By Anne Kpason Save the Children Nigeria

1. Child Protection in Africa Union Peace Support Operations Knowledge &
Learning Event, 7-9 December 2015
Dakar, Senegal
By Anne Kpason
Head of Child Protection & Child Rights
Governance
Save the Children, Nigeria
Key Items of Priority that Child Protection Actors
should focus on in the next 3 years

2. Introduction
“ Children affected by armed conflict are entitled
to special respect and protection”
- Customary Rule # 135 of International Humanitarian Law

3. Ambition 2030
2
BREAKTHROUGH
Violence against children is no longer tolerated
OVERALL GOAL
All children are protected from abuse, neglect violence and exploitation
Appropriate
Care
Protection of
children from
violence
Child
Protection
systems
Protection of
children from
harmful work

4. Protection of children from violence in
conflict situations
Mainstreaming child protection in PSO focuses on the 6
grave violence;
1.Recruitment and use of children
2.Killing and maiming of children
3.Sexual violence against children
4.Attacks against schools and hospitals
5.Abduction of children
6.Denial of humanitarian access
Interventions:
- PSS, Disarmament, Demobilization, reintegration, FTR,
gender based violence, family strengthening, legal and
policy reforms

5. Issues affecting child protection in PSO
1. Lack of child protection budget
2. Lack of policy for sustainability and institutionalizing child
protection within the military trainings
3. Repatriation issues
4. Coordination
5. Poor investment on children in context of armed conflict
6. Despite efforts being made, sexual violence still an issue
during armed conflict
7. Trainings: issues such as duration of training, inability to
train many military, inability to complete training modules

6. What do Child Protection actors need to focus on from 2016 -
2018?
Group Discussion:
Based on our experiences on child protection in
PSO in our Region/Country,
1. What are we doing well?
2. What are we not doing well?
3. List 3 issues we need to focus on in the next 3
years in order to improve our efforts

7. What is common to most of these conflicts?
The child rights are violated

8. Summary
• Armed conflict has continued to have a
disproportionate impact on children
• Efforts need to be made to address the plight of
children affected by armed conflict
• The protection of children affected by armed conflict
is humanity’s legal and moral commitment.

9. Thank you!
Thanks!