High-Level Event - Children in Armed Conflict

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC) and the Permanent Missions of Belgium and Sweden to the United Nations host a high-level event to launch the Practical guidance for mediators to protect children in situations of armed conflict.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Side Events
• Video Length: 01:32:44
• Production Date: 12 February 2020
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: VIRGINIA GAMBA
• Subject Topical: CHILD RIGHTS; CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS; PEACE AND SECURITY; PEACE PROCESS; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• MAMS Id: 2531600
• Parent Id: 2530835

Description

The Practical Guidance for Mediators to Protect Children in Situations of Armed Conflict, launched to lock child protection issues into peace processes or peace agreements, emphasizes the strategic value of including the rights and needs of children in peace negotiations and gives tools to mediators to take these issues into consideration at the earliest stages.

“The inclusion of child protection issues in peace processes is instrumental to building the foundations of sustainable peace, which is the only way to ensure the full protection of children’s rights”, said Special Representative Virginia Gamba.

The Guidance showcases experiences from a variety of conflict zones, including tangible results experienced by boys and girls affected in Colombia, South Sudan and Nepal, including their release from armed groups and reintegration into civilian life.

Calling it “a major step forward” in placing child protection at the “heart of peace and security discussions”, Belgium’s Foreign Minister and Security Council President for February, Philippe Goffin, said the Guidance “will enable mediators to identify and prevent obstacles to child protection” and contribute to a “systematic and lasting response to the root causes of child right’s violations”.

With the generous support of the Governments of Belgium and Sweden, the Guidance was developed through a series of global interviews and discussions with experienced mediators, peace negotiators and child protection practitioners.

“We encourage any actors involved in peace processes – Member States, regional organizations, mediators – to use this guidance to support their efforts and to disseminate it widely”, concluded Ms. Gamba. “It has the potential to impact positively the lives of millions of children”.

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