4 May 2007 - CRIN Children and Armed Conflict 107
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- ARMED CONFLICT: Call for young people's participation in review of Machel study
- USA: Legislation aims to stop the use of child soldiers [news]
- GUANTANAMO: First person charged for allegedly committing war crimes as a child [news]
- SUDAN: Children at a Crossroads - An urgent need for protection [publication]
- UN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Reports on armed conflict Optional Protocol [news]
- IRAQ: Trapped! Unlocking the future of Iraqi refugee children [publication]
- BANGLADESH: Child Recruitment in South Asian Conflicts [publication]
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
**QUIZ**
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Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.
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ARMED CONFLICT: Call for young people's participation in review of Machel study
[NEW YORK, 4 May 2007] - Marking the 10th anniversary of the United Nations report by Graça Machel, Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (A/51/306), a strategic review has been co-convened by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF.
The 1996 “Machel Study” proposed a comprehensive agenda for action for the international community to improve the protection and care of children affected by armed conflict. Although progress has been made on some recommendations, children in situations of conflict remain vulnerable and more can and should be done.
The Machel Strategic Review report on children and armed conflict will be submitted to the UN General Assembly for consideration in October 2007. An inter-agency, multi-stakeholder initiative is underway involving UN System bodies, NGOs and civil society to assess progress and identify gaps, taking into account the changing nature of conflicts and lessons learnt in the past decade. The review also presents an opportunity to identify current and future priorities for the Children and Armed Conflict Agenda.
The voices of young people themselves are important in this process. Through responding to an online questionnaire or participating in focus groups, children and youth are encouraged to feed into the review. Submissions from young people who themselves have been affected by armed conflict are especially welcome.
For further information on the Machel Strategic Review, please visit http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/home6.html and click on ‘Strategic Review’. The young person’s survey on children and armed conflict can be found on the UNICEF Voices of Youth website at http://www.unicef.org/voy/. For questions, contact Karina Freudenthal, Machel Team Assistant, at [email protected].
Further information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=13247
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USA: Legislation aims to stop the use of child soldiers [news]
[WASHINGTON, D.C., 20 April 2007] - A bill introduced in April in the US Senate would put restrictions on US military assistance for governments that use child soldiers. World Vision urges support for the legislation to encourage governments to prohibit, demobilise and rehabilitate child soldiers from national forces and government-supported militias.
An estimated 250,000 children are exploited in State-run armies, paramilitaries and rebel groups around the world. They serve as combatants, porters, human mine detectors and sex slaves. Their health and lives are endangered and their childhoods are sacrificed.
Introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sam Brownback (R-KS), S.1175 would curtail US military assistance to governments that fail to take steps to demobilise and stop recruiting children into the armed forces or government-supported militias. Countries that take steps to demobilise child soldiers would be eligible for certain forms of assistance in that process for up to two years, to help professionalise their forces and ensure US taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict.
“This bill creates strong incentives for foreign governments to end any involvement in the use of children as soldiers,” said Joseph Mettimano, director of public policy and advocacy for World Vision US.
Mettimano testified at a Senate hearing on “Casualties of War: Child Soldiers and the Law,” this month in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Other speakers included Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier who is author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier; Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch; and Anwen Hughes, senior counsel for Human Rights First’s refugee protection programme.
In a letter to lawmakers, Mettimano and his counterparts at Human Rights Watch, the Centre for Defense Information and Amnesty International USA urge support for the legislation, which is in alignment with the standards the US has accepted for its own armed forces under the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, ratified in 2002. It also encourages the US to expand funding to rehabilitate former child soldiers and work in international cooperation to bring to justice rebel leaders that kidnap children for use as soldiers.
Further information
For more information, contact:
World Vision - EU Liaison Office
22 rue de Toulouse, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 2 230 1621; Fax: + 32 2 230 1621
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.worldvision.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13248&flag=news
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GUANTANAMO: First person charged for allegedly committing war crimes as a child [news]
[25 April 2007] - Omar Khadr may be the first person put on trial anywhere in the world for “war crimes” allegedly committed when he was a juvenile.
Nearly five years after being taken into custody by US forces in Afghanistan, Canadian citizen Omar Khadr was charged for the second time on 24 April 2007 with five counts including conspiracy, murder and supplying material support to terrorism. He will be arraigned within 30 days, and within months faces an unfair trial before a military commission in Guantánamo Bay. Amnesty International is concerned that Omar Khadr – now 20 years of age – was granted none of the special protections for juveniles under international law and that his fundamental human rights continue to be denied.
Omar Khadr was 15 years old when he was wounded during a battle with US forces near Khost, Afghanistan and taken into US custody on 27 July 2002. The US military says that Omar Khadr killed a US soldier, Sergeant Christopher J. Speer, during the operation. Despite serious injuries, Omar Khadr’s interrogation began immediately and it is alleged that he was denied adequate medical care and forced into stress positions.
In October 2002, he was transferred from Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan to the detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay. There he says he has been beaten, “short shackled” (wrists and ankles chained together to a fixed point on the ground), exposed to extreme temperatures, held in isolation for prolonged periods and threatened with rape. An expert on the mental health of juveniles in correctional facilities who reviewed a series of psychological tests administered by his US lawyers in 2004 concluded that Omar Khadr’s symptoms were “consistent with those exhibited by victims of torture” and he had a mental disorder “including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder.” Along with upwards of 200 other detainees, Omar Khadr has participated in periodic hunger strikes protesting the conditions and treatment at the Guantánamo facility.
While Canadian security and intelligence officials have had access to Omar Khadr and have taken part in his interrogation, he has not been permitted consular visits. In August 2005, the Federal Court of Canada issued an injunction barring Canadian officials from conducting any further interviews or questioning him on a variety of the grounds including that his rights were not being adequately protected.
Omar Khadr was first charged in November 2005 under an earlier version of the military commissions. Although the US Supreme Court struck down the first military commissions as unconstitutional, they were restored in late 2006 with the new Military Commissions Act. Few substantial changes were made and they continue to fall far short of international fair trial standards. Omar Khadr is the second Guantánamo detainee to be brought before the new military commissions. In this case, Amnesty International is particularly concerned that evidence may be used which was obtained during improper treatment while Omar Khadr was a juvenile with no access to a parent, guardian or legal representative and in conditions possibly amounting to torture.
More information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13249&flag=news
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SUDAN: Children at a Crossroads - An urgent need for protection [publication]
[NAIROBI, 18 April 2007] - Children in war-ravaged areas of Sudan have endured unspeakable violations and urgently need protection, according to a report by a network of NGOs monitoring violations against children in situations of armed conflict.
“The violations include killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions, denial of humanitarian assistance, attacks on schools and hospitals, and recruitment and use by armed groups,” the report, released by Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, said.
Noting that the protection and well-being of children in Sudan was at a critical stage, it said: “While children in the south are enjoying improved security and access to services, those in Darfur [western region] face appalling levels of violence and abuse.
“Armed forces and groups in Darfur continue to kill and maim children and youth, and humanitarian agencies have documented cases of armed groups shooting, mutilating and torturing children.”
The report revealed that sexual violence is allegedly perpetrated by all armed groups and is often extremely brutal. “Sexual violence is used by Arab militias…as a tool to subjugate and humiliate non-Arab girls and women, and the acts of sexual violence are often accompanied by racial epithets and other degrading comments.”
The report also noted that school enrolment had decreased, while only one doctor was available for 100,000 people in Darfur.
“A lot needs to be done since children in Sudan continue to endure some of the most inhumane conditions in the world,” Sarah Spencer, the network’s interim director, said.
The report makes a number of recommendations to l signatories of the 2005 southern Sudan peace agreement, Sudanese authorities, United Nations member states, the humanitarian and donor community, and Sudan’s key trading partners.
“These youth have grown up in such a violent context and did not have a choice; today, education has to provide an alternative to such patterns,” CARE International education programme coordinator in Sudan, Dan Langoya, said at the launch of the report in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. “They have to get used to life outside the military.”
Further information:
Global Day for Darfur (29 April 2007)
End recruitment of child soldiers now, UN envoys urge Sudanese parties (2 February 2007)
CRIN's news page on Sudan
Take CRIN's quiz on Darfur!
For more information, contact:
Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
c/o Womens' Commission for
Refugee Women and Children
122 E. 42nd Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10168, USA
Tel: + 1 212 551 3111; Fax: + 1 212 551 3180
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.watchlist.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13106
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UN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Reports on armed conflict Optional Protocol [news]
The 45th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child will take place from 21 May to 8 June 2007 at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland. During this session, the Committee will examine reports on the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC) from Guatemala, Monaco, Norway and Sweden.
A special CRC news page devoted to the activities of the Committee on the Rights of the Child has been set up on the CRIN website in partnership with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The page provides summaries of the Committee sessions by country, UN press releases, NGO press releases, information about the Day of General Discussion, Decisions, General Comments and other activities of the Committee.
States Parties' reports submitted by governments to the Committee on the Rights of the Child are available in English, French and Spanish on the website of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Word and PDF formats.
Alternative Reports submitted by NGOs to the Committee on the Rights of the Child are made available on the CRIN website in partnership with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The reports can also be searched by country, Committee session or by organisation. Note that alternative reports are posted on the CRIN website as they are received.
The Committee will examine the following reports submitted under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict:
GUATEMALA
Initial OPAC report
On Friday, 1st June, the Committee will examine Guatemala's report submitted under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (CRC/C/OPAC/GTM/1). The report is accessible in English, French and Spanish on the OHCHR website.
Alternative Reports
Alternative Report to the 1st Report of Guatemala on the OPAC presented to the Committee on the Rights of the Child
By: Movimiento Social por los Derechos de la Niñez, Adolescencia y Juventud en Guatemala
Report in: English - Español
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MONACO
Initial OPAC report
On Friday, 25th May, the Committee will examine Monaco’s initial report submitted under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, in a technical review (CRC/C/OPAC/MCO/1). The report is accessible in English, French and Spanish on the OHCHR website.
Alternative Reports
No alternative reports have been submitted.
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NORWAY
Initial OPAC report
On Friday, 25th May, the Committee will examine Norway’s initial report submitted under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, in a technical review (CRC/C/OPAC/NOR/1). The report is accessible in English, French and Spanish on the OHCHR website.
Alternative Reports
No alternative reports have been submitted.
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SWEDEN
Initial OPAC report
On Friday, 25th May, the Committee will examine Sweden’s initial report submitted under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, in a technical review (CRC/C/OPAC/SWE/1). The report is accessible in English, French and Spanish on the OHCHR website.
Alternative Reports
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Optional Protocol and National Recruitment Legislation and Practice in Sweden
By: Save the Children Sweden
Report in:
English
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Further information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13064&flag=event
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IRAQ: Trapped! Unlocking the future of Iraqi refugee children [publication]
[19 April 2007] - More than two million Iraqi refugees are trapped in a cycle of poverty and fear. Over half a million of these are of school-age children, many with no access to education or psychological support, according to research by World Vision.
As leaders convene at the UN High Commission for Refugees conference in Geneva, World Vision joins with organisations across the world calling for a way forward for up to two million Iraqi refugees.
World Vision launched a report on the situation of Iraqi children in Jordan. The report Trapped! Unlocking the future of Iraqi refugee children - the result of interviews with more than 100 families in Amman, Jordan – highlights what it calls “a devastated and scattered generation trapped with little hope for the future.”
Boys and girls told researchers terrifying personal accounts of their lives in Iraq. They spoke of violence, kidnappings, murder and bomb-blasts that have wrought untold psychological damage.
“These findings expose the harsh reality that children and refugee families are facing,” said Ashley Clements, emergency advocacy specialist for World Vision and author of the report.
The terror experienced by these children has come to the attention of local organisations but without adequate resources too little is being done for them.
Many of the children do not have access to public schools and cannot afford to attend private schools.
“School is vital for these children to regain hope for the future,” said Clements. “As well as education it provides a safe and structured environment for children to develop and regain a sense of normality.”
The report also includes recommendations for a range of decision-makers, governments, NGOS and the UN – on how to improve the lives of these children. These will be presented at the UNHCR conference, and include calls on the international community to:
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Provide adequate funding for desperately needed education solutions, easing the burden on host countries.
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Accept increased admissions to other countries, particularly for families with children.
Further information
For more information, contact:
World Vision - EU Liaison Office
22 rue de Toulouse, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 2 230 1621; Fax: + 32 2 230 1621
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.worldvision.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13125
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BANGLADESH: Child Recruitment in South Asian Conflicts [publication]
This document draws on information, lessons learned and recommendations on Bangladesh from the report: Child Recruitment in South Asia: A Comparative Analysis of Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The full report examines two conflict settings, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with a view to contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon of recruitment and use of child soldiers, primarily by the non-State armed groups, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist). From this understanding and the analysis of the situation of children in Bangladesh contained in the report, the following summary identifies potential vulnerabilities of children to recruitment into armed groups there. While there is currently no armed conflict in Bangladesh, nor any studies indicating that recruitment of children is common, there is clear evidence of vulnerabilities among children that could lead to their recruitment and use by armed groups, should conflict develop.
The use of children by non-State armed groups does not take place in a vacuum. A range of conditions, many of which underlie the conflict itself, also make children vulnerable to joining groups which participate in that conflict. Bangladesh shares with Sri Lanka and Nepal many of these conditions that have made children in those settings vulnerable to recruitment, including poverty, discrimination, inequality and exclusion. It also has a culture of political violence, tensions over issues of religion and identity, and a history of the use of child soldiers, all of which combine to create a situation where conflict is possible and where children could be used by armed groups.
By looking at the drivers behind the use of children as soldiers in conflicts in Nepal and Sri Lanka, the full report seeks to examine the root causes of recruitment, which can be used to inform advocacy and policy options. This summary seeks to draw on these lessons in relation to Bangladesh. In addition, the summary includes a set of recommendations which, if implemented, would reduce the risk to Bangladeshi children of being exploited by armed groups and criminal gangs.
Further information
For more information, contact:
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
2nd Floor, 2-12 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9FP, United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 20 7713 2761; Fax: + 44 20 7713 2794
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.child-soldiers.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13252&flag=report
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**NEWS IN BRIEF**
AFGHANISTAN: Some 1,600 displaced after US air raids
http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=13253
SOMALIA: Two thirds of casualties elderly, women and children (2 May 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13230&flag=news
NEPAL: Failure to release child soldiers (1 May 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13218&flag=news
UNESCO: Education under Attack (30 April 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13205&flag=report
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**QUIZ**
This week's brainteaser is on children and armed conflict in Darfur:
http://www.crin.org/quiz/index.asp?quizID=1035
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