To celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and the 25th anniversary of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Committee on the Rights of the Child in cooperation with Norway and the Geneva-based Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict, are organizing in the margins of the 49^th Session of the Human Rights Council a virtual High-Level side-event.

The event will be an opportunity to highlight the progress achieved over the past two decades to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by parties to conflict, but also to look forward and find innovative ways to address current challenges that arise from the evolving character of conflicts, and their disproportionate impact on children.

Panellists and speakers

• Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations in Geneva, Ms. Tine Mørch Smith
• Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in Geneva, Mr. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve
• Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba
• Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Ms. Mikiko Otani,
• Special Rapporteur on Children and Armed Conflict of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Hon. Robert Doya Nanima
• Humanitarian Access Advisor in the Central African Republic, The Frontline project/EHAU, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Ms. Salma Ben Aissa
• Affected child/youth

This event will be moderated by Ms. Brigid Kennedy Pfister, Senior Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF.

Practical details

• Concept note (Word)
• Invitation (PDF)

This virtual event will be held in English via Webex. Member States, UN partners, civil society representatives and others who wish to take the floor in the Q and A part are invited to indicate so in the registration form or, if already registered, by contacting Anne Schintgen ([email protected]) by 7 March 2022. Interventions from the floor are limited to 2 minutes.

You can register for the event by 7 March 2022 scanning the QR code in the attached Invitation or under this link. The meeting link will be sent to registered participants before the event.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]