Cecilia Polizzi is a guest lecturer for ITSS Verona Summer School (2022) Summary Every child, regardless of their age, race, gender, status, or nationality, has rights. These rights are enshrined in international law in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). All children must be treated fairly, equally, and with dignity. The CRC provisions are non-discriminatory, and the best interest of the child, must be taken into account at all times. However, when it comes to children affected by terrorism, child rights have been put on the back burner. So, what exactly is child exploitation in the context of terrorism? Why do almost 100 years of child protection norms assume little to no significance when confronted with it? What are the main child rights challenges in counterterrorism? Are security and human rights a contrasting dichotomy when it comes to children involved in terrorism, or is there an opportunity for reconciliation? How would it be possible to accommodate both child protection and security concerns? What are the consequences of current approaches? This lecture aims to generate awareness about the recruitment and use of children in terrorism and its implications at various levels of the global humanitarian and security spectrum. It will examine the issue of children recruited and used by terrorist actors, including causes, motivations, driving factors, and methods, and inform on contemporary child protection challenges while countering terrorism.

1. THE RECRUITMENT AND USE OF CHILDREN BY SALAFI-
JIHADIST ACTORS, SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Cecilia Polizzi
President, Founding Executive Director
Working Group on Children Recruited by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups