Children and armed conflict

The UN and children in armed conflict: playing politics?

On the 10th anniversary of the monitoring and reporting mechanism (MRM) established by the UN Security Council, CRIN and Child Soldiers International published a review of how the MRM works and proposes a series of recommendations based on its potential and current challenges. The MRM is a global process designed to hold to account those who commit grave violations of children’s rights during armed conflict.

The paper was published following criticism of the UN for its failure to apply MRM standards to Israel. The paper urges all parties and bodies to ensure that the process is based on independent and impartial evidence gathering and assessment, and that it remains free of political interference.

The Secretary-General and Special Representative on Children & Armed Conflict are considering ‘freezing’ any new additions to the list in 2017. Parties to conflict could be de-listed if they have completed action plans and improved, but no new actors could be added. It is deeply damaging and counterproductive to ‘freeze’ the addition of new parties to the list. Doing so risks undermining the credibility of the system and perpetuates impunity for perpetrators of grave violations against children in conflict. Read a joint open letter by CRIN and 40 other NGOs calling on the UN Secretary-General not to impose a "freeze" to this list.

Special issue of the Children and Armed Conflict CRINmail on the 25th anniversary of the CRC

To mark the 25th anniversary of the CRC, in November 2014CRIN published a special issue of the Children and Armed Conflict CRINmail to draw attention to conflicts and issues affecting children in conflict that have slipped out of our consciousness or never made it there in the first place.

Drones: No safe place for children

This special CRINMAIL edition was written by Katie Taylor from Reprieve, a human rights organisation that promotes the rule of law around the world, and strives to secure each person’s right to a fair trial. Ms Taylor gives us an insight into how the US drone programme affects children's lives and how their use against children amount to grave violations of their rights.

Children and International Justice

Just before the judgment on the Lubanga case, the only case brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in which an individual is charged for the recruitment and use of children in armed forces (read more), CRIN published a special edition of the CRINMAIL that looks at how violations of children's rights in times of armed conflict are brought before international tribunals.

Comments on the draft Policy on Children of the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC

The comments were submitted jointly with Child Soldiers International in response to the call for input of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on their Policy on Children.

The policy informs the office’s interaction with children in relation to international crimes under the Rome Statute against or affecting children.

Background information on conflict situations

CRIN publishes regular background information on a conflict situation in a specific country followed by an analysis of its impact on children.