Child Protection

Training on Child Rights and Child

Protection
For peacekeeping personnel
 SCOPE
Objectives
Definition of a child - Art. 1 CRC (1989)
Reasons for protecting children
Impact of armed conflicts on children
Security Council Policy on the protection of
children affected by armed conflict
Mandate of Child Protection Unit
 SCOPE – CON’T
Child Labour
Child Trafficking
SEA and children
Important recommendations
National and international legal instruments that
protect and promote children’s rights
Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism - SCR
1612 (2005)
 OBJECTIVES
To raise the awareness of peacekeepers on
child rights and protection concerns
To enhance peacekeepers’ knowledge of child
rights and child protection
To enable peacekeepers contribute to the
protection of children by reporting and sharing
information on child rights violations
To familiarize peacekeepers with the
mandate of Child Protection Unit
What do you understand by child
protection?
Who is a child? What are the
factors that define a child?
 Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC)

DEFINITION

Article 1
"every human being below the age of eighteen
years, unless under the law applicable to the child
majority is attained earlier".

For the UN (peacekeeping personnel) a child is any

person under the age of 18 years – Punto Final .
 ?????
How do you
identify a 16 OR
17 Year old child
in a place Where
Many children do
not have birth
Certificate and do
not carry IDs?
If you doubt consider her / him a child
Why should you too protect children ???
 General Principle
United Nations in line with the Principles
of International Humanitarian Law,
afford protection to civilians and
specially vulnerable groups such as
children.
 YOU MUST NOT DO THIS
- Use of Child Labor
- have Sexual Relationship with
children
- Be associated with Trafficking in
children
 What is child Labour?
Child Labour is when young people (under 15
but sometimes as young as five or six) are
forced to work because their parents can’t
work or don’t make enough money at their jobs
to support their family.

 Work that is done all day by kids under the age of 15

 Work that stops kids from going to school
 Work that is dangerous and may hurt kids physically, emotionally
or mentally
 Definition by International Labour Organisation -ILO

UN Peacekeeping :
No use for any form of labor of a child under the age of
18 years.
Do not ask a child to polish your shoes
Do not ask a child wash your car
Do not ask a child to clean your clothes
Do not ask a child to buy or bring anything
for you– do not use a child as a
messenger
……
Always do what you want for yourself or
get adults do it for you.
Do not accept services offered by a child –
find ways of discouraging the child
without being rude to him/her
Sexual activity with children (persons
Under the age of 18) is prohibited to
all UN Military and Civilian staff.

(Secretary General Bulletin: ST/SGB/2003/13)

 Other recommendations (continue)

 Do not flirt or demonstrate over-familiar behavior

with young girls or boys. It does encourage the
presence of child prostitutes, or minors who act as
intermediaries to procure women or offer other
services; it is harmful to the child and will
undermine the credibility of the mission;
 Trafficking in children
---
Report trafficking in children

What is human trafficking?

Trafficking is the
 recruitment,
 transportation,
 transfer,
 harbouring or
 receipt of persons,
 by the threat or use of force or other means, for the
 purpose of exploitation.

(Art 3 UN Trafficking Protocol)

 Other recommendations
Interacting with children
 Do not encourage unaccompanied children entering the
military compounds or habitations except in emergency
situations where the life of a child is in danger including
medical emergency – Under emergency situation while
protecting/assisting the child always contact an adult family
member or the local authorities.

 Do not throw sweets/ food at children from moving

vehicles; it encourages children to run into the road, be
injured or cause traffic accidents, it can also appear
degrading to community members….;

 Always think about what is best for the child;

 Please always remember the advice-
It is in your interest, the interest of the
child and of the Mission.
1- Best Interest of the Child-(CRC-Art 3).

**Actions that affect children

should be based on an assessment
of whether those actions are in the
best interest of the child.
 2- Non-Discrimination—( CRC- Art 2)

**An obligation to provide an equality

Of opportunities to children; all
children should enjoy the same rights,
no child should Suffer discrimination of
any kind.
 3- Participation-
**In all matters affecting the child, children
should be able to express freely their own
opinions, and those opinions should be
listened to and be given due weight in
accordance with age and level of maturity of
the child. Children are entitled to participate
in decision-making process, which affect
them. – IN PEACEKEEPING SITUATION, INVOLVE ADULTS
AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION CULTURAL AND
RELIGIOUS SENSITIVITIES
 next
Main Categories of child rights.
 1- Survival Rights-
These are the rights to life and the most
basic needs for existence (adequate
nutrition, adequate shelter, medical
treatment, security of livelihood, protection
from life-threatening violence)
 2- Development Rights-
-The rights required for children to reach
their fullest potential (education, play and
leisure, cultural activities, access to
information and freedom of thought,
conscience and religion)
 3- Participation-
**In all matters affecting the child, children
should be able to express freely their own
opinions, and those opinions should be
listened to and be given due weight in
accordance with age and level of maturity of
the child. Children are entitled to participate
in decision-making process, which affect
them.
 4- Protection Rights—(CRC, Art 12).

Necessary for protection of children from

all forms of abuse, violence, neglect and
exploitation (protection from sexual
exploitation, child labour, involvement in
armed conflict, torture, drug abuse)
Child-soldier
Who is a child-soldier ?

Could these two girls

be Child- soldiers ??
Child soldier means:

 Any person under 18 years of age who is part of

any kind of regular or irregular armed force or
armed group in any capacity, including but not
limited to cooks, porters, messengers, and those
accompanying such groups, other than purely as
family members. It includes Girls recruited for
sexual purposes and forced marriage.

It does not, therefore, only refer to a child

who is carrying or has carried arms .
Cape Town principle (1997 )
Paris principle (2007)
 Actions that We can Take to
protect Children.
 First - be a Role Model.
 Second- Share information with Child Protection
Officers on violations against children, mainly:

1. Recruitment or use of child soldiers

2. Maiming and killing of children
3. Rape or grave sexual violations against children
4. Abduction or kidnapping of children
5. attack against schools or hospitals
6. denial to humanitarian access for children – such as
refusing access to food, water , urgent medical
intervention …

When reporting try and answer the following

questions:
Who? What? When? Where? By Who? How? Why?
 Final recommendations (continue)

Interacting with child Protection Officers

⚫Always contact / inform CPO

 Know their names and phone numbers

 Learn about their activities and mandate in the
sectors
 Share information
 Report abuses or situations of concern related to
children
 Always consult – always share the info to help.
QUESTIONS ?
You win the heart of the children,
you win the heart and mind of the
population
THANK YOU