Items related to "Human Security Gateway: Children and Armed Conflict ". Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:29 +0000 Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:29 +0000 robert_hartfiel@sfu.ca (Robert Hartfiel) Thu, 15 May 2008 09:06:18 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24375 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24375 The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (Optional Protocol) is meant to safeguard the rights of children under 18 from military recruitment and deployment to war, and to guarantee basic protections to former child soldiers, whether they are seeking refugee protection in the United States or are in U.S. custody for alleged crimes. The U.S. Senate ratified the Optional Protocol in December 2002. By signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the U.S. bound itself to comply with the obligations contained in the Optional Protocol. The Optional Protocol provides that the absolute minimum age for voluntary recruitment is 16 years old. It also instructs countries to set their own minimum age by submitting a binding declaration, and the United States entered a binding declaration raising this minimum age to 17. Therefore, recruitment of youth ages 16 and under is categorically disallowed in the United States. SOURCE: American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union Wed, 14 May 2008 16:34:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24371 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24371 L’objectif général de l’étude était d’identifier les causes des abandons scolaires dans les écoles primaires et de la non scolarisation dans les camps des déplacés des sous divisions de Goma, Masisi et Rutshuru et leurs environs ainsi que dans les communes de Butembo et leurs environs afin d’élaborer des stratégies d’intervention pouvant aider les enfants à réintégrer et/ou à accéder à l’école. Spécifiquement, l’étude cherchait à : - identifier les principales causes des abandons scolaires au primaire et la non scolarisation des enfants en âge scolaire ; -identifier les mécanismes existants ou suggérer les actions à mener pour assurer l’éducation des enfants ainsi qu’améliorer le taux de scolarisation des enfants. L’étude était transversale et descriptive à visée explicative et formative. Les données récoltées sont essentiellement qualitatives issues de 144 participants aux groupes de discussions focalisées et des interviews avec 420 informateurs clés aléatoirement choisis dans les camps des déplacés des guerres les de Goma (Mugunga I et II, Bulengo et Buhimba), des territoires Masisi (Masisi et Lushebere) et Rutshuru (Nyongera et Kasasa) et les Communes de Butembo (Mususa, Bulengera, Kimemi et Bulamba) et leurs environs. Il s’est agit des parents dont les enfants sont non scolarisés, partiellement scolarisés et tous scolarisés ; des enfants non scolarisés, les enfants ayant abandonné l’école et les enfants scolarisés ; les directeurs et les enseignants des écoles qui fonctionnent dans ou aux environs des camps des déplacés, les autorités de la division de l’éducation (PROVED, Sous PROVED et Inspool) et les représentants des ONG internationales (NRC et World Vision). Un guide d’entretien/interview à questions ouvertes a été utilisé pour la collecte les données qualitatives lors des discussions en groupe et des interviews avec des informateurs clés. SOURCE: Université Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs, République Démocratique du Congo Université Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs, République Démocratique du Congo Wed, 14 May 2008 11:48:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24340 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24340 Dans ce numéro : Etat des lieux sur les droits de l’enfant en RD Congo P. 1 La problématique réinsertion des ESF-GA P. 1 Défis à relever pour les membres de la Coalition en RDC P.2 La résolution 1612 du Conseil de Sécurité de l’ONU en RDC P.2 Processus DDR Enfant– 3me phase P.3 Rappel des engagement de PARIS sur les enfants soldats P.3 Plaidons tous pour une justice Contre ceux qui violent les droits des en RDC Campagne Main Rouge a Uvira P.3 SOURCE: Coalition Pour Mettre Fin à L’Utilisation d’Enfants Soldats, Uvira, RDC Coalition Pour Mettre Fin à L’Utilisation d’Enfants Soldats, Uvira, RDC Tue, 13 May 2008 11:48:30 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24321 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24321 On 13 October 2005, the International Criminal Court unsealed warrants of arrest for five senior leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) for the forced conscription of children and other war crimes in northern Uganda. We compiled a database of 25,231 children and youth who had been registered by receptions centers in northern Uganda after their return from the LRA. Most of the LRA returnees were thirteen to eighteen years old (37 percent) and nineteen to thirty years old (24 percent). Twenty-four percent of the LRA returnees were female and 76 percent were male. The average length of abduction was 342 days, and the median number of days of abduction was ninety-two days. Among women aged nineteen to thirty years old, the average length of abduction was four and one half years. At the multivariate level, gender, age, and the interaction between them were associated with length of captivity (F-Statistic = 229.8, p-value = 0.0001). Using triangulation methods, we estimate the LRA abducted 54,000 to 75,000 people, including 25,000 to 38,000 children, into their ranks between 1986 and 2006. SOURCE: Human Rights Quarterly Human Rights Quarterly Tue, 06 May 2008 15:17:53 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24170 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24170 The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)’s use of abducted children and youth has been much researched, and the horrors of their experiences in captivity and difficulties reintegrating into their communities recorded. Nonetheless, the existing disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration strategies pursued to date are brief and insufficient interventions. This project was conducted by Justice and Reconciliation Project and Quaker Peace & Social Witness. Both organisations had encountered in the course of previous research the existence of self-formed groups of formerly abducted persons (FAPs) / former-LRA, and wanted to assess the role they could and did play in the process of grassroots level reintegration and reconciliation. We identified 21 such groups spread across IDP camps in the four Acholi districts of Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum and Pader ranging in size from 8 members to 232. Some were exclusively former-LRA; others had opted to admit other war-affected youth. SOURCE: Justice and Reconciliation Project Northern Uganda // Quaker Peace and Social Witness Justice and Reconciliation Project Northern Uganda // Quaker Peace and Social Witness Tue, 06 May 2008 14:14:49 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24168 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24168 Every year, our State of the World’s Mothers report reminds us of the inextricable link between the well-being of mothers and their children. More than 75 years of experience on the ground have shown us that when mothers have health care, education and economic opportunity, both they and their children have the best chance to survive and thrive. But many are not so fortunate. Every year, more than 500,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth, and nearly 10 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday. Almost all these deaths occur in developing countries where mothers, children and newborns lack access to basic health care services. It is especially tragic since most of these deaths could be prevented at a modest cost. SOURCE: Save the Children Save the Children Mon, 05 May 2008 10:13:40 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24109 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24109 Children remain to be the most vulnerable and delicate balance of a society. They are the foundation stone of a dream of a culture as well as a community that a society represents. Most of the developed and democratic world considers them to be the building bricks on which the society grows, whereas some till date considers them to be elements of pleasure, cheap labour and entertainment. Whenever, such a situation prevails in a community, such society suffers from the worst degenerative disease ever dreamt of. Trafficking amongst children has turned into one of the major menaces of a developing society amongst which Afghanistan, a war torn and socio-economically dilapidated nation, has turned into one of the major breeding grounds of such a menace after illegal narcotics trafficking. SOURCE: CounterCurrents.org CounterCurrents.org Fri, 02 May 2008 12:11:55 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24087 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24087 For several years after war erupted in Côte d’Ivoire in 2002, children were recruited to fight on all sides of the conflict. But with the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement last year, such recruitment has essentially ceased, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reported to the Security Council at the end of January. Because children are no longer being conscripted, the Ivorian groups that were previously cited by name in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s annual reports on children in armed conflict have now been “delisted.” Sierra Leone and Liberia used to have large numbers of child soldiers. But they are now at peace and are also no longer included in the report’s annexes. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy calls the annexes a “list of shame,” intended to put pressure on named groups to stop such abuses. SOURCE: Africa Renewal // United Nations Africa Renewal // United Nations Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:54:31 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24021 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24021 Le présent rapport, qui a été établi conformément aux dispositions de la résolution 1612 (2005) du Conseil de sécurité, est présenté au Conseil en tant que deuxième rapport de pays sur la situation des enfants et le conflit armé au Népal. Il porte sur la période allant du 1er octobre 2006 au 31 octobre 2007 et fait suite à mon premier rapport (S/2006/1007) et aux conclusions et recommandations ultérieurement formulées par le Groupe de travail sur les enfants et les conflits armés (S/AC.51/2007/8). Il est indiqué dans le rapport qu’il y a beaucoup moins de violations graves des droits des enfants depuis la signature de l’accord global de cessez-le-feu, mais que les violations dont ils sont victimes n’ont pas cessé. Il y est signalé qu’un nombre considérable d’enfants ont été recrutés par le Parti communiste népalais-maoïste (PCN-M) avant la signature de l’accord de cessez-le-feu et transportés dans des cantonnements. Il n’a pas été possible jusqu’ici d’obtenir qu’ils soient officiellement libérés, mais nombre d’entre eux l’ont été de façon informelle. Il y est signalé aussi que, dans la région du Teraï, l’agitation sociale a généré un climat de protestation et l’apparition de groupes politiques et de groupes armés qui exposent les enfants à des risques nouveaux, notamment au recrutement. Le rapport appelle particulièrement l’attention sur le fait que tous les principaux partis politiques font de plus en plus participer des enfants aux manifestations politiques, aux grèves et aux barrages. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:49:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24020 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24020 Le présent rapport, établi en application des dispositions de la résolution 1612 (2005) du Conseil de sécurité, est soumis au Conseil et à son Groupe de travail sur les enfants et les conflits armés en tant que premier rapport de pays sur la situation des enfants et les conflits armés aux Philippines. Il porte sur la période du 1er juillet 2005 au 31 novembre 2007. Le rapport décrit les graves violations commises contre des enfants dans ce pays, notamment le recrutement et l’utilisation d’enfants, le meurtre et la mutilation d’enfants, les violences sexuelles visant les enfants, les attaques contre des écoles et des hôpitaux, le refus de l’accès à l’aide humanitaire et l’enlèvement d’enfants. Le rapport identifie les parties au conflit – acteurs étatiques et non étatiques – qui commettent de graves abus contre des enfants, à savoir les forces gouvernementales de sécurité, le Front de libération islamique Moro (MILF), la Nouvelle armée populaire (NPA) et le Groupe Abu Sayyaf/Jemaah Islamiya (ASJ/JI). SOURCE: Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:49:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24011 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24011 The present report, prepared pursuant to the provisions of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), is presented to the Council as the second country report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Nepal. It covers the period from 1 October 2006 to 31 December 2007 and follows my first report (S/2006/1007) and the subsequent conclusions and recommendations of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (S/AC.51/2007/8). The report indicates that although grave violations of children’s rights have decreased significantly since the signing of the comprehensive ceasefire agreement, violations against children have not ceased. The report notes that substantial numbers of children were recruited by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) prior to the signing of the ceasefire agreement and moved into cantonments. No progress has been achieved in securing their formal discharge although many have been released informally. The report also notes that social unrest in the Terai region has contributed to a pattern of protests and emergence of political and armed groups that have created new risks for children, including recruitment. In particular, the report highlights the increasing use of children by all major political parties in political demonstrations, strikes and blockades. SOURCE: United Nations Secretary General Report United Nations Secretary General Report Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:19:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23985 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23985 The present report, prepared pursuant to the provisions of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), is presented to the Council and its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict as the first country report on the situation of children and armed conflict in the Philippines. It covers the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 November 2007. The report focuses on grave violations perpetrated against children in the Philippines including the recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children, sexual violence against children, attacks on schools and hospitals, denial of humanitarian access and abductions of children. The report identifies parties to the conflict, both State and non-State actors, who commit grave abuses against children, including Government security forces, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the New People’s Army and the Abu Sayyaf Group/Jemaah Islamiya. SOURCE: United Nations Secretary General Report United Nations Secretary General Report Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:59:26 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23956 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23956 Youth have been both the primary victims and the primary actors in the twenty-two year war between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army. It was not clear, however, exactly who is suffering, how much, and in what ways. For instance, researchers knew little about the experience of youth: what is the magnitude, incidence, and nature of the violence, trauma, and suffering of youth in northern Uganda? An understanding of the effects of war on women and girls was particularly lacking, whether they were abducted or affected by the violence in other ways. Government, UN, and NGO officials admit a lack of field-based information on the scale of the problems facing young women or the proportion of females facing specific vulnerabilities. As a result, programming is based on rough measures of well-being, immediate and observable needs, and possibly erroneous assumptions about the types of assistance required and the appropriate beneficiary population. Not surprisingly, the targeting of services has been crude. SOURCE: Tufts University // Feinstein International Center Tufts University // Feinstein International Center Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:49:58 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23926 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23926 There is growing agreement that separated children are best cared for in community settings, rather than in institutions. However, even in a community setting, there is a need for standards of care that allow for monitoring of children’s well-being. This is particularly pdfimportant in countries such as Sierra Leone which is recovering from a brutal civil war and suffering from poverty, malnutrition, and limited access to adequate medical care. Since the civil war ended in Sierra Leone, child fostering—whether informal or facilitated by humanitarian agencies and the government— has become the preferred solution for the estimated 800,000+ orphaned, abandoned, and vulnerable children. SOURCE: Tufts University // Feinstein International Center Tufts University // Feinstein International Center Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:34:30 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23923 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23923 We combine household survey data with event data on the timing and location of armed conflicts to examine the impact of Burundi’s civil war on children’s health status. The identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in the war’s timing across provinces and the exposure of children’s birth cohorts to the fighting. After controlling for province of residence, birth cohort, individual and household characteristics, and province-specific time trends, we find an additional month of war exposure decreases children’s height for age z-scores by 0.047 standard deviations compared to non-exposed children. The effect is robust to specifications exploiting alternative sources of exogenous variation. SOURCE: MICROCON MICROCON Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:02:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23870 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23870 The present report, prepared pursuant to the provisions of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), is presented to the Council as the second country report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Nepal. It covers the period from 1 October 2006 to 31 December 2007 and follows my first report (S/2006/1007) and the subsequent conclusions and recommendations of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (S/AC.51/2007/8). The report indicates that although grave violations of children’s rights have decreased significantly since the signing of the comprehensive ceasefire agreement, violations against children have not ceased. The report notes that substantial numbers of children were recruited by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) prior to the signing of the ceasefire agreement and moved into cantonments. No progress has been achieved in securing their formal discharge although many have been released informally. The report also notes that social unrest in the Terai region has contributed to a pattern of protests and emergence of political and armed groups that have created new risks for children, including recruitment. In particular, the report highlights the increasing use of children by all major political parties in political demonstrations, strikes and blockades. SOURCE: United Nations Secretary General Report United Nations Secretary General Report Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:44:45 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23854 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23854 Violence against women has been described as “one of the most universal and unpunished crimes of all.” This statement is perhaps nowhere more relevant than in reference to violence against the girl child: Across the world, the double burden of being both female and young relegates millions of girls to the margins of society where, unseen and unheard, their rights are disregarded and their safety is denied. The implications of this invisibility are enormous. Some researchers have estimated the number of “missing” females – those who should be alive but are not because of discriminatory practices – to be between 50 million to 100 million worldwide. Of those who survive, millions more girls will be the victims of customary practices – such as female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage and forced marriage, to name a few – that deprive them of full physical, psychological and social development. SOURCE: United Nations Chidlren's Fund United Nations Chidlren's Fund Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:13:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23849 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23849 Cette enquête a permis de dégager et d’analyser les liens spécifiques entre le conflit en RDC et les facteurs de risque et de vulnérabilité au VIH, et d’en évaluer l’impact sur les populations affectées. En même temps, elle a mis en lumière la réponse mise en oeuvre par rapport à la protection, la prévention, le traitement, la coordination et le suivi-évaluation à Bunia dans le district de l’Ituri, dans la ville de GOMA et dans les territoires de Rutshuru et Masisi dans la province du Nord Kivu, à Uvira dans la province du Sud Kivu, et Moba et Mitwaba dans le Katanga. Facilitée par le HCR en partenariat avec le secrétariat de l’Onusida, l’enquête a bénéficié de la participation active de l’Equipe Conjointe VIH des Nations Unies, (BIT, FNUAP, HCDH, OCHA, OIM, OMS, PAM, UNDP (Fonds Mondial), UNICEF, UNIFEM), du gouvernement congolais (PNLS et PNMLS) ainsi que de la société civile et des ONG internationales et locales (SWAA, GTZ et CEFI). Les données récoltées confirment que les guerres qui ont ravagé l’Est de la République Démocratique du Congo, ont forcé les populations à fuir, privant ainsi les déplacés internes de leurs biens et des structures familiales qui les protégeaient, et aggravant ainsi leur vulnérabilité au VIH. Les femmes mariées si pas ravies, ont abandonné leurs maris appauvris pour trouver des hommes en uniformes, onusiens ou militaires. Les veuves et les étudiantes se sont également dirigées vers ces hommes en uniforme puissants et nouveaux riches. Le mouvement de ces femmes vers des hommes mobiles et à risque d’infection accroît leur propre risque d’infection au VIH. Quelques jeunes de Nord Kivu ont été forcés de migrer en Ouganda, ce qui pourrait aggraver leur risque d’exposition quand ils s’y rendent seuls et fréquentent les professionnelles du sexe. Si cette migration est un phénomène important, il pourrait faire propager le virus d’une région à l’autre. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Haut commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés Nations Unies // Haut commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:11:25 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23802 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23802 This paper presents the problems facing Iraqi refugees in Jordan, highlighting the plight of women and children. The authors discuss their first hand picture of difficulties faced by displaced, abandoned, Iraqis. The focus of the document is on the lack of reproductive health care and other needs. The authors discuss refugee troubles created by their legal status, particularly the lack of work and education opportunities. In addition to this, other factors such as trafficking and sexual exploitation have increased since the beginning of the war. It is stressed that violence against women is rampant in the region and that humanitarian actors must understand cultural barriers that Iraqis face in reporting rape when designing health programmes. SOURCE: Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:26:34 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23743 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23743 Une image vaut mille mots. Le proverbe n’est hélas que trop vrai en temps de guerre. Les images d’enfants blessés par des mines, de maisons criblées de balles et de fosses communes sont frappantes et bouleversantes. Pourtant, elles lèvent à peine le voile sur la réalité de ceux et celles dont le quotidien est dominé par les conflits violents. Les ravages de la guerre vont bien au-delà des dommages matériels, et ces images ne sont qu’une faible indication des traumatismes profondément ancrés dans la mémoire des victimes et des survivants. Après la guerre du Vietnam, l’expression syndrome de stress posttraumatique est entrée dans notre vocabulaire. Ce syndrome est axé sur la personne, tant dans sa définition que dans les approches de son traitement. Toutefois, les conflits violents ne touchent pas seulement les individus, mais l’ensemble des structures sociales – les collectivités, les familles, les villages et les villes, ainsi que leurs institutions culturelles, sociales et économiques. Comment les collectivités peuvent-elles faire face à des traumatismes d’une telle ampleur ? C’est une question qui a peu retenu l’attention jusqu’à présent. Or un champ de recherche qui gagne en importance remet en cause les approches psychologiques s’intéressant aux traumatismes uniquement d’un point de vue individuel. SOURCE: Centre de recherches pour le développement international Centre de recherches pour le développement international Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:33:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23707 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23707 The last few years have seen enormous and welcome developments in global public health and nutrition. There is growing recognition – increasingly backed by resources – that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (box 1) will demand radical changes to the scale and scope of effective strategies. The Countdown to 2015 responds to these calls for change. A collaboration among individuals and institutions established in 2005, the Countdown aims to stimulate country action by tracking coverage for interventions needed to attain Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 – and, in addition, parts of Millennium Development Goals 1, 6 and 7. SOURCE: United Nations Children's Fund United Nations Children's Fund Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:04:00 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23670 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23670 Thousands of children under the age of 18 currently participate in armed conflicts in at least 18 countries worldwide, as part of government armies, paramilitaries, and armed opposition groups. Since 1994, Human Rights Watch has reported on the use and recruitment of child soldiers in 15 countries. Both girls and boys are used as child soldiers. They serve as porters or cooks, guards, messengers or spies. Many are pressed into combat, where they may be forced to the front lines or sent into minefields ahead of older troops. Children have also been used for suicide missions. In some conflicts, girls are raped, or given to military commanders as “wives.” Because children are often physically vulnerable, easily intimidated, and susceptible to psychological manipulation, they typically make obedient soldiers. As part of their training for violence, child recruits are often subject to grueling physical tasks as well as ideological indoctrination. Children accused of the slightest infractions may be subject to extreme physical punishments including beating, whipping, caning, and being chained or tied up with rope for days at a time. In some conflicts, commanders supply child soldiers with marijuana and opiates to make them “brave” and lessen their fear of combat. Furthermore, commanders may initiate child recruits by forcing them to witness or commit abuses and killings in order to desensitize them to violence. Some children are forced to take part in atrocities against their own families and neighbors to stigmatize them and ensure that they are unable to return to their communities. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:15:20 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23661 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23661 Le présent rapport est soumis en application de la déclaration du Président du Conseil de sécurité (S/PRST/2006/48) dans laquelle le Conseil m’a invité à lui présenter un rapport sur l’application de ses résolutions 1612 (2005), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003) et 1539 (2004). Ainsi que le Conseil me l’a demandé, le présent rapport comprend des informations sur le respect de l’obligation de mettre fin au recrutement et à l’emploi d’enfants dans les conflits armés en violation du droit international applicable ainsi qu’aux autres violations commises contre des enfants en période de conflit armé. Il renseigne également sur les progrès accomplis dans la mise en place du mécanisme de surveillance et de communication de l’information, sur l’état d’avancement de l’élaboration et de l’exécution des plans d’action (demandés au paragraphe 7 de la résolution 1612 (2005) et sur la place faite à la protection des enfants dans les opérations de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Assemblée générale Conseil de sécurité Nations Unies // Assemblée générale Conseil de sécurité Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:10:36 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23660 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23660 À sa onzième session, le 6 décembre 2007, le Groupe de travail a examiné un rapport du Secrétaire général sur les enfants et le conflit armé au Burundi (S/2007/686), qui a été présenté par la Représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général. Un représentant permanent du Burundi a participé au débat qui a suivi. Les principaux éléments qui se dégagent de l’échange de vues au sein du Groupe de travail sont résumés ci-dessous. Les membres du Groupe de travail se sont félicités du rapport présenté par le Secrétaire général conformément à la résolution 1612 (2005) du Conseil de sécurité, dont l’analyse et les recommandations ont été accueillies, d’une manière générale, favorablement. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:06:43 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23659 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23659 À sa dixième réunion, le 18 septembre 2007, le Groupe de travail a examiné le rapport du Secrétaire général sur les enfants et le conflit armé au Soudan (S/2007/520), présenté par la Représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général. Un représentant du Soudan a participé au débat qui a suivi. On retiendra de l’échange de vues entre les membres du Groupe de travail les points exposés ci-après. Les membres du Groupe de travail se sont félicités du rapport du Secrétaire général, présenté en application de la résolution 1612 (2005) du Conseil de sécurité. Certains ont pleinement appuyé l’analyse et les recommandations du Secrétaire général, tandis que d’autres ont marqué leur désaccord avec certaines des recommandations. Certains membres auraient souhaité que des informations plus précises soient fournies sur les circonstances entourant les crimes dont il est fait état dans le rapport et sur leurs auteurs. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:02:48 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23658 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23658 À sa dixième réunion, le 18 septembre 2007, le Groupe de travail a examiné le rapport du Secrétaire général sur les enfants et le conflit armé en Côte d’Ivoire (S/2007/515), présenté par la Représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général. Le Représentant permanent de la Côte d’Ivoire a participé aux débats qui ont suivi. On retiendra de l’échange de vues entre les membres du Groupe de travail les points exposés ci-après. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Assemblée générale Nations Unies // Assemblée générale Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:58:18 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23657 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23657 Établi en application des dispositions de la résolution 1612 (2005) du Conseil de sécurité et soumis au Conseil et à son groupe de travail sur les enfants et les conflits armés en tant que premier rapport de pays, conformément aux paragraphes 2, 3 et 10 de cette résolution, le présent rapport, qui porte sur la période de juillet 2005 à septembre 2007, donne des informations sur la situation actuelle concernant le recrutement et l’utilisation d’enfants et d’autres graves violations commises contre les enfants affectés par les conflits armés au Myanmar. Les structures en matière de surveillance et de communication d’informations décrites dans le mécanisme approuvé par le Conseil de sécurité dans sa résolution 1612 (2005) ont été mises en place, mais les modalités d’un mécanisme efficace, y compris les garanties de sécurité, l’accès aux zones affectées et la liberté de mouvement des observateurs, sans escorte gouvernementale, n’ont pas été établies. Ce premier rapport décrit donc la situation générale, compte tenu des informations communiquées à l’équipe spéciale de pays chargée de la surveillance et de la communication d’informations. Bien que le dialogue avec le Gouvernement du Myanmar et deux acteurs non étatiques ait progressé, le rapport constate que des acteurs étatiques et non étatiques continuent d’être impliqués dans de graves violations des droits des enfants. Le Gouvernement du Myanmar a pris l’engagement au plus haut niveau qu’aucune personne de moins de 18 ans ne serait recrutée. Il a constitué un comité de haut niveau sur la prévention du recrutement militaire des mineurs et un groupe de travail chargé de la surveillance et de la diffusion d’informations sur la même question. Il a également établi des règles et des directives interdisant le recrutement de mineurs. Il n’a pas encore adhéré au Protocole facultatif se rapportant à la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant concernant l’implication d’enfants dans les conflits armés (2000). Deux acteurs non étatiques (l’Union nationale karen et le Parti national progressiste karenni) ont signé un acte d’engagement mettant un terme au recrutement et à l’utilisation d’enfants et annonçant leur adhésion au Protocole facultatif se rapportant à la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant, et se sont engagés à prendre les mesures de suivi requises. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Nations Unies // Conseil de sécurité Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:34:06 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23645 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23645 The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Southern Africa Regional Office, in Tshwane, South Africa, organised a regional seminar on “Strengthening the African Union Framework for the Protection of Children Affected by Armed Conflict” in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 12 and 13 April 2007. A central aim of the seminar was to ensure the rights of war-affected children by identifying and discussing concrete avenues of enforcing, reporting on, and monitoring children’s rights in conflict and post-conflict situations on the continent. The seminar provided a forum for 20 participants, including human and child rights experts; representatives from the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) system; academics; and civil society groups to shed light on, and offer responses to, the specific needs of children affected by armed conflict (CAAC) in Africa. The meeting investigated the contribution of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) of 1990 to a rights-based approach for the protection of war-affected children. The seminar generated policy debates and recommendations exploring the avenues of collaboration between the UN mechanisms for the protection of children and the AU Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). It further examined the role of various AU organs in monitoring children’s rights in conflict and post-conflict situations, and their linkages to specific child rights advocacy and monitoring mechanisms. SOURCE: United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights // Centre for Conflict Resolution // University of Cape Town South Africa United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights // Centre for Conflict Resolution // University of Cape Town South Africa Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:15:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23641 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23641 During 2007 some 700 Palestinian children (under 18) were arrested by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. Of these, around 30 children were held on administrative detention orders, which impose imprisonment without charge or trial. As in previous years the overwhelming majority of those arrested were boys (98.9%). Of the three girls imprisoned during the course of the year, one was subsequently released in February 2008. At any given point during the year, there were between 310 and 416 Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons and detention centres in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). These numbers are similar to those for 2006 (340 to 420). SOURCE: Defence for Children International, Palestine Section Defence for Children International, Palestine Section Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:01:35 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23634 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23634 Acute and chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies have been found in refugee camp populations (1). In southeastern Nepal, despite consistent access by refugees to general rations,* certain micronutrient deficiencies have posed a substantial health burden to the approximately 100,000 Bhutanese residing in seven refugee camps (2). Limited food diversity, frequent illness, and poor feeding practices have been cited as underlying causes of poor nutritional status in this population. Annual surveys to assess levels of acute malnutrition (i.e., wasting) and chronic malnutrition (i.e., stunting) have been conducted in these camps by the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); however, the capacity to reliably evaluate micronutrient deficiencies has not existed locally in the camps (3). In January 2007, AMDA and CDC, at the request of UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP), conducted a nutritional survey of children aged 6--59 months, assessing 1) the prevalence of acute malnutrition, chronic malnutrition, underweight, anemia, and angular stomatitis (i.e., riboflavin deficiency); 2) the cumulative incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory illness (ARI); and 3) the feeding practices of the children's mothers. This report describes the results of that survey, which indicated that, although acute malnutrition was found in only 4.2% of the children, chronic malnutrition was found in 26.9% and anemia in 43.3%. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring both malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies and addressing the underlying causes of nutritional deficits. SOURCE: Center for Disease Control // Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Center for Disease Control // Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:08 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23633 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23633 The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children traveled to Sierra Leone in February 2008 as part of its Displaced, Out-of-School Youth Initiative, a three-year global research and advocacy project that seeks to increase attention and support for quality programs for displaced young people. The purpose of the week-long visit was to assess young people’s needs, what services appear to be working, gaps in programming for young people and what more is needed. The delegation, comprising one staff member and two board members, spent time in the capital, Freetown, and in the east, in Kenema and Kono districts, the region most impacted by the war. The delegation met with nongovernmental organizations, UN agency staff and young people in and out of school. SOURCE: Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:46:52 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23605 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23605 Sri Lanka’s children have been embroiled in a brutal armed conflict which has killed more than 67,000 civilians in the last two decades and caused untold suffering among the Sri Lankan population. Gross human rights violations committed by Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and armed breakaway groups, like the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP)/ Karuna faction, have created a climate of constant fear and insecurity throughout the country. Children throughout Sri Lanka face a broad spectrum of violations against their security and rights, perpetrated by various armed forces and groups. In this report, Watchlist illustrates this situation and provides practical recommendations for urgent actions needed to protect Sri Lankan children. SOURCE: Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:09:29 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23542 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23542 Various released reports indicate that the situation of children in Afghanistan is apprehensible. Children constitute a vulnerable and risk-prone category in Afghanistan. The place of residence, the existing cultural sensitivity, gender-based discrimination, and economic status are among the factors that give rise to, and exacerbate the vulnerability of children in the country. In the aftermath of the protracted conflict in Afghanistan, the past half a decade has witnessed certain improvements in the lives of children, including the formulation of specific laws like the Law on Juvenile Delinquency, the development of the National Strategy for the Protection of Risk-prone Children, the creation of child rights advocacy organisations, the building of schools, the launch of vaccination campaigns, and so forth. But, firstly, these improvements have not been all-encompassing, and, secondly, they cannot be tangible and measurable, given the diverse problems and needs of children. SOURCE: Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:45:40 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23529 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23529 The Strategic Review on the 10th Anniversary of the Machel Study, “The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children” provides an opportunity to review achievements and to assess what still needs to be done.1 The critical threshold has been crossed with the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1612 (UNSCR) and enforcement has begun. The Wilton Park conference was designed to be a contribution to the Review Process. It should be seen as complementary to the Paris Principles. Ideally, the protection of children should be above political calculations and the “best interests of child” should be “a primary consideration”. (Art. 3(1), UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). Building a protective environment for children is key in addressing the concerns of children affected by armed conflict. This involves addressing: separation of children from their parents; sexual exploitation, abuse and violence; military recruitment of children by governments or armed groups; education and the rights and specific needs of adolescents. SOURCE: Wilton Park Conference WP844 Wilton Park Conference WP844 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:46:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23519 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23519 Listen to experts discuss issues surrounding the education of children of conflict, specifically with regard to the current situation in Iraq. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:15:11 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23503 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23503 Violence against children is a significant global health and human rights problem, and a growing concern in sub-Saharan Africa. The problem of violence against children spans geographical boundaries, culture, race, class, and religion. It can be expressed in the form of physical or sexual assault or abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and deprivation or neglect. Violence against children is a profound violation of human rights and has devastating short- and long-term mental and physical health consequences. This report focuses primarily on sexual violence against female children. According to the World Report on Violence and Health, sexual violence is defined as “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work.” Existing research shows that sexual violence is a major health problem throughout the world. Although nationally representative studies on child sexual violence are limited in sub-Saharan Africa, available data show that sexual violence against children is an important problem in the region. SOURCE: United Nations Children's Fund United Nations Children's Fund Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:07:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23489 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23489 The research reported here was undertaken with the aim of allowing the voices of children and youth who had been abducted by the armed group the Lord‟s Resistance Army (LRA) to be heard when planning takes place for the reintegration of future returnees from the LRA. One hundred and sixteen children and youth abducted by the LRA in 2003 from what is today called the Amuria district in the Teso region, eastern Uganda, were interviewed and participated in focus group discussions. In this way they informed us of their experiences during abduction and on return to their communities, and gave their views of how reintegration programs could be shaped so as to help future returnees. SOURCE: Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:45:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23475 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23475 This exploratory qualitative study considers the subjective resettlement experiences of children forced into armed conflict in Northern Uganda from the perspectives of 11 former child combatants and 11 adult community members. A thematic analysis was performed on the narrative data. The bioecological model was used to provide a conceptual framework for key themes. Major findings included the overarching impact of ongoing armed conflict on returnees’ lives, the important role of the family in supporting children’s resettlement, the harassment of former child soldiers by community members, and the community’s inability to support systematically the returning children in tangible ways. This study recommends that humanitarian services at all levels strengthen the capacity of families to care for the material and psychoemotional needs of former child soldiers within their communities. SOURCE: Blackwell Synergy Blackwell Synergy Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:19:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23471 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23471 The use of children in armed conflict has devastating consequences to the children, as well as their families and communities. Yet this practice continues unabated, especially in countries that are in the throes of civil war. Unconfirmed statistics estimate that around 300,000 children are engaged in thirty conflict areas around the world. While the problem of child soldiers itself is urgent, it is equally important to highlight that a large proportion of these child soldiers are girls. In situations of armed conflict, girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and other egregious violations of their human rights. In addition, girls face even greater challenges in their rehabilitation and reintegration back into society after a conflict. SOURCE: Human Rights Brief Human Rights Brief Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:15:58 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23463 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23463 The Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) is a five-year project under the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade, Office of Women in Development. The objective of Safe Schools is to create safe environments for both girls and boys that promote gender-equitable relationships and reduce school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) by working in partnership with children, youth, parents, teachers, schools and communities. This report summarizes the results of the participatory learning and action (PLA) research activity conducted in October and November 2005 to help raise awareness, involvement, and accountability at national, institutional, community and individual levels of SRGBV in the Machinga District in the Southern Region of Malawi. Altogether, 952 pupils participated in the PLA workshops. The focus group discussions included more than 2,000 participants. In addition, 370 key informants including traditional leaders, initiation counselors, members of school management committees and parent teacher associations, head teachers, government Primary Education Advisers, religious leaders, members of the school disciplinary committees (where these existed) and club patrons were interviewed. SOURCE: United States Agency International Development United States Agency International Development Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:57:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23411 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23411 Despite the January 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, reconstruction of southern Sudan remains a daunting task, which limited resources and unlimited suspicions may derail or delay. Among myriad issues facing agencies and their client communities are the problems of assisting children traumatized by the brutal legacies of Sudan’s first half century of independence. Given the length of Sudan’s conflicts, few have experienced a “normal” childhood. Furthermore, the psychological and social aspects of rehabilitation have only been examined recently. This article tabulates the successes and failures of governmental and non-governmental programs rehabilitating former slaves, many of whom were or are children, and child soldiers, many of whom are now adults. It compares activities in Sudan to programs in other parts of Africa (Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Uganda) and beyond (Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates). Applying these comparisons in the absence of long-term assessments, the author endeavors to determine pitfalls to be avoided and best practices to be followed. SOURCE: African Studies Quarterly African Studies Quarterly Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:39:08 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23394 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23394 HIV/AIDS is acknowledged as an increasingly significant humanitarian and developmental concern. It is also increasingly seen as a security issue, with implications for the well-being of individuals, households, communities and states. Faced with the prospect of growing numbers of AIDS orphans, some analysts have speculated that large numbers of orphans could themselves represent a security challenge. It has been argued that by reducing the resources available to children and destabilising the institutions on which they depend—such as the family, school and community—HIV/AIDS may severely affect children’s development. This may not only result in increased child mortality, morbidity and school drop out, but also increased victimisation and exploitation of children. By reducing the financial and emotional resources available to children, causing trauma and alienation and effectively limiting the realistic aspirations of the youngsters affected, it is also feared that the epidemic may create generations of disenfranchised and potentially dysfunctional young people who lack the socialisation necessary for constructive social engagement. Growing numbers of marginalised children may in turn impact on stability and security in at least two ways: they may become both the victims and perpetrators of crime; and may provide a ready recruitment pool for individuals and organisations wishing to challenge the existing status quo. SOURCE: Institute for Security Studies Institute for Security Studies Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:17:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23386 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23386 This paper outlines the challenges to the successful community reintegration of girl mothers when they leave fighting forces, particularly in southern and western Africa. The paper grew out of an invited meeting on girl mothers, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation, and held in Bellagio, Italy (April, 2005). Following country-specific analyses, which were conducted in preparation for the workshop, the authors present key issues discussed at Bellagio. Drawing upon these and other sources, they analyze some of the dilemmas provoked by the complex cultural, social and psychological situations of these young mothers and propose some approaches to working with them. Fuller details of the meeting and discussions amongst participants, along with their outcomes, can be found in the workshop report. SOURCE: Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:13:53 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23329 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23329 In August 2007, the process of collecting nationwide input to Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy whose main objective is to reduce poverty in the country was initiated. This strategy aims to integrate a human rights based approach in programmes or policies by the government in order to promote the fulfilment of all human rights be they economic, social, cultural, civil or political. This report combines 2 quarterly reports covering the period May to October 2007 and endeavours to draw attention to areas where violations of economic and social rights may have led to violations of civil and political rights violations thereby reinforcing the concept of the indivisibility and interdependence of human rights. Good examples of this were reports from Montserrado County where in three cases parents attempted to sell their children so as to buy food. In Diahn Town, Grand Gedeh County, due to the poor condition of the school, children were unable to attend school and parents preferred to have their children work on the family farms rather than contribute towards rebuilding the school. SOURCE: United Nations Mission in Liberia United Nations Mission in Liberia Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:15:50 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23308 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23308 Nous présentons ici la deuxième édition du Supplément Jeunesse, produit conjointement avec le rapport de l’UNFPA sur l’État de la population mondiale. Le rapport principal de l’UNFPA de 2007 est axé sur l’urbanisation et le Supplément Jeunesse traite des défis et des promesses dont est porteur ce phénomène et de ses effets sur les jeunes. En 2008, pour la première fois de l’histoire du globe, plus de la moitié de la population mondiale vivra en milieu urbain. En 2030, les villes, grandes et petites, abriteront près de 5 milliards d’habitants. La population urbaine de l’Afrique et de l’Asie doublera en moins d’une génération. Cette évolution augmentera considérablement le nombre et la proportion des jeunes dans la population urbaine, augmentation qui proviendra principalement de familles pauvres qui tendent à avoir les taux de fécondité les plus forts. Le Supplément Jeunesse présente l’existence de jeunes, hommes et femmes, de sept villes : Tianjin (Chine), San Salvador (El Salvador), Mumbai (Inde); Dacca (Bangladesh), le Caire (Égypte), Rufi sque (Sénégal) et Rio de Janeiro (Brésil). Il brosse ainsi un tableau de la vie moderne dans les centres urbains avec ses possibilités, ses pressions et ses risques pour les jeunes, émigrants qui ont quitté la campagne pour s’établir et travailler dans les villes, organisateurs communautaires s’efforçant d’améliorer les conditions de logement et les services offertes par les centres urbains, auteurs de violences eux-mêmes parfois, jeunes femmes libérées du carcan des rôles sexospécifiques traditionnels et de la discrimination, et citadins participant à des activités musicales et culturelles pour échapper à la pauvreté et à l’insécurité urbaine, en une célébration de leur existence. SOURCE: Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:19:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23276 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23276 Contemporary armed conflicts have come to be characterized by a number of traits that have not generally been associated with earlier armed conflicts. Conflicts today tend to occur more within states, where the rules of engagement tend to be defined at the local level. Armed challenges to state power by non-state actors is a defining feature of contemporary conflict, while transnational, multilateral, regional and bilateral actors also play ever more significant roles. Other features include the targeting of civilians and the prevalence of gender-based violence as weapons of war. The widespread availability of small arms and light weapons has also led to greater civil engagement in combat, further blurring the lines between civilians and combatants. SOURCE: Peacebuild Peacebuild Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:36:06 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23242 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23242 This study contributes to what is currently known about the experiences of girls in fighting forces as distinct from those of boys. It is meant to assist policymakers in developing policies and programs to help protect and empower girls in situations of armed conflict and postwar reconstruction. Within the context of Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone and Mozambique girls in the fighting forces have suffered major human rights violations, especially gender-based violence. The rights of these girls are under threat from their own governments, armed opposition forces, and, occasionally, by members of their communities and families. At times, girls are discriminated against by local groups and officials, governments and international bodies that are unwilling to recognise their presence, needs and rights during conflict, post-conflict, demobilisation and social reintegration. Yet, within the fighting forces, girls carry out a number of diverse roles, including as fighters. Current approaches to understanding the role of girls in conflict, where girls are understood only to be captive "wives," "sexual slaves" or "camp followers", are limited and inaccurate. Among the key findings is that social reintegration, especially of girl-mothers and young women who were girls when they were taken and who return with babies, is particularly difficult and these girls and their children are at high risk. Girls and young women in most of the study areas were also clear that access to education and training in skills would be the most meaningful contribution that national and international agencies could make in assisting their reintegration. SOURCE: International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:41:39 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23236 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23236 The UN issued its list of 10 Stories the World Should Hear More About yesterday. These are stories that unfolded in 2007, and included among them is a reference to the plight of the stateless. For the first time, each story is also accompanied by useful web links to enable readers to find more information about an issue of interest. Previous 10 Stories listings are available at the above URL as of 2004. SOURCE: United Nations United Nations Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:22:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23162 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23162 Since the late 1980’s in conjunction with the end of the Cold War and the development of ‘new wars’, child soldier recruitment came more and more into view as a new global phenomenon. The majority of recent child soldier recruitment cases developed in African armed conflicts. However, by the new millennium, this new child soldier recruitment trend materialized on nearly every continent including Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Many children below the ‘straight-18’ international standard were being recruited to fight ‘directly’ in many of the world’s most deadly armed conflicts. In fact, according to the data and standards agreed upon by the United Nations and other international organizations concerning the welfare of children, government militaries and armed opposition groups in 38 countries worldwide illegally recruited children under age 15 between the years 1999 and 2001. Thus, this paper examines potential causes of child soldier recruitment under age 15 between 1999 and 2001 in terms of a global phenomenon rather than focusing upon individual or regional child soldier recruitment cases. In order to locate significant theoretical ‘intervening’ variables involved in the recent global child soldier recruitment trend, the research design employed in this paper utilized a methodology referred to as ‘Process Tracing’, which, in conjunction with logistic regression analysis, provided an analysis of potential ‘causal mechanisms’ that had a relative high statistical probability causing government militaries and armed opposition groups in particular countries to engage in recruiting child soldiers under age 15 between 1999 and 2001. SOURCE: Annual Convention of the International Studies Association Annual Convention of the International Studies Association Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:39:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23150 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23150 Saudi Arabia’s criminal justice system lacks any codified penal law and grants prosecutors and judges broad discretion in charging and sentencing individuals for ill-defined offenses. This promotes arbitrary outcomes that contravene international standards of due process, and whose impact is magnified because Saudi Arabia retains the death penalty and other forms of physical punishment as criminal sanctions, including flogging and amputation. For children who come into conflict with the law, Saudi Arabia has juvenile courts and detention facilities, but no comprehensive legislation or framework to address how these children should be treated. This means they suffer under a system that ultimately fails to uphold the rights of all children to protection from abuse and ill-treatment and to due process, and discriminates against girls and foreign children. Children are especially at a disadvantage in a criminal justice system that takes little account of their special needs. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch