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Education program about land mines in Angola. © CARE
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In close parallel with its advocacy for the Protection of Civilians, CARE International has worked actively to strengthen international laws and mechanisms for the protection and care of children, the most vulnerable victims of today’s armed conflicts. Based on the field experience of NGOs and UN agencies in numerous war zones, specific efforts to protect children – and their families – in conflict settings have positive and far-reaching effects on the eventual stabilization and recovery of entire communities. who are at risk of falling into cycles of poverty and violence.
One of the most effective advocacy vehicles through which CARE works on this issue is the NGO coalition called the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. A global network founded in 2001 by six international NGOs, the Watchlist documents violations against children in selected conflict settings and makes recommendations to the UN Security Council and individual governments for strengthening measures to halt and prevent them these violations. Steering Committee members include the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, International Save the Children Alliance, Norwegian Refugee Council, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, World Vision International and CARE International.
Working with community-based experts and international and local partners throughout the world, the Watchlist compiles comprehensive reports on specific countries, prepares detailed policy papers and issues briefing notes, media statements and letters primarily aimed at the UN system and governments able to take action to halt abuses and punish armed forces known to be committing them. The CARE International Secretariat and field-based colleagues have been actively involved in the preparation, launch and advocacy actions for Watchlist reports on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nepal. They have also participated in capacity-building projects for local partners involved in monitoring, reporting and responding to violations against children in their communities.
Advocacy highlights include:
- Working on the development and adoption of three UN Security Council resolutions that have significantly advanced the protection of children in conflict settings (Resolutions 1460, 1539 and 1612) and established special UN operations dedicated to implementing them in the field.
- Working toward the inclusion of sanctions measures against armed groups proven to be committing any of six egregious violations against children; achieved in the recent renewal of the UN Security Council sanctions mandate for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Working with Watchlist staff and Steering Committee partners to produce, publish and broadly disseminate three detailed policy papers focused on advancing the international legal norms defined by a growing body of UN Security Council resolutions and establishing a credible UN mechanism at the field level for for systematic implementation of these resolutions.
- Submitting briefing notes to UN Security Council members in advance of field missions to countries affected by armed conflict.
Read the country reports, policy papers, related letters and media statements on Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Colombia, D.R. Congo, Liberia, Occupied Palestinian Territories/Israel, Nepal, and Sudan at http://www.watchlist.org/.
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