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Children and Armed Conflict and HRC55

  • Writer: Yoni Ish-Hurwitz
    Yoni Ish-Hurwitz
  • Feb 29, 2024
  • 7 min read

Updated: Jun 3, 2024

This post summarizes (and reorganizes) information from the annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba [A/HRC/55/57], to be presented to the Human Rights Council's 55th session on 13 March. It organizes the SRSG's activities by thematic area or country concerned. Other child-related activities in the current HRC session are noted briefly as well.


Key topics below

Click heading to jump to section


  1. Upcoming HRC dialogue on annual report of SRSG CAAC (13 March 2024).

  2. Inputs to UPRs.

  1. Attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel.

  2. Denial of humanitarian access.

  3. Children's detention for their actual or alleged association with armed groups.

  1. Children with disabilities

  2. Climate insecurity

  3. Trafficking in children and the six grave violations

  4. Denial of humanitarian access

  5. Conflict-related sexual violence against boys

  6. Child rights mainstreaming

  7. Agenda for protection

Activities by country [1,768 words]

  1. Africa: Burkina Faso, Cameroun, CAR, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and Mali.

  2. Asia: Afghanistan, Iraq, OPT and Israel, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen.

  3. Eastern Europe: Ukraine.

  4. Latin America: Colombia.

  1. Dialogue on reports of the Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children, including visits to the Philippines and Uruguay.

  2. Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders on report focused on children and youth human rights defenders.

  3. Dialogue with SRSG on violence against children.

  4. Panel discussion and resolution on children's rights, focusing on inclusive social protection.

  5. Panel discussion and report on child rights mainstreaming (noting information related to armed conflict).


Act to protect children affected by conflict
Act to protect children affected by conflict / Image from the website of the SRSG on CAAC

Geneva-based activities [97 words]

  1. On 13 March 2024, the Human Rights Council will hold a dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC), Ms. Virginia Gamba, on her annual report detailing her activities [A/HRC/55/57].

  2. The SRSG provided inputs for the Universal Periodic Reviews of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Nigeria and Yemen. (as noted in the country-specific section below). The SRSG's inputs are sometimes noted in the UN compilation alongside other UN actors addressing child recruitment, such as the ILO and the Working Group on the use of mercenaries.

Trends of continued concern [256 words]

  1. Attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel in the last year were mainly perpetrated by government forces, often linked to the increasing use of air strikes and explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas. In addition to the high number of such attacks, the military use of schools has increased. Girls’ education has frequently been targeted because of harmful gender norms, including attacks on girls’ schools and the abduction of girls [A/HRC/55/57, para 19].

  2. Denial of humanitarian access has continued at an alarmingly high level, with government forces as the main perpetrators [A/HRC/55/57, para 20].

  3. Children's detention for their actual or alleged association with armed groups or for national security reasons has continued in large numbers. The SRSG noted that effective reintegration of children who are allegedly associated with these armed groups must be the primary response. In circumstances where children are accused of a crime, any legal process should be conducted in compliance with due process, fair trial standards and international juvenile justice standards. Accordingly, the detention of children should always be a measure of last resort, for the shortest time possible and guided by the best interests of the child. In any circumstances, children should be treated primarily as the victims of violations of international law, in line with Security Council resolution 2427 (2018), the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (Paris Principles), the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international human rights law and international humanitarian law instruments and standards [A/HRC/55/57, para 21-23].

Activities by thematic area [682 words]

  1. In December 2023, the SRSG published a study on the impact of armed conflict on children with disabilities, following up on details in her previous annual report [A/HRC/49/58, paras 23-29]. Three companion reports will be produced to focus on Colombia, the DRC and Iraq. She provided a detailed summary of the study in her latest annual report [A/HRC/55/57, paras 24-28], concluding with recommendations to increase data collection; consult with persons with disabilities, including children; raise awareness and provide capacity-building on disability inclusion and the rights of persons with disabilities, including but not limited to military personnel and UN child protection staff. The SRSG also contributed to the report of the Special Rapporteur on persons with disabilities addressing peacebuilding and the inclusion of persons with disabilities [A/78/174, paras 37-38].

  2. In November 2023, the SRSG published a discussion paper exploring the impacts of climate insecurity on the six grave violations against children, following up on details in her previous annual report [A/HRC/49/58, paras 34-36]. She focused on specific contexts such as Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Philippines, Somalia, and Syria, demonstrating the impact of conflict-related stressors on recruitment, reintegration, access to humanitarian aid, education and gender-based violations. She provided a detailed summary of the discussion paper in her latest annual report [A/HRC/55/57, paras 29-35], concluding with recommendations to strengthen coordination between UN workstreams on CAAC and climate, peace and security, particularly at the field level, and better integrating child-centered risk assessments across the system.

  3. In October 2023, the SRSG started work on a study on the linkages between trafficking in children and the six grave violations against children in armed conflict, in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking. It may be worth to recall a study by UNODC from 2018, which focused on trafficking in persons in the context of armed conflict. In addition, human rights experts noted that child trafficking is closely linked to the grave violations against children in armed conflict, including the recruitment and use of children abductions, attacks against schools and hospitals, and sexual violence. However, child victims of trafficking in conflict situations rarely receive the assistance, protection, and rehabilitative care that is their right. Denial of humanitarian assistance increases gaps in protection.

  4. Also in October 2023, the SRSG began the development of a guidance note on the denial of humanitarian access (DHA), in collaboration with the Department of Peace Operations, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and UNICEF and in consultation with OCHA and other stakeholders. The guidance note is expected to be a reference tool for Country Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMRs) and their partners that provides advice and guidance to support, improve and standardize the documentation and enhance the response to the DHA to children in armed conflict. It may be worth to recall a publication on the same topic by the organization Watchlist on CAAC from 2022.

  5. In December 2022, the SRSG released two briefing papers related to conflict-related sexual violence against boys. One focused on responding to CRSV against boys deprived of their liberty and the other on responding to CRSV against boys associated with armed forces and armed groups in reintegration programs.

  6. The SRSG participated in the development of the Secretary-General's guidance note on child rights mainstreaming, published in July 2023. For more CAAC-related information, see notes from OHCHR's report on the topic in the last paragraph in this post.

  7. The SRSG also contributed to the development of the Agenda for Protection, adopted in November 2023. The Secretary-General stated at the opening of the present Human Rights Council session on 26 February 2024:

"States have the primary responsibility to protect and promote human rights. To support states in meeting their obligations, I am launching a system-wide United Nations Agenda for Protection, together with the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Under this Agenda, the United Nations, across the full spectrum of our work, will act as one to prevent human rights violations, and to identify and respond to them when they take place. That is the Protection Pledge of all United Nations bodies: to do their utmost to protect people."


Activities by country [1,768 words]

Africa

Burkina Faso

Cameroun

Central African Republic (CAR)

  • The SRSG addressed the CAR in the HRC (31 March 2023).

  • The SRSG noted that in March 2023, following UN engagement, a presidential decree was issued, appointing within the Ministry of National Defense and Reconstruction of the Army focal points to liaise with various ministries, including the Ministry of Justice, the Promotion of Human Rights and Good Governance, on matters such as accountability and the handover of children formerly associated with armed groups to civilian authorities. Furthermore, a human rights focal point was appointed at the Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic to address child protection concerns and accountability for grave violations committed by the armed forces [A/HRC/55/57, para 8].

Chad

Ethiopia

  • The SRSG noted that following her visit to Addis Ababa in June 2023, the Government engaged with her in an exchange of letters and committed to the appointment of senior-level focal points on CAAC in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs. Following the SRSG's recommendations on measures to end and prevent grave violations against children in Ethiopia, the Government confirmed its commitment to continue to integrate specific child protection measures and protocols in demining activities, to strengthen efforts to ensure access to education and to cooperate closely with United Nations partners [A/HRC/55/57, para 10].

Nigeria

Somalia

  • The SRSG expressed concern about children's detention for their actual or alleged association with armed groups [A/HRC/55/57, para 21].

  • The SRSG noted that engagement continued with the Federal Government and the federal member states on the implementation of the 2012 action plans on ending the recruitment and use and the killing and maiming of children and the 2019 road map signed to expedite implementation of the action plans. The SRSG prioritized advocacy for child protection. Notably, in July 2023, the Federal Government of Somalia endorsed the age verification guidelines and standardized checklist, a formal procedure for age assessment that will support the protection of children. Advances were also made with regard to the adoption of child protection legislation: both the child rights bill and the juvenile justice bill are at the parliamentary approval stage [A/HRC/55/57, para 15].

  • The SRSG contributed to the country visit by the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia in November 2023 [A/HRC/54/78, paras 63-67].

Mali

  • The SRSG expressed concern about attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel [A/HRC/55/57, para 19].

Asia-Pacific


Afghanistan

  • The SRSG expressed concern about attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel; as well as denial of humanitarian access [A/HRC/55/57, paras 19-20].

  • The SRSG submitted inputs to the UPR [not available].

Iraq

  • The SRSG expressed concern about children's detention for their actual or alleged association with armed groups [A/HRC/55/57, para 21].

  • The SRSG noted that the Government and the UN signed in March 2023 an action plan to prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Popular Mobilization Forces. The Popular Mobilization Forces have been delisted by the Secretary-General from the annexes to his latest annual report on CAAC for the violation of recruitment and use of children, owing to a decrease in this grave violation attributed to them and the signature of the action plan. The delisting is conditional upon the finalization of all pending action plan activities and the continued absence of recruitment and use of children by the Popular Mobilization Forces [A/HRC/55/57, para 11].

Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Israel

  • The SRSG expressed concern about attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel in both Israel and the OPT; denial of humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip; and children's detention in Israel for their actual or alleged association with armed groups [A/HRC/55/57, paras 19-21].

  • In 2023, the SRSG issued public statements on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, expressing her concern over the grave situation affecting children and calling on all parties to seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict and humanitarian access to children, and to release abducted [HRLO: Israeli] children. It is worth noting that her statement released two days after the Hamas massacre was remarkably symmetric and made no reference to Hamas, but rather, the State of Palestine [A/HRC/55/57, para 12].

  • The SRSG recalled that in December 2022 she conducted a visit to continue her engagement with the Israeli authorities and Palestinian armed groups to adopt clear and time-bound commitments to end and prevent grave violations against children, as well as with Palestinian authorities. Her visit concluded with an exchange of letters with Israel, the appointment of a focal point and the identification of practical measures. She discussed all grave violations against children with the parties and possible measures to urgently strengthen the protection of children in Israel, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Letters were also received from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a focal point was appointed and practical measures were identified [A/HRC/55/57, para 12].

Myanmar

  • The SRSG expressed concern about attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel; denial of humanitarian access; and children's detention for their actual or alleged association with armed groups [A/HRC/55/57, paras 19-21].

  • The SRSG noted that the UN continued to reach out to engage in the context of the joint action plan signed in 2012 to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the armed forces of Myanmar and to discuss the high number of grave violations against children committed by those forces. Pressure on non-governmental organizations under the Organization Registration Law enacted by the State Administration Council has increased child protection challenges, including regarding monitoring and reporting and access to life-saving services. The Myanmar armed forces have been listed under section A of annex I to the latest annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict for attacks on schools and hospitals and the abduction of children, following an increase in these violations [A/HRC/55/57, para 13].

Syria

  • The SRSG expressed concern about children's detention for their actual or alleged association with armed groups. This includes about 31,000 children with suspected family ties to Da’esh, who continued to be held in Hawl and Rawj camps in the north-eastern Syrian Arab Republic. In these camps and in places of detention in the north-east, the security situation was volatile and the availability of clean water, food and medical and basic services remained inadequate, as access by humanitarian partners continued to be extremely limited. There is credible reporting of the forced separation of boys from their mothers, harsh confinement conditions, the denial of adequate medical care and very limited access to education for children in the camps. Incidents of violence, including murder, physical harm, intimidation and sexual violence, occur regularly, with no investigation or measures in place to prevent reoccurrence [A/HRC/55/57, para 21].

Yemen

  • The SRSG expressed concern about denial of humanitarian access in parts of Yemen [A/HRC/55/57, para 20].

  • The SRSG submitted inputs to the UPR [not yet available].

  • The SRSG noted that the Government and the UN continued their dialogue on the implementation of the 2014 action plan and the 2018 road map to end and prevent child recruitment and use, including the establishment of child protection units in all military regions and the conduct of field visits to disseminate directives banning child recruitment and to verify the absence of children from military ranks. In May 2023, in the context of the 2022 action plan signed with the Houthis, the Joint Technical Committee and the UN visited a recruitment centre in Sana’a to discuss recruitment procedures and prevent the recruitment and use of children. In November 2023, the SRSG conducted a mission to Yemen to engage with the Government on the sustained implementation of its action plan and road map. She also engaged with the Houthis on the implementation of their action plan and the handover protocol for children encountered in military operations signed in 2020. That same month, the SRSG travelled to Saudi Arabia to continue her engagement with the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen in the framework of the 2019 memorandum of understanding and the 2020 related programme of time-bound activities. The Security Belt Forces have been moved from section A to section B of the list contained in annex I to the Secretary-General’s latest annual report on CAAC due to their continued participation in activities organized under the action plan and road map signed with the Government of Yemen [A/HRC/55/57, para 17].


Eastern Europe

Ukraine

  • The SRSG expressed concern about attacks on schools, hospitals and related personnel in Ukraine [A/HRC/55/57, para 19].

  • The SRSG noted that the Government appointed a focal point on children and armed conflict and established an inter-ministerial working group comprising all line ministries and other government entities. During the Special Representative’s visit to Ukraine in May 2023, the Government made a commitment to develop, with the United Nations, a plan to prevent grave violations against children in armed conflict. The plan was signed on 18 August 2023 and implementation is ongoing. During the Special Representative’s visit to the Russian Federation in May 2023, the Government discussed with her practical measures to protect children as set out in paragraph 340 of the most recent annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups have been listed under section B of annex II to the same report for attacks on schools and hospitals and the killing of children [A/HRC/55/57, para 16].


Latin America and Caribbean

Colombia

  • The SRSG submitted inputs to the UPR [para 54] (August 2023).

  • The SRSG noted that the UN continued to engage with the Government, civil society organizations and the international community for the prevention of and response to grave violations against children. In April 2023, the Intersectoral commission for preventing the recruitment and exploitation of, and sexual violence against, children and adolescents by illegal armed groups and organized criminal groups resumed its work and issued a statement calling on armed groups to cease the recruitment and use of and sexual violence against children. In September 2023, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace opened case No. 11 on sexual and gender-based violence in the context of armed conflict. Some 35 per cent of victims were children at the time of the commission of these crimes [A/HRC/55/57, para 9].


Other Child-related activities in HRC55 [408 words]

  1. On 5 March 2024, the Human Rights Council will hold a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material. She will present a report on the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the entertainment industry, as well as reports on her visit to the Philippines (with reference to armed conflict in para 11) and her visit to Uruguay.

  2. On 12 March 2024, the HRC will hold a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders. She will present her report, focused on child and youth human rights defenders.

  3. On the same day, the HRC will hold a dialogue with the SRSG on violence against children. She will present her annual report.

  4. On 14 March 2024, the HRC will hold a panel discussion on inclusive social protection  (see concept note). The HRC is also expected to adopt a draft resolution on the topic on 4-5 April 2024 (led by the EU and GRULAC).

  5. Also on 14 March, the HRC will hold a panel discussion on child rights mainstreaming in the UN (see concept note). This includes the context of peace and security. OHCHR published a report on the topic (A/HRC/55/36). It notes that UN human rights and accountability mechanisms, including Commissions of Inquiry, should systematically consider children in their work [para 24]. In addition, OHCHR actively engages with UN country teams under the thematic areas of the Call to Action for Human Rights, including protecting children’s rights in times of crisis [para 28]. OHCHR also supports the UN in integrating a children’s rights-based approach into its protection interventions in situations of conflict, monitoring and reporting on violations and abuses against children, supporting access to justice for children who are victims and supporting the participation of children in peacebuilding processes [para 29]. Examples include [para 58]: > The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, in its report of March 2023 [paras. 38–41, 112 and 113], highlighted the impact of the conflict on children and formulated recommendations to address violations of children’s rights. > For the OHCHR Sri Lanka accountability project, a key priority area for further investigation is the violation of children’s rights, including the recruitment and use of children in hostilities. > The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine identified in its report of March 2023 [paras 95-102] violations of children’s rights, specifically forced transfers and deportations of children.

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