


Looking back at 25 years of work for children allows us to assess the path traveled, but also gives us some perspective on the way forward.
Over the past 25 years:
More than
children have been released from armed groups and armed forces following UN advocacy,
alone during 2020.

resolutions on children and armed conflict have been adopted by the UN Security Council.


commitments have been taken by parties to conflict to end and prevent grave violations against children, including
Action Plans, of which
are currently under implementation.

parties to conflict have fully complied with their commitment and were subsequently delisted.
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, adopted in 2000, has been ratified by
State Parties.
For the
time in ILO’s history, an International Labour Convention has been ratified by all member States. On 4 August 2020, Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour achieved universal ratification, following ratification by the Kingdom of Tonga.
Provisions on children affected by conflict have been included into peace agreements in Colombia, South Sudan and Philippines, among others.


