New York/Yaoundé, 10 July 2026 - The ‘Conference on Children and Armed Conflict in Central Africa – Together Towards Prevention’ concluded yesterday in Yaoundé, Cameroon, with the technical-level validation of a children and armed conflict prevention strategy for Central Africa. The strategy is the first regional children and armed conflict prevention framework ever drafted since the establishment of the children and armed conflict mandate thirty years ago.
“Central Africa is leading the way on children and armed conflict prevention. I commend the 11 States of the region for this encouraging accomplishment, and I welcome Cameroon’s commitment to hosting this conference”, said Vanessa Frazier, Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.
Organized by the Office of the Special Representative in partnership with the Government of Cameroon, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, and United Nations partners in Cameroon, the conference brought together representatives of the eleven Central African States – Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe – as well as the African Union Commission, the Office of the African Union Special Envoy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Youth Ambassador for Peace in Central Africa, United Nations entities, civil society partners, and other stakeholders.
The conference explored children and armed conflict challenges and good practices in the region, as well as the strengthening of partnerships and coordinated approaches to ending and preventing grave violations against children. At the center of discussions was the development and validation of a regional children and armed conflict prevention strategy – a political framework by which States commit to preventing grave violations against children and strengthening the protection of children at both regional and national levels.
The conference concluded with the technical-level validation by the 11 States of the prevention strategy, which is now to be submitted for Ministerial-level adoption at the next United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC) meeting, to be held in Libreville in November 2026. The Committee had requested support for the development of a strategy and the organization of the regional conference at its meetings in Kigali (2023) and Malabo (2025). The strategy will subsequently be submitted for endorsement by ECCAS.
The conference was delivered under the second phase of a project implemented by the Office of the Special Representative, focused on the strengthening of regional partnerships on children and armed conflict in Africa, funded by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. The conference received additional support from the State of Qatar.
The conference also provided an opportunity for participants to learn about and engage with the ‘Prove it Matters Campaign’, launched by the Office of the Special Representative. At the meeting, Cameroon officially announced its intention to join the campaign.
Alongside the conference, the Office of the Special Representative also held bilateral meetings with representatives of the Government of Cameroon and United Nations partners.