, entitled Health Care in Danger, and the recent report by the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (A/68/297), have emphasized that the provision of medical care has come to the centre stage of armed conflict, and is increasingly under attack.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Under international humanitarian law, both schools and hospitals are protected civilian objects and therefore benefit from the humanitarian principles of distinction. However, attacks on schools and hospitals during armed conflict are alarmingly widespread and carry grave risks for children. In its resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014), the Security Council highlighted the violation of attacks on schools and hospitals, provided clear direction on the need to monitor and report on this grave violation, expressed deep concern over the military use of schools, and encouraged Member States to formulate concrete measures to deter such practices. Similarly, the General Assembly has called upon States to ensure continuous access to education for children affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- In order to promote the implementation of those resolutions, the Special Representative, in collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO, developed the guidance note entitled "Protect schools and hospitals: end attacks on education and health care". The guidance note, which was launched on 21 May, aims to strengthen monitoring of and reporting on attacks on schools and hospitals by providing key definitions and practical advice. The guidance note also promotes advocacy and dialogue with parties to conflict and the deepening of partnerships between various stakeholders in addressing the plight of children seeking access to education and health care. In addition, it provides practical advice on how to advocate with parties to conflict in order to prevent the military use of schools and hospitals. With a view to ensuring wide dissemination and effective implementation, the guidance is being published in English, French and Arabic. The Special Representative strongly encourages Member States to promote the guidance note and to institute changes in national policies and legislation, and to include the guidelines in military doctrine, manuals and training.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Children recruited and used by armed forces and groups have been out of their communities and out of school, sometimes for years; they must often reacquire the social skills needed to interact with their communities and to access economic and livelihood opportunities. The concept of sustainable community-based reintegration is not new. It was part of the recommendations of the 1996 report prepared by Graça Machel on the impact of armed conflict on children. However, implementing effective reintegration programmes continues to be a challenge. Adequate resources to provide effective programmes are too often lacking.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- When there is an opportunity for dialogue, parties to the conflict should be prompted to commit to immediately protecting children from all grave violations. The inclusion of those provisions would pave the way for child protection actors to implement protection and prevention activities and would open doors for dialogue with the parties to end and prevent grave violations. In that regard, the cessation-of-hostilities agreement between armed groups in the Central African Republic signed during the Central African national reconciliation forum, held in Brazzaville on 23 July, is an example of how the inclusion of specific and explicit commitments by signatories constitutes a first step to ensure the protection of children within the wider political process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to education in times of armed conflict]: The Special Representative emphasizes the need to further coordinate efforts to restore schooling for children and rebuild education systems. She highlights the need to support countries affected by emergencies, including host countries, in order to ensure education for all, with a view to accommodating internally displaced persons and refugees in existing schools, by the provision of additional resources and innovative self-learning solutions to improve the access to quality education for every child in all circumstances.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Noting the importance of early consideration and long-term planning to the process of reintegrating and rehabilitating children affected by armed conflict, which lies at the heart of the security-development nexus, the Special Representative calls for the inclusion of the issue in the peacebuilding, recovery and development agenda of international agencies and bilateral donors and its adequate reflection in the formulation of sustainable development goals.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The engagement by the United Nations in favour of strong rule of law at the international level is also essential to addressing global accountability challenges. While the primary responsibility to ensure accountability for grave violations committed against children rests with Member States, the work of international criminal tribunals and courts is particularly important to strengthen law enforcement and protection against right violations at the international level.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The confirmation of the conviction of former Liberian president Charles Taylor on 26 September 2013 by the Appeal Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone sent a clear message to leaders across the world that no one is immune from justice. The former president was convicted to 50 years in prison on 11 counts of war crimes, including the conscription, enlistment and use of child soldiers.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to health care in times of armed conflict]: Armed conflict has a dramatic impact on children’s lives. The wounds are not only physical, but also psychological, emotional and social. Being a victim of violence, living in constant fear, and experiencing extreme hardship, such as lack of shelter and medical treatment, can cause severe physical and mental suffering with devastating long-term consequences.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States and regional organizations to continue to facilitate United Nations access to and dialogue with non-State armed groups with a view to ending and preventing grave violations of children's rights, including through mainstreaming child protection concerns in ceasefire and peace negotiations and within implementation mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Armed conflict goes hand in hand with the fragmentation of families, the disintegration of communities and of the “social fabric”, the breakdown of support systems and the destruction of health services. Armed conflict affects all aspects of children’s development.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative also encourages the Human Rights Council to continue to include child rights violations in its resolutions establishing or renewing the mandates of special procedures.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Given the resource implications and reporting requirements that ratification and implementation entail, the Special Representative encourages initiatives by one or more members that have already ratified the Optional Protocol, as well as by regional and intergovernmental organizations, to provide guidance and technical assistance to those Member States willing to ratify.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- States should begin to accord priority to reporting on the implementation of the relevant recommendations by the Security Council Working Group in the universal periodic review process, with the assistance of the international community wherever it is needed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon the Member States that are the focus of the Children, Not Soldiers campaign to redouble their efforts and intensify their collaboration with the United Nations and other child protection actors towards compliance with their commitments. In that regard, she calls upon donors to provide adequate and sustained funding for the implementation of action plans.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States and civil society to ensure that particular attention is paid to the plight of girls and boys and to promote specific provisions for children in global efforts to end, prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages the Human Rights Council, when considering or adopting resolutions on country-specific situations or thematic issues, to include recommendations on or references to the protection of children affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative takes note with appreciation of the attention paid by the special procedures mandate holders to including child-protection concerns in their work. She encourages the mandate holders to continue to take into account the challenges faced by children, during their missions and in their reports and recommendations, insofar as they are relevant to their respective mandates, and to bring those concerns to her attention.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative urges Member States that have not done so to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and to enact effective national legislation and policies to criminalize the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States, regional organizations and parties to conflict to make every effort to protect schools and hospitals and to adopt concrete measures to deter the military use of schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- However, significant progress still needs to be accomplished in prosecuting crimes of sexual violence, at both the national and the international level. This need was highlighted by Judge Odio Benito in her dissenting opinion in the case against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, in which she argued that by failing to deliberately include the sexual violence and other ill-treatment suffered by girls and boys within the legal concept of “use to participate actively in the hostilities”, the majority of the Chamber was making that critical aspect of the crime invisible. Sexual violence is recognized and criminalized under the Rome Statute and must be fully acknowledged. The Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, in close cooperation with the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, continues to promote and to advocate for accountability for sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to education in times of armed conflict]: The decline in schooling during periods of armed conflict has dramatic implications for countries’ post-conflict recovery. Education is central to sustainable peace, and it is a way to teach and transmit reconciliation and forgiveness. And yet, millions of children living in conflict-affected countries are being denied access to learning, and their fundamental right to education is being violated. Their schools are attacked or occupied by armed forces, and teachers are targeted, increasing the risk that students and the educational community will never go back to school. In countries such as the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and the Syrian Arab Republic, primary school-age children are out of school, and their right to education has been compromised by the looting, occupation or destruction of their schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- [Children’s access to health care in times of armed conflict]: Armed conflict is a major public health hazard, and this is often overlooked. Tens of thousands of children die every year as a direct result of fighting. Furthermore, children die from malnutrition and disease caused or accentuated by armed conflicts. In many instances, conflict kills and injures more children than soldiers. Health professionals are crucial advocates for the rights of the child. Humanitarian and human rights organizations, including the World Health Organization, Physicians for Human Rights, the Centre for Victims of Torture, and the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, actively advocate for the right of children to have access to medical care, especially in times of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Mainstreaming child protection in peace processes can also pave the way for the development of time-bound measures to address the needs of conflict-affected children. Where a previous action plan exists, a peace process can offer an opportunity to revitalize commitments and accelerate action plan implementation. Alternatively, dialogue on child protection with parties to a peace process can provide an entry point for mediation efforts. Agreeing on minimum standards for children, for example, the early demobilization of child soldiers, can serve as a confidence- and trust-building measure. This was the case in Nepal, where negotiations on the action plan to end the recruitment and use of children in 2009 served as an entry point for the overall dialogue on the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, as stipulated in the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- In the context of her mandate, the Special Representative has continued to engage with mediators, special envoys and regional organizations to integrate the protection of children into peacemaking initiatives on a case-by-case basis, trying to ensure that all those who can influence and have access to parties in a conflict do not overlook issues related to conflict-affected children. This has implied reaching out to and holding regular meetings with special representatives and special envoys to find mutually reinforcing ways to cooperate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Partnerships between concerned Governments, donor countries, the United Nations and civil society must encompass all phases of post-conflict intervention, from recovery to peacebuilding and development. The reintegration needs of children separated from armed forces or groups should be increasingly reflected in peacebuilding strategies with a view to making children and youth programming a foundation for durable peace.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- The elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda provides an additional opportunity to reflect on expertise and lessons learned from decades of reintegration programmes. The Special Representative is convinced that best practices in respect of reintegration should be included in the new development agenda as an essential aspect of community-building in post-conflict societies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, which was created in 2010 and is composed of a number of United Nations agencies and civil society organizations, has spearheaded a process, in close consultation with military experts, child-protection actors, education specialists, and international humanitarian and human rights lawyers, to devise guidelines for protecting schools from use by armed forces and armed groups, known as the Lucens Guidelines.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States to seek alternatives to the prosecution and detention of children for their alleged association with armed groups or under counter-terrorism mechanisms or to ensure, at a minimum, that trials and procedures are consistent with international juvenile justice standards.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2014, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes alternative strategies, such as mobile courts, to support access to justice in remote areas, to tackle impunity and to provide redress for victims of grave violations in the aftermath of conflict. Mobile courts have been used effectively in several countries such as the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- To follow up on these important advances, the Office of the Special Representative, in cooperation with partners, is preparing guidance for the field on monitoring and reporting on attacks on educational and health-care facilities and plans to have dialogue with parties to conflict to halt and prevent such violations. A collaborative effort between United Nations peacekeeping and political missions in the field, as well as other United Nations entities, including UNICEF, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization, will be essential in strengthening and disseminating good practices for mitigating the effects of conflict on children's education and health care.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- During the reporting period, notable progress was made in devising and reinforcing protective measures to ensure education in times of conflict. The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, created in 2010 and composed of United Nations entities and non-governmental organizations, spearheaded the development of draft guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict, also known as the Lucens guidelines. The initiative, which results from broad consultations among military experts, child protection actors, education specialists and international humanitarian and human rights lawyers, is aimed at enhancing knowledge and understanding, as well as improving the monitoring and reporting of attacks on schools. It also served to advocate for the development of clear international norms on the interaction of military forces with schools and schoolchildren. The Special Representative strongly encourages Member States to support this process at both the technical and strategic levels and to promote concrete changes in national policies and legislation, as well as the inclusion of the guidelines in military doctrine, manuals and training.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- It has been widely acknowledged that the mainstreaming of children's issues and concerns in peacemaking processes is essential in mobilizing efforts for the critical protection that children need in times of conflict. Incorporating specific commitments in political settlements, ceasefire arrangements, peace agreements and relevant implementation mechanisms can provide important opportunities and entry points for the rapid release of children from armed forces and groups and their reintegration. Early consideration of children's issues in peacemaking processes also facilitates planning and resource mobilization.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Attacks on schools, hospitals, teachers, schoolchildren and medical personnel in situations of conflict remain widespread and alarming. Access to education and health care continues to be disrupted by the damage or destruction resulting from targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities and by the use of explosive weapons. Many schools and hospitals are looted by armed groups, used as barracks, operational centres and detention sites, including by governmental forces. Access to education is also hampered, as schools are targeted by armed groups as places for the indoctrination and recruitment of children. In some cases, extremist armed groups also interfere in school programmes. Teachers and medical personnel are often threatened or become victims of targeted killings and abductions. Girls' access to education is particularly affected by all forms of attack on schools.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Schools remain at the heart of armed conflict in many countries around the world. The use of schools for military purposes by armed forces and groups continues to put schoolchildren at risk of attack and hampers children's access to education. Schools are often being used as military barracks, weapon storage areas, command centres, detention and interrogation sites, firing and observation positions and training grounds for combatants, as well as serving as recruiting grounds for children. This practice not only results in reduced enrolment, high dropout rates and overcrowding of schools, but also changes the civilian nature of schools and may lead to the perception of schools as legitimate targets for attack. Even when children are evacuated from schools used by military forces, their right to an education under international human rights law is compromised. In some situations, as a direct result of the military use of schools, children have been injured or killed and schools have been damaged or destroyed in targeted attacks and by the indiscriminate use of weapons.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The use of explosive weapons in populated areas has been shown to result in a pattern of harm affecting children and their families. In recent years, United Nations actors have noted with concern how evolving technologies and tactics reflecting the changing nature of armed conflict pose a threat to children. Over the past decade, reports of child casualties in the course of military operations by armed unmanned aerial vehicles, referred to as drones, have multiplied. While precise information is not available on the number and circumstances of these incidents, such reports indicate that drones have had a significant impact on children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- A specific commitment to uphold international legal obligations such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child should also be referenced, and no blanket amnesty should be granted to parties having committed grave violations against children. In addition to a general guarantee of safe humanitarian passage for civilians and humanitarian organizations, peace agreements should expressly prohibit the use of schools for military purposes. The inclusion of these provisions provides legitimacy to child protection actors and facilitates dialogue with the parties to end and prevent grave violations.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Addressing the structural causes of fragility to escape "conflict traps" can be achieved only if a country's long-term recovery efforts include priorities for the successful rehabilitation of the lives of conflict-affected children and young people. While there are several reasons why children join armed forces and groups, poverty a lack of education and limited socioeconomic opportunities have been recognized as an important factor for children's association with armed forces and groups in conflict-affected and fragile countries.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- To minimize their effects on children, drone strikes must be carried out in accordance with principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality. A transparent normative framework governing drone use must be put in place, recognizing the special status of children, with the aim of avoiding child casualties. The Special Representative calls upon Member States to review their policies and to make a greater effort to investigate incidents involving the killing and maiming of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty by the General Assembly in its resolution 67/234 B in April constitutes an important opportunity for child protection. There is long-standing awareness of the link between the global trade in conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons, and grave violations committed against children in conflict situations. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons, fostered by the inadequate regulation of the global arms trade, exacerbates conflicts and disproportionately affects children. Solid evidence also exists of the correlation between the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the widespread practice of recruitment and use of children in conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Significantly, the Treaty recognizes the link between the arms trade and the effects of conflict on children. Small arms and light weapons fall under the scope of the Treaty, and ammunition/munitions and parts and components are covered by its prohibition and export assessment provisions. The entry into force of the Treaty has the potential to generate a positive long-term impact on the situation of children in conflict. It forbids the transfer of arms that could be used in the commission of attacks directed against civilians, including children, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and war crimes defined by international agreements to which a State is a party, such as the crime of child recruitment under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Furthermore, under the Treaty's export assessment provisions, exporting States are requested to assess whether arms transfers would directly or indirectly lead to serious acts of violence against women and children, including killing and maiming, but also recruitment and use and, if an overriding risk is identified, to refrain from them.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- The Arms Trade Treaty, if duly enforced, has the potential to curb the recruitment and use of children in conflict through the prohibition of arms sales to States parties that engage in child recruitment, falling in line with the long-standing interpretation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child of States parties' obligations to do so under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. The Treaty's contribution to reducing the plight of children in conflict can thus be understood as being twofold: seeking to curb both armed violence against children and the recruitment and use of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative urges Member States that have not done so to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and to enact effective national legislation and policies to criminalize the recruitment and use of children by armed forces. She calls upon the international community to support those efforts, including by providing the necessary technical and financial support to concerned Member States to end the recruitment and use of children in armed forces.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- Measures to address the structural causes of child recruitment must tackle social exclusion and provide children and youth with education and socioeconomic alternatives. At the national level, measures to reintegrate children must be systematically included in broader recovery and development strategies. The economic dimensions of preventing the recruitment of children and reintegrating them into society need to figure prominently in the peacebuilding, recovery and development agenda of international agencies and bilateral donors.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Drone strikes directly affect the psychosocial well-being of children and their families, as well as their economic situations and educational opportunities. The unannounced and often mixed use of drones for both surveillance and military operations has created a pervasive sense of fear in affected areas. Children have been increasingly kept away from schools because of the fear that they could be killed on their way to school or to compensate for the income lost after the death or injury of a relative due to a drone strike.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- The continuing development of national legislation criminalizing violations against children is another encouraging gain for the children and armed conflict agenda and is often a direct result of the implementation of an action plan. In that regard, the Special Representative welcomes the efforts of the Governments of Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Philippines and their notable progress on strengthening national legislation related to children and armed conflict during the reporting period.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The multiple challenges faced by conflict-affected countries cannot be resolved by short-term or partial solutions. Heavy debt burdens, lack of resources and other capacity constraints hinder their ability to provide effective and sustained responses. The Special Representative welcomes the report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (A/67/890, annex), which highlights the importance of including in the agenda beyond 2015 the goal of eliminating all forms of violence against children and reiterates the need to ensure education for every child regardless of circumstances.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- If a peace agreement exclusively refers to the separation of child combatants, many children and youth, especially girls and those serving in so-called support functions, in particular victims of sexual violence, are at risk of being excluded from adequate reintegration assistance. Peace agreements should acknowledge the special needs of girls and provide for the establishment of rehabilitation programmes, health-care and counselling services for all boys and girls separated from armed forces and groups. Specific consideration should also be given to concerns regarding the protection of vulnerable children, such as refugee and internally displaced children, children separated from their families, unaccompanied minors and children orphaned by war.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- In 1996, by its resolution 51/77, the General Assembly created the mandate of the Special Representative in response to the report on the impact of armed conflict on children submitted by Graça Machel (A/51/306), in which the full extent to which children are affected in situations of armed conflict was highlighted for the first time. Since then, the international community has rallied behind the plight of children and has united in the common goal to end grave violations. Progress has been made at the normative and policy levels and coordination has been enhanced among child protection actors within the United Nations system, as well as with national and international partners.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Mainstreaming child protection in peace agreements paves the way for the development of time-bound measures to address the needs of conflict-affected children. Where a previous action plan exists, a peace process can offer an opportunity to revitalize commitments and accelerate its implementation. The Special Representative strongly encourages Member States and other mediation actors to take into account children's issues and concerns in their political efforts. In the light of their ongoing involvement in conflict prevention and mediation, regional organizations have an important role to play in championing children's rights and interests in peacemaking processes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- As more Member States are in the process of acquiring this technology, it is hoped that they will equally explore ways to address these concerns and mitigate the impact of drone strikes on children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Therefore, even when adequate legal and policy frameworks to protect children exist, they seldom translate into effective legal protection. To ensure that violations against children are addressed, rule of law programming and justice sector reform initiatives should include a short-term focus on creating a rapid response capacity in the criminal justice system. Swift accountability for violations against children is not only an important deterrent to ongoing violations, but also contributes to fostering a culture of national reconciliation in the longer term.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- International humanitarian law prohibits armed forces and groups from using schools while children and teachers are using them for educational purposes. Parties to conflict are urged to fully comply with this obligation and not to use schools for any purpose in support of their military efforts. They are called upon to urgently take all precautionary measures not to endanger civilians and civilian objects in the vicinity of military targets and to exercise caution, especially when indentifying military targets among buildings that are normally dedicated to civilian purposes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, children detained by security forces are often held in poor conditions, in blatant disregard of basic human rights and minimum standards applicable to any person in captivity. When deprived of their liberty, children are particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses, including sexual violence. Parties to the conflict are urged to recognize children associated with armed forces and groups primarily as victims, and in all circumstances children should be treated in accordance with international norms and standards in the area of juvenile justice.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Each year, thousands of children are trapped in armed conflict, and they are killed and maimed by explosive weapons, while in the direct line of fire or as collateral damage. Tactics relying heavily on explosive weaponry continued to have a disproportionate effect on children. Air strikes and the use of cluster munitions in populated areas, especially near schools and hospitals, continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, including children. In addition, children have been the victims of suicide attacks, both as bystanders and through their recruitment as suicide bombers. Improvised explosive devices, rockets, landmines, unexploded ordnance and remnants of war continued to take the lives and limbs of children in numerous countries.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- To break this vicious cycle, measures must be put in place to protect children from recruitment and rerecruitment and provide them with viable alternatives. Reintegration can serve as an effective tool for the prevention of recruitment through education, skills training, socioeconomic development for children and community sensitization programmes. With such opportunities, the likelihood that children will return to armed groups or engage in criminal activities is significantly reduced. This, in turn, contributes to the building of resilient communities and to social stability. The effectiveness of reintegration measures depends, however, on their continuity and sustainability, as well as the on extent to which the underlying causes of recruitment are being addressed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Mindful of the severe effects that explosive weapons, including small arms and light weapons, have on children in armed conflict, the Special Representative urges all Member States to sign, ratify and swiftly implement the provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty. In particular, Member States are urged to ensure that the impact on children of arms transfers is systematically assessed and that child protection concerns are duly taken into account, in accordance with the Arms Trade Treaty.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Nevertheless, children continue to bear the brunt of today's conflicts. Violations of children's rights occur daily in new and deepening crises, often on a large scale. The challenges of delivering humanitarian assistance to children affected by conflict are often exacerbated by the difficulty of reaching populations displaced as a result of insecurity across different regions. Similarly, the cross-border recruitment of children has become a common trait in many conflict situations, deepening the protection crisis.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- The challenges and concerns outlined herein are not new. While the joint efforts of Member States, the United Nations system and international partners have contributed to mitigating the impact of armed conflict on children, much remains to be done. The Special Representative has made it a priority to encourage Member States to renew their political engagement, which is crucial in translating international and national child protection standards and legislation into concrete gains for children in times of conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages national and international partners to focus on developing national capacity for the establishment of community structures to protect children, economic stabilization and the creation of livelihood opportunities, including youth-oriented employment strategies and programmes. Coordinated and holistic interventions are required to build effective and accountable institutions that provide people, in particular children and young people, with education, security, justice and jobs.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Children constitute the majority of the population in many conflict and post-conflict societies. Conflict destroys social capital and disrupts the development of children and youth, thus acting as a powerful factor of exclusion. Once a conflict has ceased, the lack of educational and socioeconomic opportunities can fuel a legacy of violence and contribute to a relapse into conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In many countries children are arrested and detained without due process or legal safeguards, including under antiterrorism laws, either because they are perceived as a threat to national security or for acts allegedly committed while associated with armed groups. Children are also captured in the course of military operations and held in formal or informal detention facilities without any legal basis, sometimes incommunicado and for prolonged periods of time.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Ceasefire arrangements and peace agreements should include explicit demands for the immediate cessation of the recruitment and use of children, as well as the swift and orderly release, return and reintegration of children associated with armed actors. In view of the elevated number of child victims of mines and unexploded ordnance, parties should commit to refraining from any further use of those weapons and should swiftly undertake and facilitate efforts to eliminate explosive remnants of war.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations and its partners continue to have an important role to play in this regard by ensuring that the legal protection of children is adequately taken into account when planning and funding capacity-building efforts in the area of reforming the justice sector.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The concerted effort by both the General Assembly, through its resolution 64/290 on the right to education in emergencies, and the Security Council, through its resolution 1998 (2011) on attacks on schools and hospitals, has put children's access to education and health care in times of armed conflict firmly on the international agenda.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The reporting period was marked by the escalation of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic and by the conflict and military intervention in northern Mali, as well as by renewed instability in the Central African Republic. Children have also been severely affected in the many protracted conflict situations in which they continue to be victims of grave violations, including their recruitment and use by armed forces and groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- A growing body of reporting also contributes to an enhanced understanding of the multiple indirect adverse effects of drone strikes on children. Boys and girls have been the victims of drone strikes on schools, funeral processions and other community gatherings. Drone attacks have also led to weakening of the social fabric and of community protection mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Only minimal references to children's rights and needs have been incorporated in recent peace agreements, however, and the mainstreaming of children's issues in peace processes has not yet been translated into a systematic practice. While each conflict poses specific challenges for children, there are core principles that should guide peacemaking efforts and be referenced in peace agreements when appropriate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Any peace agreement should explicitly recognize that children's lives have been affected by the armed conflict, in particular through forced recruitment, displacement and sexual and gender-based violence. At a minimum, parties to the conflict should commit to immediately stopping and protecting children from all violations, including their recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape and sexual violation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- The detention and prosecution of children, including for acts committed while associated with armed groups, should at all times remain a measure of last resort. The Special Representative calls upon Member States to seek alternatives to prosecution and detention for children, consistent with international juvenile justice standards.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Engagement at the international, regional and national levels is even more crucial as the nature of armed conflict continues to evolve and to present challenges for the protection of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Sexual violence remains widespread in many conflict situations, affecting both girls and boys. Although underreported, sexual violence and the forced marriage of girls to members of armed groups continued to be a pervasive threat.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- In line with her initiative to end the recruitment and use of children by government armed forces in conflict by 2016, the Special Representative calls upon the Member States concerned to intensify their collaboration with the United Nations and other child protection actors and share best practices. In this regard, she calls upon donors to provide adequate and sustained funding for the implementation of action plans. She also calls upon those Member States that have not yet signed an action plan with the United Nations to do so without delay.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative calls upon Member States, regional organizations and any other actors involved in peace processes to systematically mainstream children protection concerns by including specific child protection expertise in mediation teams and by integrating child protection provisions in ceasefire arrangements, political settlements, peace agreements and relevant implementation mechanisms. In this regard, she also encourages United Nations partners to work together to develop technical guidance.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- In some post-conflict situations, where the root causes of conflict have remained unaddressed, cyclic relapses into violence have occurred, reversing important gains for children and exposing them to the risk of rerecruitment. This illustrates the need to enhance the mainstreaming of child protection concerns into national peacebuilding priorities and plans, including in resource allocation processes.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Investigations, prosecutions and trials of adult perpetrators of grave violations against children have remained extremely rare overall, however. Ending impunity for grave violations is a crucial element in enforcing compliance by parties with international obligations to protect children. The weak capacity of justice systems in countries affected by conflict requires specific support to ensure institutional responses to the needs of children affected by armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative welcomes the draft Lucens guidelines to protect schools from being used by armed forces and groups for military purposes. She calls upon Member States to lead the way in supporting that process and in incorporating those principles into their national legislation and military guidance.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2013, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Traditional warfare, evolving technologies and terror tactics deeply disrupt children's lives in many parts of the world. In other cases, extremist groups indoctrinate and take advantage of children in conflict or specifically target children and educational institutions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Trial Chamber I accepted the approach taken by the Pre-Trial Chamber and suggested by the Special Representative, according to which both conscription and enlistment are forms of recruitment, in that they refer to the incorporation of a boy or a girl under the age of 15 years into an armed group, whether coercively or voluntarily. The Special Representative argued in her brief to the Court that the distinction between voluntary enlistment and forced recruitment was a distinction without meaning, as even the most voluntary of acts could be a desperate attempt to survive by children with a limited number of options. In such circumstances, any consent given by a child could not be regarded as truly voluntary in the full sense of the word. Whether the child enlisted or was conscripted, the line between voluntary and involuntary recruitment was legally irrelevant and practically superficial in the context of children’s association with armed forces or armed groups in times of conflict.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- [Reparations for children and the restoration of children’s rights]: The experiences of a significantly larger number of victims, and the loss and harm resulting from a wider range of violations, can be acknowledged and repaired through reparations programmes. Any decision on reparations should avoid an overly narrow definition of victims and their eligibility and not limit the violations allowing for reparations. It is important to include those victims who have not participated in court proceedings, maintaining an open list of applicants and conducting a series of registration periods. In deciding who is eligible for reparations, however, the limited human and financial resources must be taken into account. Priority should therefore be accorded to the immediate and direct victims of the crime and their families, including the victims of forced recruitment and the victims and families of the crimes committed by the armed group. Moreover, an assessment of the current needs of the victims is crucial as several years may have passed since the events took place.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Member States bear a central and immediate political, legal and moral responsibility for the protection of children and should comply with international law for the protection of children within their territories. The Rome Statute defined the recruitment and use of children in armed forces or armed groups as a war crime. Member States should enact the appropriate legislation to criminalize these violations and hold adult recruiters to account, including military commanders and political leaders, for both the crime of child recruitment and for the crimes that they forced children to commit. They should also take action against other grave violations against children through their national justice systems, including by bringing their laws into line with international obligations and by according priority to child protection capacity and training for the military, the police and law enforcement and judiciary officials in the context of national security sector reform efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: The recruitment of children into armed forces or groups has been documented as being often closely connected to poverty and social disadvantage. Poverty, often combined with social exclusion, has been found to stir the frustration of young people and create incentives for them to join armed groups. In many post-conflict societies, young people have little choice but to remain unemployed or accept short-term and exploitative work. Accordingly, providing children and young people with alternatives through high-quality education, both formal and non-formal, and national programmes for job creation and income generation for young people should be top priorities in national prevention strategies. Donor agencies should also accord priority to work in this regard. Food security and livelihood measures, tailored to the specific economic context, together with cultural and psychosocial support activities, can also contribute to preventing the recruitment and the rerecruitment of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Explosive weapons with wide-area effect, such as multiple-launch rockets, high-explosive artillery, mortars, car bombs and other improvised explosive devices, are a particular cause for concern. In 2011, mortar and artillery shells, which are indiscriminate weapons traditionally used against massed infantry, killed and injured children in Libya, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic, among others. In Afghanistan and Iraq, there has been an increasing number of complex attacks involving the combination of two or more attacks on one target using explosive weapons by armed groups. These attacks, usually perpetrated against Government institutions, resulted in significant child casualties. Aerial bombardments and drone attacks in countries such as Pakistan and Yemen have also killed and injured children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- In most of the 23 country situations reflected in the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict covering the period from January to December 2011 (A/66/782-S/2012/261), explosive weapons were used in direct physical attacks against schools and hospitals, a grave violation of children’s rights. They posed a threat to children and medical and educational personnel, resulting in the forced closure or the compromised functioning of those institutions. In some country situations, children were denied humanitarian access because of the presence of explosive remnants of war from previous conflicts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- While recognition of the distinct problems associated with explosive weapons has grown over time, there is a need for further policy attention and immediate action to effectively protect children from such weapons. There is also a need for greater acknowledgement that the use of such weapons, especially those with wide-area effect and those used in densely populated areas, severely harm children and communities. Systematic data collection and analysis of the human cost of these weapons is critical to the development of baseline information, which would in turn further strengthen the empirical basis for advocacy efforts to better protect children. In the context of the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children, the Office of the Special Representative will, together with United Nations partners, endeavour to gather disaggregated and more detailed information on child casualties resulting from the use of such weapons. The Office will also advocate the inclusion of specific provisions against the use of explosive weapons in action plans signed by parties to conflict that aim at halting the killing and maiming of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- The criminalization of underage recruitment and the domestication of international norms and standards against the recruitment and use of children are crucial first steps in the prevention of child soldiering. Setting the parameters of who can be lawfully recruited into armed forces and groups, and ensuring that those who do not abide by those parameters may receive punishment, is the basis for regulation. Effective criminalization can be hindered by amnesties and de facto immunities granted to members of armed forces suspected of serious human rights abuses and/or armed groups that will become part of a national army in the framework of a peace process. In developing legal provisions, care must be taken to ensure that amnesties are not applicable to individuals who recruited or recruit children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative urges States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to strengthen national and international measures for the prevention of recruitment of children into the armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities, in particular by signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict and enacting legislation to explicitly prohibit and criminalize the recruitment of children into armed forces or groups and their use in hostilities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The Chamber also decided to apply a broad interpretation of the term “participate actively in hostilities” to ensure justice and protection for all children associated with armed forces or armed groups. The Court held that the term included a wide range of individuals, from those on the front line (who participated directly) to the boys and girls who were involved in multiple roles that supported the combatants. The Court further refined that interpretation, using a case-by-case determination and adopting a double test: whether support was given and whether the support provided to the combatants exposed the child to real danger as a potential target. The Chamber made a clear distinction between the term “direct participation in hostilities”, which determines combatant status under international humanitarian law, and the term “actively participating in hostilities”, which is the criteria applicable to the use of children in hostilities, holding that the latter was to be interpreted broadly, and without conferring combatant status on those children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Partnering with and building the capacity of local child protection systems requires a situation analysis of each country in order to identify the strengths of and gaps in child protection systems at both the national and community levels. Community-based child protection mechanisms have been found to be a highly diverse and adaptable approach to child protection in different contexts. In some situations, child protection mechanisms have sprung out of women’s associations and have been engaged in collecting information on violations of children’s rights and in protecting children at particular risk of recruitment. Other community-led protection networks spring up spontaneously or are fostered by non-governmental organizations working with the community.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- A common challenge is the creation of linkages between local, community-based protection structures, on the one hand, and elements of the formal child protection system and Government services, on the other. Often, the existence of strong legal and policy frameworks notwithstanding, Government-led services are not filtering down to the communities. In extremely fragile contexts, the weakness of the State and its lack of control over all areas may be a factor accounting for gaps in Government services at the community level. In other contexts, it is a sign of insufficient priority and resources being accorded to the commitments made in the national framework. In the absence of formal mechanisms, community-led mechanisms often step in. These may include groups formed specifically for the purpose, such as child protection committees or community care coalitions, or they may simply consist of existing structures, such as women’s groups, faith-based organizations and other community associations that take on a role in protecting children. To be effective, these mechanisms need adequate funding, capacity and knowledge to deal with child protection issues.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- At the national level, effective investigations and prosecutions are potentially powerful prevention tools but are often hindered by lack of resources and capacity. The failure to investigate grave violations against children or to sanction those responsible is often linked to broader accountability issues. Short of systematic prosecution, a system for deterrence should be built through the prosecution of the most persistent violators. In addition, practical measures can be implemented by Governments to prevent underage recruitment, such as free birth registration or alternative mechanisms for age verification, in addition to conscription policies and mandatory vetting procedures to monitor child recruitment by national armies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- [Prevention of child recruitment]: Given the complex set of factors influencing child recruitment, prevention strategies, to be successful, require a holistic approach and should be conducted by a variety of actors at the local, national and international levels. From a broad perspective, three prevention strategies can be identified: effective legal prevention mechanisms at the national level, strengthening community protection mechanisms at the local level, and providing children with alternatives.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- International and national courts are encouraged to use and build on the jurisprudence arising from the judgement handed down by the International Criminal Court in the Lubanga case and to be guided by the measures that the Court has put in place related to child protection and child participation in judicial proceedings.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- [Strengthening family and community protection mechanisms]: Initiatives to raise community awareness about the rights of children and the long-term implications of children’s association with armed groups and to promote attitudinal change or encourage the intervention of community and religious leaders to halt child recruitment should be conducted in close collaboration with parents, community and religious leaders, teachers and children themselves. Dialogue to foster community ownership is crucial, as are consultations that aim at identifying and building on existing positive practices.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- [Development, dissemination and enforcement of the law]: At the national level, effective investigations and prosecutions are potentially powerful prevention tools but continue to be weak. The failure to investigate grave violations against children or to sanction those responsible is often linked to broader accountability issues. Short of systematic prosecution, a system for deterrence should be built through the prosecution of the most persistent violators. Furthermore, practical measures can be implemented by Governments to prevent under-age recruitment, such as free birth registration or alternative mechanisms for age verification, in addition to conscription policies and mandatory vetting procedures to monitor child recruitment by national armies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Infants
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- [Strengthening family and community protection mechanisms]: Establishing and strengthening community protection mechanisms and raising the awareness of families, communities and their leaders of the issue are other critical factors for prevention. Child protection and recruitment prevention policies are unlikely to work in contexts in which the community promotes the association of children with armed groups. Children are also most vulnerable to recruitment when family and community protection systems are weakened. In some contexts, children join armed groups because they are encouraged to do so by their families and/or communities. Domestic violence has also been found to be a central factor in the recruitment of children. Abusive families propel children on to the streets, where they are more vulnerable to recruitment, or directly into the ranks of an armed group. In Colombia, for example, the decision of children, mainly girls, to run away and join an armed group has been found to be closely linked to domestic exploitation and physical and sexual abuse.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The Human Rights Council is encouraged, when considering or adopting resolutions on country-specific situations or thematic issues, to include therein recommendations on, or references to, the protection of children affected by armed conflict. It is also encouraged to act as a complementary follow-up mechanism to assess the implementation of the observations and recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, particularly with regard to the parties to conflict in all situations of concern addressed in the annual report of the Secretary-General (A/66/782-S/2012/261).
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Laws are not effective, however, if there is no implementation or awareness of their existence. Measures to foster their dissemination are therefore also critical for prevention. These may include the creation of child protection units in the military, which have played an important role in countries such as South Sudan and the Sudan. Educational training programmes to inform armed forces and groups of the legal protection for children during armed conflict are equally important in increasing awareness of and compliance with international norms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- States parties to the Convention and to the Optional Protocol are further urged to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child as a matter of priority and to submit timely reports to the Committee under the Optional Protocol. To this end, States parties are encouraged to establish effective interministerial coordination mechanisms with a view to ensuring comprehensive measures to prevent and protect children from offences under the Optional Protocol.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- During the universal periodic review process, States are urged to include, as appropriate, in their recommendations to the State under review specific references to information from the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children established in accordance with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in addition to the country conclusions adopted and recommendations made by the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, as appropriate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- [First judgement of the International Criminal Court on the war crime of recruitment and use of children]: On 14 March 2012, the International Criminal Court delivered its verdict in the case The Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, convicting Thomas Lubanga of the crimes of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 years into the Forces patriotiques pour la libération du Congo and using them to participate actively in hostilities. The Court’s first judgement on the issue of child recruitment constitutes important international jurisprudence for future cases. In 2008, the Special Representative testified as an expert witness before the Court and submitted an amicus curiae brief providing clarification on the terms “conscripting and enlisting children” and “using them to participate actively in hostilities”. Both interpretations adopted by the Court allow for greater protection for all children associated with armed forces or armed groups.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- [Reparations for children and the restoration of children’s rights]: The International Criminal Court is the first international tribunal to include reparations to victims of war crimes in its mandate. It established the Trust Fund for Victims, which is tasked to provide general assistance in the form of physical rehabilitation, material support and psychosocial counselling to victims of international crimes in countries where the Court has jurisdiction, and to implement Court-ordered reparation awards. The Trust Fund has introduced an innovative approach to reparations in two ways: it is not linked to any specific case before the Court and supports victims both individually and collectively; and it is financed through basket funding from States and voluntary donations, which means that reparations are not limited to the financial means of the convicted person. Following the judgement in the Lubanga case, the Court and the Trust Fund will deal with legal and practical questions on the implementation of the reparations mandate, which may have implications for the larger child protection community.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- [Strengthening family and community protection mechanisms]: Partnering with and building the capacity of local child protection systems requires a situation analysis of each country in order to identify the strengths of and gaps in child protection systems at both the national and community levels. Community-based child protection mechanisms have been found to be a highly diverse and adaptable approach to child protection in different contexts. In some situations, child protection mechanisms have sprung out of women’s associations and been engaged in collecting information on violations of children’s rights and in protecting children at particular risk of recruitment. Other community-led protection networks spring up spontaneously or are fostered by non-governmental organizations working with the community.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- [Strengthening family and community protection mechanisms]: A common challenge is the creation of linkages between local, community-based protection structures, on the one hand, and elements of the formal child protection system and Government services, on the other. Often, the existence of strong legal and policy frameworks notwithstanding, Government-led services are not filtering down to the communities. In extremely fragile contexts, the weakness of the State and its lack of control over all areas may be a factor accounting for gaps in Government services at the community level. In other contexts, it is a sign of insufficient priority and resources being accorded to the commitments made in the national framework. In the absence of formal mechanisms, community-led mechanisms often step in. These may include groups formed specifically for the purpose, such as child protection committees or community care coalitions, or they may simply consist of existing structures, such as women’s groups, faith-based organizations and other community associations that take on a role in protecting children. To be effective, these mechanisms need adequate funding, capacity and knowledge to deal with child protection issues.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- [Empowering children through education, skills and livelihood opportunities]: Evidence from armed conflicts suggests that there is a strong association between recruitment into armed forces or groups, on the one hand, and poverty and social disadvantage, on the other. Poverty, often combined with social exclusion, has been found to stir the frustration of young people and create incentives to join armed groups. In many post-conflict societies, young people have little choice but to remain unemployed or accept short-term and exploitative work. Accordingly, providing children and young people with alternatives through high-quality education, both formal and non-formal, and national programmes for job creation and income generation for young people should be top priorities in national prevention strategies. Food security and livelihood measures, tailored to the specific economic context, together with cultural and psychosocial support activities, can also contribute to preventing the recruitment and the rerecruitment of children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- [Explosive weapons: an emerging concern]: Explosive weapons touch on four of the six grave violations against children and armed conflict, including killing or maiming. They are also used for direct and physical attacks on schools and hospitals, where they may result in forced closure or compromised functioning. Children recruited and used as suicide bombers and victim bombers both carry explosive weapons. In some country situations, children are denied humanitarian access because of the presence of explosive remnants of war. Recent developments in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, the Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, where thousands of children have been killed and maimed, have confirmed the gravity of the issue.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- States should further begin to accord priority to the implementation of relevant recommendations by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review with the assistance of the international community, wherever it is needed.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Initiatives to raise community awareness about the rights of children and the long-term implications of children’s association with armed groups and to promote attitudinal change or encourage the intervention of community and religious leaders to halt child recruitment should be conducted in close collaboration with parents, community and religious leaders, teachers and children themselves. Dialogue to foster community ownership is crucial, as are consultations that aim at identifying and building on existing positive practices.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- [Strengthening family and community protection mechanisms]: Communities can prevent the voluntary or forced association of children with armed forces and groups in several ways. Community-based child protection systems can warn of the threat of recruitment or rerecruitment. Where armed groups depend on the moral or material support of local people, community structures may be able to put pressure on local commanders to release children and provide support for their protection. Community figures such as elders and traditional leaders can also reach non-State parties to promote child protection commitments and prevent recruitment. In Afghanistan, for example, elders have in some cases reached agreements with local commanders to impede the recruitment of children. Community-based child protection systems can also help to reduce the overall vulnerability of children and provide special protection to children living and working in the streets, orphans and separated children, who are at particular risk of recruitment.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- [Development, dissemination and enforcement of the law]: The criminalization of under-age recruitment and the domestication of international norms and standards against the recruitment and use of children are crucial measures for the prevention of under-age recruitment. It is crucial that States enact legislation to explicitly criminalize under-age recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups in their penal codes. Effective criminalization can be hindered by amnesties and de facto immunities granted to members of armed forces suspected of serious human rights abuses and/or armed groups that will become part of a national army in the framework of a peace process. In developing legal provisions, care must be taken to ensure that amnesties are not applicable to individuals who recruit children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Where State institutions are weak, prevention must begin at the community level. Establishing and strengthening community protection mechanisms and raising the awareness of families, communities and their leaders of the issue are other critical factors for prevention. Child protection and recruitment prevention policies are unlikely to work in contexts in which the community promotes the association of children with armed groups. Children are also most vulnerable to recruitment when family and community protection systems are weakened. In some contexts, children join armed groups because they are encouraged to do so by their families and/or communities. Abusive family environments can also propel children on to the streets, where they are more vulnerable to recruitment, or directly into the ranks of an armed group. In Colombia, for example, the decision of children, mainly girls, to run away and join an armed group has been found to be closely linked to domestic exploitation and physical and sexual abuse.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Member States should continue to insist that parties listed in the annexes to the report of the Secretary-General on the recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children, and/or rape and other sexual violence against children, in addition to attacks against schools and hospitals (see annexes I and II to the present report), in contravention of applicable international law, prepare and implement specific time-bound action plans to halt those violations and abuses, and take punitive measures against any parties that fail to comply.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Member States should accord priority to funding the strengthening of community-based child protection mechanisms as a critical measure in preventing child recruitment and linking community-based protection systems to formal child protection systems. Children and young people should be provided with alternatives through high-quality education, both formal and non-formal, and national programmes for job creation and income generation for young people should be the main priorities in national prevention strategies.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative urges Member States to enact appropriate national legislation to criminalize grave violations against children, including the recruitment and use of children in armed forces and armed groups, which has been defined in the Rome Statute as a war crime, and also to bring adult recruiters to justice in national courts. In this regard, the international community should support Member States, where appropriate, to develop and strengthen national capacity for the administration of justice.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 69a
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, the Special Representative urges Member States to take steps to reduce the impact of such weapons on children, including by:] Refraining from using explosive weapons with wide-area effect in populated areas, including by revising and strengthening military policies and procedures, as necessary, and ensuring that all military operations are in compliance with international humanitarian law and underpinned by the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution;
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- International and national courts should continue to investigate, prosecute and sentence perpetrators of the crime of recruitment and use of children. Courts are encouraged to use and build on the jurisprudence arising from the judgement handed down by the International Criminal Court in the Lubanga case and to be guided by the Court’s legal interpretations of the terms “conscription and enlistment of children” and “using them to participate actively in hostilities”.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Children become associated with armed forces and groups for various reasons. In some situations, they are forcibly recruited or abducted by armed elements, or coerced and intimidated into joining them. Recruitment of children also takes place in the context of poverty, discrimination, revenge and loyalty to an ethnic, religious or tribal group. Often, insecurity and displacement propel children, especially those who have become separated from their families, to join an armed group for protection and survival.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Explosive weapons, defined as weapons that cause injury, death or damage by projecting explosive blast, and often fragmentation, from the detonation of an explosive device, have a devastating impact on civilians, including children, especially when used in highly populated areas. Such weapons, which include air-dropped bombs, grenades, landmines, improvised explosive devices and mortars, tend to have effects that users cannot foresee or control accurately and therefore carry a great risk of being indiscriminate in their impact.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- States are encouraged to establish 18 years as the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into armed forces when depositing their binding declaration upon ratification of the Optional Protocol. Those States that have ratified but not adopted what is known as the “straight-18 position” are urged to reconsider their declarations and to raise the minimum age to 18 years.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on children and armed conflict: Annual report 2012, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative encourages Member States to continue to support the mainstreaming of child protection in United Nations activities, both in field missions and at Headquarters, and to facilitate the authorization and timely deployment of child protection advisers in peacekeeping operations and special political missions, as appropriate.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph