Child Protection in Africa Union Peace Support Operations Knowledge &

Learning Event, 7-9 December 2015

Dakar, Senegal

By Anne Kpason

Head of Child Protection & Child Rights

Governance

Save the Children, Nigeria

Key Items of Priority that Child Protection Actors

should focus on in the next 3 years

Introduction

“ Children affected by armed conflict are entitled

to special respect and protection”

- Customary Rule # 135 of International Humanitarian Law

Ambition 2030

2

BREAKTHROUGH

Violence against children is no longer tolerated

OVERALL GOAL

All children are protected from abuse, neglect violence and exploitation

Appropriate

Care

Protection of

children from

violence

Child

Protection

systems

Protection of

children from

harmful work

Protection of children from violence in

conflict situations

Mainstreaming child protection in PSO focuses on the 6

grave violence;

1.Recruitment and use of children

2.Killing and maiming of children

3.Sexual violence against children

4.Attacks against schools and hospitals

5.Abduction of children

6.Denial of humanitarian access

Interventions:

- PSS, Disarmament, Demobilization, reintegration, FTR,

gender based violence, family strengthening, legal and

policy reforms

Issues affecting child protection in PSO

1. Lack of child protection budget

2. Lack of policy for sustainability and institutionalizing child

protection within the military trainings

3. Repatriation issues

4. Coordination

5. Poor investment on children in context of armed conflict

6. Despite efforts being made, sexual violence still an issue

during armed conflict

7. Trainings: issues such as duration of training, inability to

train many military, inability to complete training modules

What do Child Protection actors need to focus on from 2016 -

2018?

Group Discussion:

Based on our experiences on child protection in

PSO in our Region/Country,

1. What are we doing well?

2. What are we not doing well?

3. List 3 issues we need to focus on in the next 3

years in order to improve our efforts

What is common to most of these conflicts?

The child rights are violated

Summary

• Armed conflict has continued to have a

disproportionate impact on children

• Efforts need to be made to address the plight of

children affected by armed conflict

• The protection of children affected by armed conflict

is humanity’s legal and moral commitment.

Thank you!

Thanks!