2007 (Executive Committee—58th Session)
No. 107 (LVIII) - CONCLUSION ON CHILDREN AT RISK (2007)
The Executive Committee,
Recalling its Conclusions Nos. 47 (XXXVIII), 59 (XL) and 84 (XLVIII), specifically on refugee children and/or
adolescents, Conclusion No. 105 (LVI) on Women and Girls at Risk, Conclusion No. 106 (LVI) on
Identification, Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness and Protection of Stateless Persons, Conclusion No. 94
(LIII) on the Civilian and Humanitarian Character of Asylum, Conclusion No. 98 (LIV) on Protection from
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, Conclusion No. 100 (LV) on International Cooperation and Burden and
Responsibility Sharing in Mass Influx Situations as well as all provisions of relevance to the protection of
refugee children set out in other Conclusions, many of which are relevant for other children of concern to
UNHCR,
Taking note of the more recent international developments in relation to the protection of children, in particular
the two Optional Protocols to the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Security Council
resolutions 1612, 1674, and 1325, the Paris Commitments to Protect Children from Unlawful Recruitment or
Use by Armed Forces or Armed Groups and the United Nations Secretary-General's Study on Violence against
Children,
Recognizing the important work done by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) in relation to the protection of children,
Affirming that children, because of their age, social status and physical and mental development are often more
vulnerable than adults in situations of forced displacement; recognizing that forced displacement, return to postconflict situations, integration in new societies, protracted situations of displacement, and statelessness can
increase the vulnerability of children generally; taking into account the particular vulnerability of refugee
children to being forcibly exposed to the risks of physical and psychological injury, exploitation and death in
connection with armed conflict; and acknowledging that wider environmental factors and individual risk factors,
particularly when combined, can put children in situations of heightened risk,
Acknowledging that, while both girls and boys face many of the same protection risks, they also experience
protection challenges specific to their gender, and reaffirming that, while many risks may be prevalent in all
settings, camp and urban environments may generate different protection needs,
Noting that this Conclusion applies to children, as defined under Article 1 of the CRC, who are asylum-seekers,
refugees, are internally displaced or returnees assisted and protected by UNHCR, or are stateless, particularly
addressing the situation of those at heightened risk, 1
Recalling that the protection of children is primarily the responsibility of States, whose full and effective
cooperation, action and political resolve are required to enable UNHCR to fulfil its mandated functions,
Recognizing the varied means and capacity of host countries; and reaffirming its call to the international
community, in cooperation with UNHCR and other international organizations, to mobilize the financial and
other resources necessary, including in support of host communities, to ensure the provision of protection and
material assistance and the achievement of durable solutions, based on international solidarity, cooperation and
burden and responsibility sharing, as well as on the understanding that inadequate protection, or inadequate,
inappropriate or poorly distributed assistance, can increase the risks children face,
(a) Adopts this Conclusion which provides operational guidance for States, UNHCR and other relevant agencies
and partners, including through identifying components that may form part of a comprehensive child protection
system, with the aim of strengthening the protection of children at risk;
Fundamentals of child protection
(b) Recognizes that strategies and actions under this operational guidance should be underpinned by the
following principles and approaches, amongst others:
i.
1
Children should be among the first to receive protection and assistance;
Hereinafter referred to as "children" or "a child"
190