Child Protection in Emergencies

UNICEF, ProCap Training 2007

UNICEF’s mandate

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights

UNICEF is mandated to promote the survival, protection and development of children.

UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Child protection is one component of broader children’s rights

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

UN Gen Assembly and Security Council, reports and resolutions

Medium Term Strategic Plan incl. protective environment

Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs)

UNICEF Policy framework in Emergencies

Humanitarian Reform / Cluster

UNICEF and Cluster Approach

Cluster lead: • WASH (all emergencies)• Nutrition (all emergencies)• Education (with Save Alliance)• de facto Protection lead in natural disasters

Cluster Member:• Health (Lead: WHO)• Protection (Lead UNHCR IDPs in complex

emergencies)» Focal point for area of responsibility of Protection of

children)

Defining Child Protection

Actions to Preventviolence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination

Needs to be addressed: At the levels of all duty bearersWithin traditional sectors such as health, education, water and sanitationWith other partners and actors – social welfare, media, police, FBOs, justice

officials, private sector

Human Rights Based Approach to Programming vs Child Protection• Human Rights Based Approach to Programming is the protection and

promotion of child rights including education, health, development etc• Child Protection is the protection from violence, abuse and exploitation

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), and its 2 Optional Protocols

4Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979)

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)

Refugee Convention and Protocols of 51 and 67

Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, ILO Convention 182

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW(IHL)

-- Basic Rule: Children must be given special protection

4

-- Children shall be the object of special respect and shall be protected against any form of indecent assault … Parties to the conflict shall provide them with care and aid they require…(GC IV)

…. And more

The 4 Geneva Conventions of 1948 and 2 additional protocols of ‘77

PRINCIPAL PROTECTION ISSUES FOR CHILDREN IN EMERGENCIES

•PROTECTION FROM PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AND ABUSE

•PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

•PROTECTION FROM PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS

•PROTECTION FROM HIV/AIDS

•PROTECTION FROM RECRUITMENT INTO ARMED FORCES AND GROUPS

•PROTECTION FROM FAMILY SEPARATION

•PROTECTION FROM EXPLOITATION

•PROTECTION FROM REJECTION AND DISCRIMINATION6

UNICEF’s Protection Framework

2 key references:

•Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (what we have to do)

•Protective Environment (strategy for how to do it)

Core Commitments for Children“The CCCs”

Commitments in relation to: 1. Guiding Principles

2. Progamme commitments– Health and nutrition– Water sanitation and hygiene– Child protection– Education– HIV-AIDs

3. Operational commitments

4. Organisational preparedness and support (HQ and regional offices)

Core Child Protection Commitments

(In summary)

1. Rapid assessment Monitoring Advocate

2. Prevent and respond to separation Support to separated children Trace Families

3. Prevent and respond to GBV [and HIV transmission] Minimise risk in humanitarian assistance

4. Establish safe environments for children Psychosocial support

5. Prevent and respond to child recruitment

6. Coordinate mine risk education

UNICEF’s Protective Environment Overview

Positions protection as a concept and a right.

Illustrates the web of factors and actors influencing protection.

Analytical tool for understanding what impedes child protection.

Practical framework for identifying major barriers to protection.

Supports a human rights approach to protection.

The Protective Environment:8 elements

Summary of the 8 elements of the a protective environment

1. Capacity

2. Attitudes, customs, and behaviour

3. Legislation

4. Monitoring and Reporting

5. Services

6. Life skills

7. Open discussion of protection issues

8. Government Commitment

Applying the protective environment

in humanitarian settingsElement

Capacity * *

Attitudes, customs, and behaviour * *Legislation *Monitoring and Reporting * * *

Services * * *Life skills *Open discussion of protection issues *Government Commitment *

Examples?

Applying the protective environment in emergencies

Examples

training teachers, health workers, social workers, lawyers families and communities to early marriage / sexual exploitation laws and recourse to GBVof abductions, attacks on schools…

for family tracing and reintegration knowledge on HIV and prevention of exploitation through child protection committees to releasing children recruited unlawfully

Element

Capacity * *

Attitudes, customs, and behaviour * *Legislation *Monitoring and Reporting * * *

Services * * *Life skills *Open discussion of protection issues *Government Commitment *

Gender-Based Violence

Core Commitments

undertake humanitarian activities to minimizes risk

Monitor, report and advocate

Ensure legal and physical protection

Ensure staff and partners sign the Code of Conduct

Provide supportive environment

Provide post-rape health and psychosocial care and support

Provide confidential services

;

Prot. Env. Element

Capacity * *

Attitudes, customs, and behaviour * *Legislation *Monitoring and Reporting * * *

Services * * *Life skills *Open discussion of protection issues *Government Commitment *

Priority interventions (CCC):

Prevent separation from caregivers

Identify, register and screen health

Register parents and caregivers

Provide care and protection

Support tracing and reunification

Family separation

Prot. Env. Element

Capacity * *

Attitudes, customs, and behaviour * *Legislation *Monitoring and Reporting * * *

Services * * *Life skills *Open discussion of protection issues *Government Commitment *

Psychosocial support

Focused specialized

services

Focused non-specialized

services

Community and family support

Basic services and security

Eg. re-establishing community and family networks

e.g. Advocacy that these

services are put in place

Individual, family or group attention by trained workers

Individuals with intolerable suffering

Priority interventions (CCC)

Seek commitments from parties to refrain from recruiting and using children;

Negotiate the release of children

Monitor, report on and advocate against the recruitment and use;

Introduce demobilization and reintegration programmes

Child recruitment

Prot. Env. Element

Capacity * *

Attitudes, customs, and behaviour * *Legislation *Monitoring and Reporting * * *

Services * * *Life skills *Open discussion of protection issues *Government Commitment * (and NSA)

Protection of children from abuse, exploitation and violence is UNICEF definition of protection

Our commitments (CCCs) require programming to prevention and response to: psychosocial well-being, GBV - HIV, family separation, child recruitment, mine risk

Emerging issues: Use protective environment framework as more effective programming strategic framework to prevent and respond to abuse, exploitation and violence

Our approach focuses on all children affected by emergencies, including settled populations, host communities and IDPs

Key messages

Tracing and reunification

Interim Care, Gulu

Young soldiers, DRC

Separation of adults and children