AU & Protection of Children in Armed Conflict

Child Protection in Africa Union Peace Support Operations

Knowledge & Learning Event, 7-9 December 2015 Dakar, Senegal

By Jean Francois Basse

African Union Commission- Peace and Security Department

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A bit of history……

2

Declaration of Intent, September 2013

• AU PSD

• OSRSG CAAC

• UNICEF

Scope of Child Protection :

• Not about terminology

• All about substance

Three Year Strategic Framework……

3

• Mainstreaming of child protection

• AU Constitutive Act; African Charter

on Human and People’s Rights

1981; African Charter on the Rights

and Welfare of the Child 1990

• Policy, monitoring and Accountability

• Four Priorities areas

• Multiple stakeholders

Four priority areas……

4

• CP integrated into strategic decision

making processes and policy

• Strengthening capacity building and

knowledge management

• Improved accountability of AU Member

states to treaty bodies

• Peace Support Operations are better

able to protect CAAC

Priority area 1……

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CP integrated into strategic decision

making processes and policy

• Key policies guiding decision making

incorporate CAAC dimensions

• Coordination is enhanced within AUC,

with Member States and with AU organs

- Open Session on CAAC

- Reference group

- Monitoring and reporting

Priority area 2……

6

Strengthening capacity building and

knowledge management

• AU Civilian and military staff adhere to all

relevant guidelines, policy and standards

• Capacity building initiatives are better

coordinated and of a higher quality

- AU training manual on POC

- SOP and Action learning programmes

- Engagement with UN Task forces on

MRM and MARA

Priority area 3……

7

Improved accountability of AU Member

states to treaty bodies

• Improved timeliness and quality of

reporting from Member States to the

respective treaty bodies

• Strengthen political commitment of the

remaining Member states to ratify the

ACWRC

- Enhanced capacity of AU Members

States on monitoring and reporting

- Advocacy missions

Priority area 4……

8

Peace Support Operations are better able

to protect CAAC

• CP concerns incorporated into strategic

and technical planning for PSO

• Improved accountability mechanisms

• Recruitment and deployment of CP

experts

- Operationalization of CP Units

- Technical support on SOPs (Release and

reintegration of CAAFAG; SEA; UASC)

How to implement…

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• Who should be involved?

- Member States

- Departments/Divisions

- RECs

- UN Agencies and Intl NGOs

- Donors

• A very complex setting:

- Civilian vs Military

- Political and military

- Reporting lines