All Party Parliamentary Group on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict
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All Party Parliamentary Group on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict Inquiry Findings and Evidence February 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents .................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the APPG................................................................................................................. 3 Key Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 4 Foreword ................................................................................................................................... 6 Contributions ............................................................................................................................ 7 APPG Membership .................................................................................................................... 8 Introductory Context ................................................................................................................ 9 Key Statistics ........................................................................................................................... 11 Key Definitions ........................................................................................................................ 13 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 16 SECTION I: FOCUS AND PRIORITISATION 1.1 Strategy and Leadership .................................................................................................... 20 1.2 Resources and Attention ................................................................................................... 22 1.2.1 Child Protection and Child Protection in Emergencies...................................... 23 1.2.2 Education in Emergencies ................................................................................. 24 SECTION II: A FIT-FOR-PURPOSE APPROACH 2.1 Cycles of Aid and Funding Approaches ............................................................................. 26 2.2 Holistic Approach and Qualitative Focus ........................................................................... 28 2.2.1 Holistic and Systemic Approach ........................................................................ 29 2.2.2 Qualitative Focus ............................................................................................... 29 SECTION III: OVERALL APPROACH AND CHALLENGES 3.1 A Needs-Based Approach ........................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Speed of Response .................................................................................................... 32 3.3 Localised Support ...................................................................................................... 33 1 SECTION IV: INTERNATIONAL LOBBYING AND GLOBAL INITIATIVES 4.1 The Power to Drive Change ............................................................................................... 35 4.1.1 Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding............................................................................. 37 4.2 Prevention of and Response to Violations ........................................................................ 38 4.2.1 Sexual and Gender-based Violence ......................................................................... 38 4.2.2 Child Recruitment and Use ...................................................................................... 40 4.2.3 Arms Trade ............................................................................................................... 42 4.2.4 Protecting Universities and Schools from Military Use ........................................... 42 4.2.5 Protecting Children from the Use of Weapons in Populated Areas ........................ 43 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 45 List of Acronyms Used ............................................................................................................. 46 APPENDICES APPENDIX A - Transcription of oral evidence session dated 13 January 2015 ........................ 47 APPENDIX B - Transcription of oral evidence session dated 15 January 2015 ...................... 120 APPENDIX C – Written evidence of Blessed Aid .................................................................... 186 APPENDIX D - Written evidence of the Department for International Development .......... 191 APPENDIX E - Written evidence of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ......................... 196 APPENDIX F - Written evidence of the International Rescue Committee ............................. 202 APPENDIX G - Written evidence of Sanayee Development Organisation ............................. 212 APPENDIX H - Written evidence of Save the Children........................................................... 217 APPENDIX I - Written evidence of UNICEF ............................................................................ 232 APPENDIX J - Written evidence of War Child UK ................................................................... 240 APPENDIX K - Written evidence of World Vision................................................................... 253 2 Purpose of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict (the “APPG”) The steering question contained in the call for evidence was as follows: to what degree are the current policies, resourcing and programming of the UK Government meeting the needs of children in conflict? The core recommendation that arises from the APPG is that the Department for International Development (alongside other relevant government departments) conduct an inquiry into its ability to respond to the needs of Children Affected by Armed Conflict (“CAAC”). All contributors strongly emphasised an imperative to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development efforts when it comes to the safety, protection and education of children in conflict. It is strongly recommended that the outcome of such an internal UK Government inquiry is the creation of a specific and focussed cross-departmental strategy on CAAC. 3 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS The current UK Government response to the issue of Children Affected by Armed Conflict, despite an overall focus on conflict, is deemed by this inquiry to be deficient - lacking in simple measures, standards and expertise required for effective programming and support in this area. Drawing on evidence submitted to this inquiry, it is therefore recommended that: 1. The Department for International Development (“DFID”) conduct a review of their response to children affected by armed conflict. 2. A cross-departmental strategy be created that encompasses humanitarian, recovery and development interventions and political responses, formulated and co-ordinated by a Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (“PM”) on Children Affected by Armed Conflict. 3. DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (“FCO”) and the Ministry of Defence (“MoD”), with a particular focus on DFID create an accountability mechanism and aligned budget allocations to support the strategy and ensure its effective implementation. 4. Specific expertise be resourced within the Department for International Development to increase capacity to deliver child-sensitive responses, throughout the conflict and post-conflict cycle. 5. DFID, in partnership with the FCO, develop an operational Child Protection (“CP”) policy which informs all of its bilateral, multilateral and stakeholder programming/relationships. 6. The Building Stability Overseas Strategy (“BSOS”) be reviewed in terms of its ability to ensure separation between humanitarian and military interventions and to positively impact Children Affected by Armed Conflict as part of its upstream prevention strategies. 7. Leadership on Children Affected by Armed Conflict, is identified in the Department for International Development (in addition to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) ministerial portfolios to drive institutional change. 8. Dedicated budgets be allocated to Child Protection and Education in Emergencies (“EiE”) and that there be significant increases in these budgets. 9. A commitment be made to multi-year sustainable funding streams that provide predictable support in the immediate and long-term, and prioritise neglected, child- specific components of programming such as Child Protection. 4 10. A UK policy position be adopted that recognises Child Protection and Education in Emergencies as being life-saving and an intrinsic part of a holistic response to children in armed conflict. 11. International leadership is provided on the issue of Children Affected by Armed Conflict through consistent engagement on the topic with the United Nations (“UN”), European Union (“EU”), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (“NATO”), World Humanitarian Summit (“WHS”), Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”), African Union (“AU”) and other global fora/entities. 12. The UK Government support international efforts to prevent all the Six Grave Violations against children, as identified by the United Nations within the mandate of the Special Representative on Children in Armed Conflict (“SRSG-CAAC”). 13. The UK Government support international efforts to prevent the military use of schools and universities including by endorsing newly finalised Guidelines for Protecting