Submitted by crinadmin on
(11 May 2011) - Both States and armed non-State actors (NSAs) often fail to respect and protect civilians in armed conflict situations. Yet for civilian populations, it doesn’t matter who is violating their rights. It matters how their rights can be protected. But we know little about what NSAs themselves think about the protection of children in armed conflict. How do they see their role? What challenges do they face? How do they perceive and react to international mechanisms? This publication not only takes an initial step towards answering these questions, but it also provides examples of good practices that can help other NSAs better protect children and thereby meet their international obligations. It is clear that NSAs are part of the problem. The focus here is on how they may be part of the solution. The publication includes contributions from the non- recognized State of Somaliland and the partially recognized State of Abkhazia, and the independence movement Polisario Front of Western Sahara. The rationale for their inclusion is that these entities are also without an international forum to make known their perspectives. They are not members of the United Nations and lack the capacity to become party to the relevant international treaties (although the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child). As all of these entities have experienced armed conflict in recent years, it is important for the protection of children living therein that they do not fall off the radar screen. While their experiences may differ from other contributors, there is much to learn from their perspectives.