Children & Armed Conflict
In conflict affected and fragile countries, children are often subjected to egregious violations due to new tactics of warfare, the absence of clear battlefields, and the increasing number and diversification of parties to conflict, all of which add to the complexity of conflicts and deliberate targeting of traditional safe havens, including schools and hospitals. Since the adoption of Resolution 1261 (1999), the Security Council has recognized Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) as a thematic issue. Adding to the institutionalization of CAAC agenda, the Council adopted Resolution 1612 (2005) to establish the working group on CAAC mandated to monitor and report on grave violations against children, including the six grave children’s rights violations: rape and other forms of sexual violence, killing and maiming, abduction, recruitment and use of child soldiers, and denial of humanitarian services.
The NGOWG WPS works to ensure that CAAC and WPS are complementary, advocating within the Security Council for strengthening cooperation at the field level to ensure reporting, monitoring, service delivery and all other efforts focused on violations against children and women work in tandem, with an emphasis on recognizing the protection, rights, and needs of girls. Although girls are often the targets of grave sexual and gender based violence, girls are also most often bypassed in service delivery and reintegration programmes.
Children & Armed Conflict
In conflict affected and fragile countries, children are often subjected to egregious violations due to new tactics of warfare, the absence of clear battlefields, and the increasing number and diversification of parties to conflict, all of which add to the complexity of conflicts and deliberate targeting of traditional safe havens, including schools and hospitals. Since the adoption of Resolution 1261 (1999), the Security Council has recognized Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) as a thematic issue. Adding to the institutionalization of CAAC agenda, the Council adopted Resolution 1612 (2005) to establish the working group on CAAC mandated to monitor and report on grave violations against children, including the six grave children’s rights violations: rape and other forms of sexual violence, killing and maiming, abduction, recruitment and use of child soldiers, and denial of humanitarian services.
The NGOWG WPS works to ensure that CAAC and WPS are complementary, advocating within the Security Council for strengthening cooperation at the field level to ensure reporting, monitoring, service delivery and all other efforts focused on violations against children and women work in tandem, with an emphasis on recognizing the protection, rights, and needs of girls. Although girls are often the targets of grave sexual and gender based violence, girls are also most often bypassed in service delivery and reintegration programmes.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Children in Armed Conflict (June 2010)
As the Security Council prepares to discuss the most recent report on Children and Armed Conflict, monitoring and reporting efforts on the three thematic areas of Children and Armed Conflict, Protection of Civilians, and Women, Peace and Security should be complementary and should avoid duplication. This includes:
- Strengthening cooperation with and involvement of local and international NGOs at both field and HQ levels to ensure that reporting efforts on violations against children, women and civilians are complementary;
- Ensure that all gender advisors, HIV/AIDS advisors, child protection advisors and independent human rights monitors at the field level work closely with all monitoring and reporting structures;
- Request that the UN country teams and UN entities cooperate closely with national and international NGOs and women’s groups at the local level on all protection areas. Greater involvement of NGOs will guarantee strengthened protection of children, women and civilians.
As the Security Council prepares to discuss the most recent report on Children and Armed Conflict, monitoring and reporting efforts on the three thematic areas of Children and Armed Conflict, Protection of Civilians, and Women, Peace and Security should be complementary and should avoid duplication. This includes:
- Strengthening cooperation with and involvement of local and international NGOs at both field and HQ levels to ensure that reporting efforts on violations against children, women and civilians are complementary;
- Ensure that all gender advisors, HIV/AIDS advisors, child protection advisors and independent human rights monitors at the field level work closely with all monitoring and reporting structures;
- Request that the UN country teams and UN entities cooperate closely with national and international NGOs and women’s groups at the local level on all protection areas. Greater involvement of NGOs will guarantee strengthened protection of children, women and civilians.
Relevant Resources
