Introduction 

The Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG-CAAC), in collaboration with the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), and the financial support of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism (MFT) of Malta, is organizing a second edition of the Advanced Training on Children and Armed Conflict (hereafter referred to as the Advanced Training).  

This new edition of the Advanced Training builds on the experiences and lessons learned from the 2022 Virtual Summer School on Child Protection in Armed Conflict, as well as the first edition of the Advanced Training on CAAC, and complements the knowledge acquired by participants through the CAAC Primer, a self-paced online course co-developed by the OSRSG-CAAC and the UNSSC.  

Both trainings aim to raise awareness and strengthen knowledge about the CAAC agenda, enabling participants to contribute to its implementation through their work. While the CAAC Primer is meant to provide an introductory knowledge, the Advanced Training will delve more into detail in some key areas of the CAAC agenda. Through practical exercises and discussions, it further seeks to develop skills and competencies to empower and enable participants to translate knowledge into practice, including by building partnerships and establishing inter-sectoral collaborations.   

Objectives 

By the end of the Advanced Training, participants will be able to:  

  • Contribute to the implementation of the CAAC agenda and the protection of children affected by armed conflict;  
  • Mainstream the CAAC agenda into a wide range of related topics and in different fora;  
  • Confidently advocate for ending and preventing grave violations against children;  
  • Build and strengthen partnerships and establish inter-sectoral collaboration.  

Course methodology 

The Advanced Training is delivered entirely online. A stable internet connection and appropriate equipment (an electronic device to connect, headphones, microphone, and camera) will thus be needed. The course is hosted on the UNSSC online learning platform, which allows a high degree of flexibility to access content from anywhere and at any time. 

The language of the course is English. 

This online course is spread over three and a half months, and it is divided into two parts: 

  • Part I – CAAC Primer. Self-paced online learning of around 4.5 hours to be completed in September. The CAAC Primer will provide an introductory knowledge and common understanding of the CAAC agenda. 
  • Part II – Advanced Training. Eight live sessions of 2.5 hours per week (from 15 October until 3 December 2025), which combine presentations, open discussions, including with experts, and practice-oriented exercises. The sessions will offer a dynamic learning environment seeking the engagement and active participation of participants through collaborative activities tailored to adult audiences and online teaching.  

During the course, there will be dedicated moments for experience sharing, joint reflection, peer-to-peer learning, and opportunities to build partnerships and establish inter-sectoral collaborations. UNSSC and OSRSG-CAAC facilitators will guide and interact with participants throughout the course.  

Certification by the UNSSC and the OSRSG-CAAC will be issued upon completion of the CAAC Primer and participation in at least 7 out of the 8 live sessions of the Advanced Training.    

Course contents  

Part I – CAAC Primer  

  • Module 1 – Introduction to the Children and Armed Conflict agenda; 
  • Module 2 – The six grave violations against children; 
  • Module 3 – Key CAAC actors and partners and their roles; 
  • Module 4 – The CAAC toolbox. 

Part II – Advanced Training  

The following topics will be tentatively covered during the eight live sessions: 

  • Impact of armed conflict in populated areas; 
  • Engagement with parties to the conflict (state/non-state actors);  
  • Prevention of grave violations against children;
  • Child-sensitive mediation; 
  • Release and reintegration of children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups; 
  • Accountability and justice for children affected by armed conflict. 

Target audience   

The Advanced Training targets a diverse range of professionals, including staff members from the UN system, governments, military, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and academia working on CAAC or in a related area or plan to work on it.  

Admission requirements    

Applicants must:   

  • Have a basic understanding of, and a professional interest in, the CAAC agenda;    
  • Hold at least a BA in Law, Political Science or International Relations, or bring equivalent professional experience in a relevant field;   
  • Have an advanced English level (C1 CEFR level);    
  • Commit to actively participating in the training. 

In applying, the potential selected participants commit to actively participating in the training and to completing the above-mentioned CAAC Primer ahead of the first live session. 

Application Procedure

Applicants must apply via this application form, available also on UNSSC webpage, by providing:

  • A CV demonstrating the relevance of their profile;
  • A clear and concise motivation statement about their participation in the Advanced Training, including a short explanation of how they plan to implement the learning into their work.

The deadline for applying is  20/07/2025 at 11.59 pm (CEST).

Please note that only applications submitted via the registration form and within the deadline will be considered. In addition, spots for the training are limited and admission is based on a selection process. Only candidates who meet the selection criteria and are successfully selected will be contacted and granted admission at no cost.

Selection criteria 

The selection criteria include quality of motivation, relevant experience and knowledge, commitment, diversity (gender, geographic region, sector, etc.), and willingness to actively participate in the course and contribute to the implementation of the CAAC agenda.

Cost of participation 

Thanks to the generous support of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism (MFT) of Malta, the Advanced Training is offered free of charge.    

Contact   

For more information, please reach out to orsrg-caac-vss@un.org or consult UNSSC’s course page.