CRINMAIL 145
In this issue:
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Top story
DR Congo: Atrocities exposé
The United Nations has released a report on "indescribable" atrocities committed in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 1993 to 2003, when tens of thousands of people were killed, and numerous others raped and mutilated by both armed Congolese group and foreign military forces.
The report, which lists 617 of the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law over the 10-year period by both State and non-State actors, is the product of a mapping exercise that took more than two years, including eight months on the ground in the DRC.
Many of the attacks involved violence against non-combatant civilian populations, primarily women and children, amid a climate of near-total impunity, which continues today.
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LATEST NEWS AND REPORTS
Duty bound
Concluding Observations: The Committee on the Rights of the Child has issued its latest recommendations to States. Concluding Observations relating to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict are available below.
Good news! Gabon and Malawi ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict at the UN General Assembly in September, while Iran and the Central African Republic signed the OP.
The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, noted that more Member States have signed or ratified the Optional Protocol since the launch of the "Zero under 18" campaign in May.
The two-year campaign aims to achieve universal ratification of the Protocol by 12 February 2012, the 10th anniversary of the treaty's entry into force.
Paris Commitments: Eleven new countries have added their names to a growing United Nations-backed initiative - the Paris Commitments - to halt child recruitment, support the release of children from armed groups and help reintegrate them into civilian life. Full story.
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Behind the uniform
Save the Children has launched a new guide to training the military in children's rights and protection in Africa.
The guide, " Behind the Uniform - Training the military in child rights and child protection in Africa," documents how the agency has delivered military training. It is based on evaluation reports, questionnaires and interviews and includes personal observations by members of the military.
The training covers the main legal instruments concerning child rights and protection and helps the military identify ways in which they can contribute to making the rights of the child a reality before, during and after conflict. It supports the military to develop cooperative relationships with humanitarian agencies.
Some elements of the training can be included in the regular military curriculum and assist in establishing permanent child protection structures within military systems. Full report.
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Back to the drawing board
The latest draft text of the Security Council reform negotiations will be released shortly, according to Reform the UN, an organisation dedicated to a stronger, more democratic United Nations.
In the most recent round of negotiations at the UN General Assembly held in June and July, Member States accepted the draft text prepared by Ambassador Zahir Tanin of Afghanistan, chair of the negotiations, as a framework and offered detailed comments on its structure and content.
Proposals discussed in the fifth round included the option of adding permanent seats for the immediate future, putting off a decision on the veto issue, and adding only non-permanent seats, but extending the length of their terms.
Negotiations will resume upon the release of the revised text.
Full story.
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Uprooted
Global: The UN expert on children and armed conflict has launched a working paper on the rights and guarantees of internally displaced children in armed conflict, which is intended to serve as a comprehensive legal guide and advocacy tool for governments and humanitarian actors.
Presenting her annual report to the UN Human Rights Council last month, Radhika Coomaraswamy noted that there are more than 13.5 million internally displaced children in the world today who are often denied documentation and access to basic services and infrastructure, face restricted freedom of movement and are at increased risk of being recruited or sexually abused.
"We must work with governments to stop all practices that reduce internally displaced children to second class citizens, aliens in their own country," she said. Read the paper.
Colombia: A report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that more than 34 Colombian tribes face extinction due to continuing violence on their lands, reports Survival International.
An increase in murders, death-threats, and the forced recruitment of indigenous youth into armed groups are just some of the dangers reportedly facing Colombia's Indians. Internal displacement is also cited as a major issue that disproportionately affects Colombia's tribal peoples. Of the country's four million internal refugees, Indians make up 15 per cent of the total, despite the fact that they represent just two per cent of the national population. Full story.
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Schooled in violence
Thailand: Separatist attacks on teachers and schools and the government's use of schools as military bases are greatly harming the education of children in Thailand's southern border provinces, Human Rights Watch said in a new report.
The report, "'Targets of Both Sides': Violence Against Students, Teachers, and Schools in Thailand's Southern Border Provinces," details how ethnic Malay Muslim insurgents, who view the government educational system as a symbol of Thai state oppression, have threatened and killed teachers, burned and bombed government schools, and spread terror among students and their parents. Full report.
Meanwhile, schools across Indian-controlled Kashmir reopened on Monday after more than two weeks of strikes and curfews, reports The Canadian Press.
Since June, Kashmir has been rocked by violent anti-government protests and the subsequent crackdowns by security forces that have killed at least 107 people. Full story.
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Forced migration and non-state armed groups
While the number of armed conflicts has decreased since the late 1990s, those between national governments and non-state armed groups (NSAGs), or between NSAGs, continue to cause large-scale and prolonged displacement, both internally and to other – particularly neighbouring – states.
The Forced Migration Review Editors are looking for practice-oriented articles for their next edition which will focus on forced migration and non-state armed groups. Submissions should reflect a diverse range of opinions but focus on situations of forced displacement, which address questions such as the following:
- How do NSAGs act within the framework of human rights and international humanitarian law?
- What positive experiences are there of having dealings with NSAGs?
- What experiences are there of negotiating humanitarian access with NSAGs?
- To what extent have NSAGs paid attention in areas under their control to the specific needs of women and children and supported their participation in decisions affecting their wellbeing?
- What leverage is there over NSAGs to ensure the protection of populations either under their control or affected by their armed activities?
- What can the international community do to further NSAGs' accountability or compliance with human rights and humanitarian law?
- What are the dilemmas for local or international agencies who are trying to protect or assist people affected by the actions of NSAGs?
- What practical actions can be taken in providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people where they are subject to control or harassment by NSAGs?
- How do governments respond to the existence of NSAGs?
- What coping strategies have displaced people and civil society used to deal with abuses by armed NSAGs, and how can these be expanded and supported by external agencies?
- What are the gender aspects of the activities of NSAGs, either in respect of their own behaviour or in respect of the effects of their behaviour on the population?
Deadline for submission of articles: 1st November 2010
For more information, click here.
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