OHCHR and children

Issues in focus

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OHCHR and children

Issues in focus

In 2023, an estimated 460 million children lived in conflict zones (UNICEF Humanitarian Action For Children 2024 Overview). No matter where in the world violence strikes, children are the first to be disproportionately affected by it. Resulting humanitarian crises pose a major challenge to fulfilling children’s rights, exposing them to killings, abuse, forced recruitment by armed groups, family separation, missed years of education, and forced displacement, among other forms of violence.

States, as primary duty-bearers, are bound to protect children at all times, including during armed conflict, as required by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the most widely ratified human rights treaty. Article 38 of the CRC calls for the complementary application of international human rights and humanitarian law to safeguard children, while Article 39 emphasizes their right to recovery and reintegration. Moreover, the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict further strengthens protections by prohibiting the recruitment and use of children in hostilities.

The UN Security Council has underscored these protections, beginning with resolution 1261 (1999), which recognizes the special care children affected by armed conflict require. This legal framework is further supported by international humanitarian law, criminal law, refugee law, and labor standards, collectively aimed at shielding children from the impacts of war and ensuring their rights are upheld.

2024

On April 5, 2024, the Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 55/29 on the Rights of the Child, announcing the focus for its 2026 Annual Full-Day Meeting on the Rights of the Child on the critical theme:

"The Rights of the Child and Violations of the Human Rights of Children in Armed Conflicts."

This initiative emphasizes the Council’s commitment to addressing the immediate and long-term impacts of conflict on children. To support this work, the Council has invited the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report, scheduled to be presented during the Council’s 60th session in September 2025. 

2025 

The High Commissioner’s report will explore the human rights of children in armed conflicts, assessing how States uphold the best interests of the child under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It will showcase progress, challenges, and innovative practices, offering actionable recommendations to enhance protections, accountability, and policy frameworks.

To ensure the report reflects diverse perspectives, the Council has called for consultations with key stakeholders, including:

  • States,
  • UN entities, including UNICEF, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, relevant special procedure mandate holders,
  • Regional organizations and human rights bodies,
  • National human rights institutions,
  • Civil society, including children, themselves.

See the public call for input available in English, French, and Spanish, including child-friendly versions in English, French, and Spanish.

Toolkit for children’s consultations:

High Commissioner’s report on the rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts (forthcoming). 

2026 

Stay tuned for the Human Rights Council’s 2026 Annual Full-Day Meeting on the rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts (forthcoming) . 

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