In June 2022, the Analysis and Outreach Hub of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG CAAC) was established in Doha with the support of the State of Qatar. The Hub aims to uphold the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict through promoting efforts for the inclusion of child protection provisions in peace processes and contributing to building institutional knowledge around current and future child protection efforts with particular emphasis on research on education for reintegration. Its work is centered around three main pillars:
Mediation for the Inclusion of Child Protection in Peace Processes
In situations of armed conflict, children are disproportionately affected by the consequences of wars and constantly exposed to the risks of grave violations. Since 1999, the Security Council firmly addressed the situation of children and armed conflict as an issue affecting peace and security and highlighted the need to maximise opportunities to advance the protection of children during peace processes. As a result of an extensive consultative process with relevant child protection and mediation actors, including the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the OSRSG CAAC launched the Practical Guidance for Meditators to Protect Children in Situations of Armed Conflict in February 2020. The guidance aims to provide mediators and other stakeholders with specific measures to address child protection and child rights issues in peace talks and peace agreements and to assist in the identification of entry points and possible confidence-building measures to engage parties on this issue. The Hub oversees the rollout of the Practical Guidance to promote the guidelines amongst mediators and relevant stakeholders.
Prevention of Six Grave Violations against Children
The UN Security Council Resolution 2427 (2018) emphasises the protection of children affected by armed conflict as an important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict and sustain peace and stresses the importance of adopting a broad strategy of conflict prevention, which addresses the root causes of armed conflict to enhance the protection of children on a long-term basis.
The resolution also emphasises the critical contribution made by regional and subregional organisations to protect children in armed conflict and encourages them to continue mainstreaming child protection in their work as well as supporting national authorities to do so. The Hub functions to address the risks of ongoing violence and distress to children and their increased vulnerabilities by strengthening the regional partnership. The bolstered partnership is an essential element to further regional commitments to better protect children in situations of armed conflict and prevent violations from occurring in the first place.
Education in Reintegration
In recent years, the swelling number of attacks on schools, including attacks on students and educational personnel, and the military use of schools has been observed. The disruption of education deprives children of their right to education and reduces the availability of safe and child-friendly spaces. Girls’ education has been increasingly undermined by targeted attacks on girls’ schools and the denial of schooling, further affecting girls’ already limited access to education in the long term.
In September 2022, the OSRSG CAAC and UNSECO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration to support education systems to be inclusive of all children and youth, including children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAFAAG). The MoU emphasises the importance of education as part of reintegration programmes for former CAFAAGs and the centrality of prevention. The agreement complies with UN Security Council resolutions 2427 (2018) and 2601 (2021) and assists in their operationalization. The Hub will implement the MoU in collaboration with UNESCO Gulf States and Yemen office in Doha and with the support of the Qatar Fund for Development. The Hub will foster the Office’s commitment towards the right to education for children affected by armed conflict for their reintegration and sustaining peace.
Partners – Qatar
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (mofa.gov.qa)
Qatar Fund For Development – موقع ووردبريس عربي آخر