Armed Conflict Armed conflicts have left populations vulnerable to appalling forms of violence, including systematic HUMAN RIGHTS rape, abduction, amputation, mutilation, forced dis- The principles and provisions to protect placement, sexual exploitation and genocide. children in armed conflict are laid out in the Geneva Conventions (1949) and their Additional The wide availability of light, inexpensive small Protocols (1977), the Convention on the Rights arms has contributed to the use of children as sol- of the Child (1989) and its Optional Protocol on diers, as well as to high levels of violence once con- the involvement of children in armed conflict flicts have ended. The breakdown of social protec- (2000), and the Rome Statute (1998) of the tion leaves girls vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy International Criminal Court. and threatens all children with separation from their families, orphaning, increased risk of sexually trans- mitted infections, disability and serious, long-term and personnel. State and non-State entities must psychosocial consequences. commit themselves to ending the recruitment and use of children as soldiers or adjuncts to armed groups by signing international legislation. In addi- Facts and figures tion, children need to be protected from the effects • An estimated 90 per cent of global conflict-related of sanctions. As conflicts end, peace-building and deaths since 1990 have been civilians, and 80 per peacekeeping efforts need to focus on child protec- cent of these have been women and children.1 tion issues. Governments, for example, can ensure that crimes against children are addressed and • In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, almost that child-friendly procedures are developed for 38,000 deaths occur every month above what is children’s involvement in truth and justice-seeking considered a ‘normal level’ for the country, trans- processes. lating into 1,270 excess deaths every day. Most deaths are due to preventable causes like malnu- Legislation and enforcement trition and infectious diseases. Young children are International treaties must be respected and en- disproportionately affected by these illnesses.2 forced by those in charge, including State and non- • In Darfur (Sudan), around 2 million people have State entities, and criminal legislation should be been forced from their land and live in displace- reviewed to ensure that grave breaches of interna- ment camps. More than 1 million of them are chil- tional humanitarian law are recognized as crimes. dren under 18, with 320,000 aged five and under.3 Adequate training for armed forces in the rules of international humanitarian law and human rights, especially those concerning the protection of BUILDING A PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR children, is essential. CHILDREN Attitudes, customs and practices Government commitment and capacity Many of the discriminatory attitudes that existed To protect children during war, government priori- prior to a conflict intensify during violent clashes. ties must include assisting the most vulnerable, Promoting codes of conduct and child-rights train- recognizing that displaced children have the right to ing for all military and civilian peacekeeping per- receive the same level of public services as other sonnel is essential to eliminating maltreatment and children, and protecting humanitarian assistance use of children in armed groups. Child Protection INFORMATION Sheet: PROTECTING CHILDREN DURING ARMED CONFLICT
Open discussion lence as well as children who have been disabled;
Media and civil society have tremendous potential education services for children; prevention of HIV for influencing public opinion – and promoting ac- infection; and care for children orphaned or made tion – through discussion of such crucial issues as vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. sexual violence against children and women, and reducing the availability of small arms and light Monitoring, reporting and oversight weapons. Systematic and comprehensive monitoring, report- ing and oversight, as requested by the United Na- Children’s life skills, knowledge and participation tions Security Council Resolutions 1539 and 1612, Children’s involvement in their own protection should cover all violations against children affected is strengthened by the creation of child-friendly by armed conflict and could be performed by gov- spaces, especially in situations of displacement, ernments or non-State parties to the conflict. and by peer-to-peer counselling on such issues as avoiding landmines or protection from HIV. Examples of UNICEF in action Capacity of families and communities In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as part Bolstering the capacities of families and communi- of UNICEF’s project to assist children, women ties creates an effective resource for a wide range and families affected by conflict, nearly 1.6 mil- of activities. With the proper training and materi- lion children were protected from recruitment by als, they can prevent the separation of children, armed forces and groups, at least 5,400 children provide psychosocial support for war-affected associated with armed forces and groups were children, develop mechanisms to eliminate sexual reintegrated into their families or communities, abuse and exploitation, support landmine aware- and 5,350 women and children survivors of sexual ness and victim assistance, and distribute life- violence were given support and assistance. saving information on HIV/AIDS. In Liberia, UNICEF is working to provide skills Essential services, including prevention, recovery training courses to 5,000 demobilized children and reintegration associated with armed forces. The training pro- These services include: disarmament, demobiliza- gramme includes options like agriculture, animal tion and reintegration programmes for children husbandry, mechanics, carpentry, cosmetology, whether or not they have weapons in their pos- masonry, tailoring and baking, in addition to basic session; tracing and reintegration programmes literacy and numeracy, psychosocial counselling, for children who have been separated from their and business development. Recently, 116 boys and families; assistance to survivors of sexual vio- girls finished the nine-month training course in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. Millennium Development Goals Armed conflict depletes physical, economic and human resources and leads to displacement of Notes populations. It can disrupt children’s education, 1 Otunnu, Olara A., ‘Special Comment’ on Children and Security, lead to their death, and expose them to HIV Disarmament Forum, No. 3, United Nations Institute for infection when rape is used as a weapon of war. Disarmament Research, Geneva, 2002, pp. 3-4. In the scope and severity of its effects, armed conflict not only devastates child protection, it 2 oghlan, Benjamin et al, “Mortality in the Democratic Republic C is a threat to achieving any of the Millennium of Congo: A nationwide survey,” The Lancet, Vol. 367, 7 Development Goals, from eradicating extreme January 2006, pp. 44-51. poverty and hunger (MDG 1) to ensuring envi- ronmental sustainability (MDG 7). 3 United Nations Children’s Fund, Darfur Child Alert, UNICEF, December 2005, p. 7. Available in PDF only at <www.unicef.org>.
For further information please contact:
The Child Protection Section Programme Division UNICEF NY childprotection@unicef.org www.unicef.org