TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

The organisers

What has been done in order to follow up the recommendations in the UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children?

• The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Children and Armed ConflictFollow-up projects
  

«Words are not enough»

Main issues from the seminar held in Oslo

• Children in captivity
• The importance of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989)
• Addressing the causes of armed conflict
• Relevance of international agencies in the field
  

It’s time to act

Recommendations from the six working groups at the Hadeland workshop

• Group 1. Preventing recruitment to military service
• Group 2. Preventing gender-based violence and sexual abuse
• Group 3. Protection of separated children
• Group 4. Protection of adolescents
• Group 5. Action to be taken – focus on education
• Group 6. Emergency assessment and inter-agency collaboration

Overall recommendations from the Oslo/Hadeland conference on protection of children and adolescents

Appendixes

List of abbreviations

The plight of children in armed conflict

The UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children

The Organisers:

Introduction

In November 1998, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Redd Barna (Save the Children Norway) hosted a conference on protection of children¹ and adolescents in complex emergencies, in co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The conference was supported financially by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aim of the event was :

• to increase the common understanding of the meaning of international protection of children and adolescents
• to address the main problems and principles and give some recommendations to concrete action

The Oslo/Hadeland conference was a follow-up of the United Nations Study on Impact of armed conflict on Children of August 26. 1996, chaired by Graça Machel. ( The Machel study)^2. The study presents recommendations on how to improve the protection of children in armed conflicts. These recommendations where the starting point for the work that was done during the Oslo/Hadeland conference.

The conference consisted of a one-day seminar in Oslo, and a two-days' workshop in Hadeland, north of Oslo. The United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for Children and Armed conflict, Olara A. Otunnu, and the Norwegian Minister for Development and Human Rights, Hilde Frafjord Johnson, where among the key speakers on the first day.

What has been done in order to follow up the recommendations in the UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children?
Following the submittal of the Graca Machel study, several conferences have been held in different parts of the world to make the report known and to ensure follow-up. One of these was a conference hosted by Redd Barna (Save the Children Norway) in Oslo in March 1997,  "The United Nations study on the Impact of armed conflict on Children". This conference served as a point of departure for the Oslo/Hadeland conference in November 1998.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict ³
The UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children recommended the appointment of a Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. The General Assembly endorsed this recommendation (resolution 48/157, the 20. of December 1993), and Mr. Olara A. Otunnu was assigned to the post by the UN Secretary-General in September 1997.

The United Nations Secretary General's Special representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara A. Otunnu. Foto: Knut Fjeldstad/NTB

Several member states, among them Norway, are actively supporting the work of the Special Representative. As a consequence of this, the Special Representative initiated the formation of an informal support group called Friends of the Special Representative. The members of this group are expected to give advise to and collaborate with the Special Representative.

The Special Representative is seeking to spearhead an effort on behalf of all concerned parties to address the violations being committed against children in the context of armed conflict. He seeks to combine normative, political and humanitarian strategies to promote prevention, protection and rehabilitation for the benefit of children. The Special Representative will work closely with UNHCR to promote the protection of refugee and internally displaced children. He will also work in collaboration with the Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons on the protection of children displaced within their own borders. Based on the recommendations in the UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, the Special Representative has identified eight key issues of concern to which he is giving priority attention at this stage. The themes where selected because they represent areas where a strong advocacy role by the Special Representative will have a particular added value. The themes are as follows:

• participation of children in armed conflict
• taking norms (international instruments) and values seriously
• rape and sexual abuse in the context of armed conflict
• mine awareness and rehabilitation of child victims
• displaced children
• impact of small arms on children
• impact of sanctions on children
• incorporating standards into United Nations operations
  

In his report to the UN General Assembly, submitted in October 1998, the Special Representative gave the following recommendations:

• Existing standards and commitments must be translated into action.
• The Special Representative urges the Security Council to ensure that the protection and welfare of children will constitute a central part in considerations of specific crisis situations, in mandating peacemaking and peacekeeping missions, in the imposition of sanctions regimes, in reviewing standards for the conduct of international personnel, and in the design of peace-building programs.
• Non-governmental organisations need to develop their advocacy, operational- and information capacities to respond better to the particular needs of children
• More determined efforts must be employed by the international community to prevent or mitigate the suffering of children in armed conflict.
• Political support from concerned governments is crucial.
• Children must be of central concern in the planning and implementation of post-conflict peace- building programs.
• The Special Representative underscores the importance of building local capacities for advocacy on behalf of children affected by armed conflict.
• There is an urgent need to organise an effective campaign to encourage the adherence to existing legal standards in conflict areas
• Efforts must be made to relieve the suffering of children under sanction regimes.
• It is essential to promote local value systems.
• Humanitarian response must never be a substitute for political action.
• Conflict must be prevented at the source.

Follow-up projects
In addition to the appointment of the UN Special Representative, four concrete actions have been initiated in order to follow up the UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children:

• The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, created 30th of June 1998, has launched a campaign to lift the age limit for participation in armed conflict to 18 years. This is to be done through the establishment of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) (CRC).
  
• UNICEF has established a working group to review the training that is given to peace-keeping forces regarding protection of children.
  
• The International Save the Children Alliance and UNHCR has initiated The Action for the Rights of Children (ARC). The aim of ARC is to contribute to the improvement of the protection of children and adolescents.
  
• In addition to an already existing Regional Coordinator for Refugee Children based in the Great Lakes, UNHCR established four Regional Child Policy Officer posts in 1998, and planned for a fifth regional position for children covering Europe. The role of the Regional Child Policy Officers is to promote the strategic reorientation of UNHCR protection and programming on behalf of refugee children and adolescents.

1 In the following, the use of the word "children" will refer to children and adolescents up to 18 years of age, in terms with the definition used in the Convention on the Rights of the Children

3  This section is based on "Protection of children affected by armed conflict"; Report (A/53/482), prepared by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and submitted to the 53. session of the UN General assembly in October 1998

«Words are not enough»

Main issues from the seminar held in Oslo
The 120 participants and six speakers were welcomed by Mr. Ola H. Metliaas, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council to the seminar in Oslo on the 9th of November. In his opening address he focused on the importance of continuing efforts to have all 191 state signatories to the CRC - as well as groups within their jurisdiction - prove that they intend to honour these rights. The UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (1996) is a groundbreaking contribution to this effort.

Before giving the floor to the moderator of the day, Mr. Trond Waage, Norway’s Ombudsman for Children, Mr. Metliaas concluded by pledging the strong support of Norwegian NGOs to stepping up the efforts on behalf of children affected by armed conflict.

Children in captivity
Ms. Angelina Acheng Atyam is one of the founders of an organisation called Concerned Parents Association (CPA). CPA was created in October, 1996, following the abduction of 139 girls from the dormitory of a boarding school by the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in 1996. 30 of the girls are still in captivity, among them Mrs. Acheng Atyam’s daughter. Ms. Acheng Atyam presented a series of real-life stories about children abducted from northern Uganda in order to serve for the LRA.

CPA is fighting for a release of the abducted children. They co-operate with other human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson, the Norwegian Minister of International Development and Human Rights, also focused on the plight of the world’s 300 000 child soldiers in her speech. She drew attention to the need to build alliances to combat the atrocities committed against children in armed conflict, and underlined the necessity of doing more to put the issue high on the international agenda. She expressed her expectations for the Oslo/Hadeland conference in this regard, hoping that it would provide the impetus for taking action on different issues concerning children.

The importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
All the speakers at the conference focused on three aspects of concern that must be addressed in our efforts to protect children against the atrocities of war, namely the normative, the political and the operational aspect.

Regarding the normative aspect, Ms. Johnson underlined the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) as a framework and guiding tool for all efforts to protect and aid children. Both the Minister and Ms. Hirut Tefferi (Rädda Barnen, Kenya and Southern Sudan) drew attention to UNICEF’s use of the Convention in the negotiations to incorporate a humanitarian aspect in the ground rules for Operation Lifeline Sudan.

Ms. Wairimu Karago, Deputy Director of the UNHCR Division of International Protection, drew attention to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) as the normative framework of the UNHCR Guidelines for Refugee Children.

Mr. Otunnu pointed to the Statutes of the International Criminal Court, where most demands regarding the rights of children are included. Among other things, the recruitment and participation of children under 15 in hostilities were defined as a war crime in the Statute.

Both Mr. Otunnu and Ms. Tefferi underlined the importance of integrating international norms and local value systems. During armed conflict, we often witness a breakdown of traditional norms and social codes of behaviour. In this context, it is essential to strengthen the various local institutions that serve to protect children. Ms.Tefferi underlined that development of local capacity is particularly important in situations where international agencies might have to withdraw on short notice.

The Special Representative expressed his support to the efforts made by the Coalition to stop the use of Child Soldiers to build the necessary political will in support of the adoption of an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

Mr. Nigel Fisher pointed to the importance of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) in the sense that it has put children’s rights on the map. On the other hand, the number of violations of children’s rights has increased alarmingly during the last decade, despite the fact that 191 countries have ratified the Convention. This calls for immediate political action; the further development of norms or humanitarian aid can never substitute actions to address the real causes of armed conflict, often to be found in the unequal distribution of resources.

Addressing the causes of armed conflict
Mr. Fisher pointed to the tendency in the international community to use humanitarian aid as a substitute for political action. To address the causes of armed conflict, concerted political action is necessary. The uneven conditions for international trade and the power that rests in the hands of the giant multinational corporations must be addressed by the countries that thrive at the expense of the world’s poorest countries. The leaders of conflict-ridden states must also be challenged to address the issue of internal redistribution of resources.

Mr. Otunnu also drew attention to the international arms trade as a conservator of armed conflicts. The Special Representative is co-operating with the Department for Disarmament Affairs, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations in support of instituting controls for the transfer of arms to conflict zones.

Both Mr. Otunnu and Ms. Johnson underscored the importance of the statement made by the Security Council following the Special Representative’s briefing on the theme «Children affected by armed conflict». The Security Council gave full support to the Special Representative’s work, and identified areas in which the Security Council should increase their efforts to protect children, like for instance UN peacekeeping operations. Several of the speakers stressed the importance of this statement as a lobby tool in the future work for children’s rights, and Mr. Fisher suggested to work for a regularisation of the Special Representative’s reporting to the Security Council.

A potentially useful alliance on the political side is the so-called Lysøen Declaration, signed in May 1998. This is an agreement between the Norwegian and Canadian governments to co-operate on issues connected to human rights and democratisation. The promotion of children’s rights will constitute an important part of the co-operation.

Relevance of international agencies in the field
Mr. Neil Boothby, Senior Co-ordinator for Refugee Children at UNHCR, focused on the important challenges ahead regarding the implementation of human rights standards at field level. He highlighted the importance of focusing on the specifics of each emergency situation in order to ensure the most feasible implementation. He also noted the importance of combining humanitarian aid and protection activities at field level with advocacy on the national and international level. In this respect, an important challenge is how to mobilise the advocacy networks that are needed. Mr. Fisher also elaborated on this issue, and underlined the termination of competition between NGOs in the field as a prerequisite to obtain better co-ordination of humanitarian aid and protection activities.

Ms. Karago stressed the importance of initiating education activities at an early stage of a conflict. Education does not only provide children with important knowledge, it also represents a state of normalcy for children and serves as an important protection tool. Ms. Karago underlined the importance of viewing education in a long time perspective and, when it comes to refugees, keep focus on the preferred durable solution; voluntary repatriation.

Ms. Tove Romsaas Wang, assistant Secretary General and Head of the International Department of Redd Barna (Save the Children Norway), drew attention to the fact that the special needs of adolescents in complex emergencies are often overlooked. She underlined the devastating effects that wars have on the future of communities and entire countries, when whole generations of adolescents and children are left without educational opportunities.

Ms. Romsaas Wang, looking to the challenges ahead at field level, posed a challenge to the Norwegian government regarding its granting system, which she argued had to become more flexible in order to contribute to the improvement of humanitarian organisations’ abilities to protect children. She also expressed hopes that the Hadeland workshop would provide proposals on how to strengthen measures of protection in general.

«It’s time to act»

– recommendations from the six working groups at the Oslo/Hadeland conference on protection of children and adolescents in complex emergencies

The conclusions in the UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (1996) and the report «Protection of children affected by armed conflict», prepared by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, were the starting points for the discussions that took place in the two-days workshop following the seminar in Oslo. 46 experts from all continents participated. They where divided into six groups, and concentrated on the following issues:

1. Preventing recruitment of children to military service
2. Preventing gender-based violence and sexual abuse
3. Protection of separated children
4. Protection of adolescents
5. Actions to be taken - focus on education
6. Emergency assessment and inter-agency collaboration

The groups’ discussions where structured around the following issues:

1. Recognition of the importance of the child-related issues - what measures can we take to contribute to this?
2. Agencies’ capacity to protect children - what steps can be taken to improve it?
3. How do we go about increasing donor support for protection and prevention measures directed at children and adolescents?

Ms. Elisabeth Jareg, Special Adviser in Redd Barna (Save the Children, Norway), focused on challenges in the field of child protection in her introductory speech. She highlighted the importance of the issue «children in complex emergencies» as a separate field of activities, and giving priority to competence building in this field. In most conflict-ridden areas, scarcity of community workers is also an impediment to the enhancement of child protection.

In light of the issues above, the groups discussed possible actions to be taken at different geographical levels. The experts started their work by agreeing that an understanding of which children are most a risk is a prerequisite to adequate protection for children and adolescents in complex emergencies. For example, children who are separated from their families are particularly vulnerable to under-age military recruitment. Likewise, unaccompanied girls and girls who are taken care of by someone outside their family are more likely to be subjected to sexual violence than others.

1. Preventing recruitment of children to military service

According to the Convention on the Rights of the child (1989), article 38, children below the age of 15 should not be recruited into armed forces. Today, around 300 000 children below the age of 18 are participating in armed conflict. They serve as combatants in government armed forces and armed opposition groups. A substantial number of these children are below 15 years of age, but no estimate exists of how many.

Following the efforts of the UN Special Representative of Children and Armed Conflict, recruitment and participation of children under 15 in hostilities have been defined as a war crime in the Statute (completed in 1998) of the International Criminal Court.

When the UN negotiations to add an optional protocol to the CRC to raise the legal age limit of soldiers to 18 failed, a group of human rights organisations formed the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. The Coalition is currently working to build the necessary political will at all levels in support of the adoption of an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), and the recognition and enforcement of this standard by all armed forces and groups, both governmental and non-governmental.

It is important to recognise that the factors which give rise to the participation of children in conflict are complex. No single model can either explain all the factors, nor outline a uniform procedure which will prevent child recruitment, nor ultimately enable procedures for demobilisation and social reintegration. This is dependent upon an assessment of the political, social and economic factors which are influencing the process of the conflict, an understanding of the local context, and the resources available to protect children and secure their well-being. The main obstacle to the prevention of recruitment and abduction, however, is the unwillingness among community- and military leaders to abolish this atrocious practise.

Key issues:

• A child-focused analysis should be done at an early stage in every conflict/potential conflict, to identify specific factors that contribute to the problem, assess opportunities to intervene, and develop further strategies. UNICEF should co-ordinate the analysis, share information with all players and enable the relevant actors to analyse the situation.

• On the basis of this, a balanced approach to the prevention of recruitment should be developed. This should incorporate the implementation of international legal standards and instruments, but also the development of practical initiatives which respond to and are informed by the reality confronting the children, their families and communities.

• Community-based, child-focused prevention strategies should be developed at all levels.

• Adolescents must be given priority by all agencies and donors, especially older adolescents. All communities have to focus on groups of children who are more at risk than others.

• Education is seen as a key tool for prevention of recruitment.

• Children must be active participants in advocacy

2. Preventing gender-based violence and sexual abuse

Sexual abuse and other forms of gender-based violence like rape, prostitution, trafficking, sexual humiliation and mutilation and domestic violence pose a constant threat to women and adolescent girls during armed conflict, despite the obligations placed on states parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) in Article 34. The article declares that states shall protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse, including prostitution.

Mass rapes of women and girls are used as a deliberate war strategy. The assaults committed against women and girls during the wars in Bosnia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone are horrific examples of this.

The breakdown of the social fabric during armed conflict also exposes girls and women to risk during flight and in exile. Assaults are being committed by other refugees/internally displaced, international and local camp-staff, local population and soldiers, including UN peacekeeping forces.

In 1996, the UN adopted a resolution stating that rape in the context of war is a war crime and a violation of International Humanitarian Law. Following the efforts of the UN Special Representative of Children and Armed Conflict, rape and other forms of gender-based violence have been defined as crimes against humanity in the Statute (completed in 1998) of the International Criminal Court.

Gender-based violence is to a great extent invisible because of shame, taboos, threats and traditional practises. This fact also makes work with gender-based violence sensitive. However, mechanisms exist within any society to protect at-risk groups, like women, adolescents and children. During war, this type of protection is often disrupted. The working group on prevention of gender-based violence and sexual abuse stated that an important challenge to the humanitarian community is to find and implement strategies to reinforce these mechanisms and to initiate dialogue between traditional and national legal systems in order to find proper ways to sanction the perpetrators.

Key Issues:

• Local traditional values must be reinforced in order to strengthen the protective networks for children and to raise the community awareness on the protection needs of vulnerable groups.
• Continuous advocacy and awareness raising must be conducted in order to create and promote a climate in which measures to prevent gender-based violence and sexual abuse are given priority.
• Focus has to be kept on the necessity of including the prevention of gender-based violence and sexual abuse in the national legal system.

3. Protection of separated children

«A separated child is a person under the age of 18 years who is not being cared for by his/her parent or usual care giver» (Chris Roys). Children are often separated from their parents in the chaos of armed conflict and displacement. Being without the protection of adults, separated children are especially vulnerable to recruitment, sexual assaults and other abuses.

Children are almost always better protected if they stay together with their family. It is therefore important to prevent separation whenever possible. Separation from the family can have a devastating impact on the child’s development and psychological health. On the basis of this, the point of departure for the working group on protection of separated children was that the main emphasis for separated children should be on family-based care.

Prevention of separation should be undertaken by local communities and organisations. Children should be given the opportunity to express their wishes and feelings and take part in decisions which affect their own lives. This is in line with article 20 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which states that in addition to being obliged to provide special protection for a child deprived of the family environment, the state shall pay due regard to the child’s cultural background in the efforts to meet this obligation.

The working group on protection of separated children underscored the importance of awareness-raising and capacity building in the communities on how separations can be avoided. In addition, institutions and agencies must be made aware of how outside interventions - whether in the form of children’s centres or badly organised relief assistance - can contribute to separations. It is also important to have open discussions about the perceptions held by international organisations concerning dependent populations’ abilities to solve their own problems.

The working group on protection of separated children concentrated their discussions and recommendations around three key issues: co-ordination and planning, quality issues and awareness raising.

4. Protection of adolescents

The working group on the protection of adolescents drew attention to the invisibility of this group in the context of emergency and displacement. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to military recruitment and sexual abuse, because of the level of maturity that they actually have attained. Up until recently, there has been a lack of attention to the particular protection needs of this group, which calls for specific measures. This illustrates the necessity of constantly reminding donors as well as the international humanitarian community that the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) is in fact applicable to children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. The importance of prioritising the provision of education to adolescents as well as younger children was underlined by the working group.

The working group on protection of adolescents underscored the importance of providing youth with a role within family and community and give them the opportunity to use their energy in a productive way. In refugee situations the establishment of youth-centres can be important for the development and mental health of adolescents. In addition, this is an important protection tool, because it keeps youth occupied with something useful, and thereby prevents idleness, which often leads to enrollment into armed forces. It was recognised, however, that such centres could have the potential of becoming «drafting points» if in the middle of a conflict.

Awareness-raising on the protection needs of adolescents in the local community is important. A prerequisite to finding the best tools to accomplish this is the comprehension of how «adolescence» is understood in the culture where the emergency is taking place.

Key Issues

• Understanding the way «Adolescence» is perceived in the culture where the emergency is taking place, in order to identify the best ways to raise the community awareness on the protection needs of the group.

• Exploring ideas on how to provide adolescents in complex emergencies with a ‘role’, through developing their potential and channelling their energy in peaceful and constructive activities. This means to provide positive alternatives to participating in the fighting, and to challenge the youth themselves to take an active part in shaping their own lives. Prevention of «idleness» is an important form of protection.

• Facilitating meetings with the elders in order to foster communication between generations. This could prove important in the preservation of values and culture. As adolescents are in a stage of search of identity, it is imperative that the values of their community are preserve. As fathers are often absent (many of them even involved in the fighting) the elders represent a special resource in transmitting such values.

• Paying special attention to adolescent girls, related to health and pregnancies, means of survival, and the risk of their being exploited, recruited or abducted.

5. Action to be taken – focus on education

According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), article 28, all children have the right to education, and it is the duty of the state to ensure that primary education is free and compulsory for all. Education provides children with important knowledge and contributes to the development of their personality. In addition to this, schooling can represent a state of normalcy for children caught up in armed conflict, refugee children and internally displaced children. Experience also shows that education has a preventive effect on recruitment, abduction and gender based violence, and thereby serves as an important protection tool. The working group underlined the importance of following up on efforts to introduce international standards for schools as zones of peace.

For these reasons, the education needs of children in armed conflict must be met. The working group on education stated that one of the greatest challenges is to raise the awareness of donors on the importance of initiating education at an early stage of a conflict. A tendency among donors is to view education as a long-term development activity, which means that they are reluctant to use emergency funds for this purpose. The UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children calls for educational activity to be established as a key component of all humanitarian assistance. Along with this, the Norwegian Refugee Council has taken an initiative to make education the fourth component of emergency assistance (in addition to food, shelter and health care).

The importance of co-operating with national and local authorities and different types of community groups and local NGOs was highlighted by the working group on education. The group also underscored the importance of an emergency curriculum including basic learning skills as well as civic education, human rights and education for peace. We also need to keep in mind that education in all phases of a conflict must have a long-term perspective, and that it is important to provide children with the knowledge and skills they need to rebuild their lives after the conflict.

Key challenges

• Awareness-raising & advocacy at national and international levels
  National governments and UN bodies should make a strong commitment to providing appropriate forms of education as prevention of recruitment/abduction. International donors should make appropriate forms of education eligible for funding as preventive and protective measures in emergencies. A poster, listing the principles, and various targeted brochures of practices should be produced («The Hadeland Declaration on Education in Emergencies and Difficult Circumstances») to highlight the importance and global challenge for investing in a better future.
• Capacity-building of organisations to handle these situations
  There is a great need for training of resource persons to handle emergency education. Concerned parties should identify staff to handle education, and consider setting up an international training body or a pool of trainers for rapid assistance. Existing standby-force personnel could provide resource persons or be given special training. There should be a link to education packages, and case studies could provide a code of practice.
• Systematic collection of data
  In order to make best possible use of experiences, there should be an ongoing collection of case studies, relevant data and good/bad practices.
• Prioritisation when funds are limited
  The following prioritisation of target groups was suggested:
      1. lower primary, 2. upper primary, 3. secondary, 4. pre-school

Allocation of funds for other activities were indicated as follows:
    1. training of teachers, 2. procurement of class equipment, 3. instruction materials (books etc.), 4. supplies (consumables), 5. recreational items, 6. buildings

In general:
    Make use of good quality local material when possible. Initiate and support a teacher training system which is sustainable, through national or local structures.

Curriculum, issues in addition to basic learning (literacy, numeracy etc.):
    human rights, health education, life skills, AIDS, environmental education, (not in order of priority)

• Extended target groups
  There are groups of people in situations that in many ways are similar to those resulting from fleeing conflicts. Refugees and internally displaced persons are main target groups for UNHCR and many other humanitarian organisations, while others also may be working with, for instance, urban populations . Exchange of experiences may be useful.

6. Emergency assessment and inter-agency collaboration

In order to improve the humanitarian and human rights situation for children affected by armed conflict, the co-operation and co-ordination between UN agencies, NGOs, donors and governments must be improved. The UN Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (1996) underlines that the protection of children, within the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), must be central to the humanitarian, peacemaking and peacekeeping policies of the UN, and that protection of children should be given priority within existing human rights and humanitarian procedures.

The Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict sees it as a particularly important task to co-operate with all relevant UN agencies in order to develop a collaborative approach to the protection and welfare of children, and to place this concern within the mainstream of UN policy-making and programme activities. His efforts in this regard are in accordance with the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to streamline and increase the efficiency of UN activities in general.

He also proposed the development of neighborhood initiatives. The purpose would be to 1) place child protection concerns at the heart of the peace process, and 2) develop comprehensive protection and assistance responses. The group outlined the possibilities of a similar initiative if applied in a Sudan context.

The working group concentrated its discussions around the following three issues:

1. How to move forward to ensure consensus on «unfinished» protection elements of a framework for assessment and collaboration

2. How to move forward on an approach based on children’s rights

3. How to progress in the collaboration with the UN Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict

1. How to ensure consensus on unfinished protection elements of a framework for assessment and collaboration:

The group noted that while the assistance (food, shelter and medicine) aspect of interagency emergency responses appears to be streamlined, responses to a number of child protection concerns are less predictable. These missing dimensions include inter-agency responses to sexual violence, prevention of child recruitment, and swift introduction of educational programs. It was also noted that the needs and rights of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 years, are often not taken into account.

The group chose to focus on education and gender-based violence/gender and status as examples in this regard:

Education:
In addition to points made by the other groups regarding this issue - such as the necessity of raising the awareness among donors as relates to the importance of making education a priority in emergency intervention, and the importance of incorporating human rights and education for peace in the curriculum - the working group made the following recommendation:

UNICEF/UNHCR/UNESCOs discussion document on «Rapid Educational Response in Complex Emergencies» should serve as a basis for an inter-agency dialogue on how to ensure that basic education and structured activities are provided to children and adolescents affected by armed conflict. The document should be disseminated to offices in the field as well as to NGOs to solicit constructive feedback. The three above mentioned agencies should then host an inter-agency meeting to reach consensus on guidelines, inter-agency agency co-operation and operational models.

 

Gender-based violence/gender and status:
While UNHCR and several NGOs have informative guidelines in this area, these guidelines need to be circulated to a wider audience. Relevant partners should then meet to develop more predictable emergency responses to gender based violence and sexual exploitation. The establishment of performance indicators for agency responses to gender-based violence and sexual abuse, as well as for female participation in decision-making processes, are required. UNICEF and UNHCR, as a «core alliance», should organise emergency response and assume responsibility for moving this aspect of the emergency response agenda forward.

2. Moving forward on an approach based on children’s rights

While there are a number of important child rights initiatives under way, the international community does not appear to share a common understanding of protection and assistance based on children’s rights. It was therefore recommended that UNHCR, UNICEF and the International Save the Children Alliance develop an inter-agency task force to start working towards a common understanding of child protection in emergencies. UNICEF program guidelines and case studies and UNHCR/Save the Children Alliance’s ARC training and capacity building materials should serve as the basis for this common effort.

3. Progressing in the collaboration with the UN Special Representative of Children and Armed Conflict

UN Collaboration: Collaboration between the Office of the Special Representative and relevant UN agencies needs to be improved. More consultation needs to take place in the preparation, field visits, and follow-up of field missions.

Involvement of NGOs: The importance of the civil society, and thus NGOs, getting more involved in Mr. Otunnu’s work was noted. It was recommended that the International Save the Children Alliance consider seconding a staff member to Mr. Otunnu’s office to work full time on these matters. The group inquired if this initiative could be financed by the governments of Norway and Canada, as a part of the previously mentioned Lysøen Declaration.

Personnel: A representative should be appointed to the office of the Special Representative to be responsible for the co-ordination between the office and the NGO community.

The Sudan situation should be approached in a holistic manner, and have a clear child component. The creation of a forum for the preparation of a peace plan was suggested. Participants in the forum should include UN agencies, national and neighbouring countries’ governments and rebel groups.

Other conditions within a peace process would be:

Political:

1. No asylum or refuge for groups who abduct children across borders
2. Prohibition of cross-border arms sales
3. Prohibition of land mines

Monitoring:

1. Establish child rights monitoring teams
2. Establish procedures for child repatriation, reception and reintegration
3. Initiate child vaccination campaign to all children in the region

Humanitarian:

The importance of securing good co-ordination between Operation Lifeline Sudan and the UN office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) was underlined. The necessity of securing access to the war-affected population and to generate resources for humanitarian work was also highlighted. There is an urgent need to integrate activities related to separated children in Sudan and the asylum countries.

Overall recommendations from the Oslo/Hadeland conference on protection of children and adolescents

Several inter-related themes where discussed in the different working groups. All the groups highlighted education as an important preventive tool, in addition to the general importance of education. The groups also focused on the negative consequences of lacking co-ordination between humanitarian organisations, and suggested measures to solve this problem. The participation of children and adolescents in the development and implementation of protective and preventive measures was a reoccurring theme in all the discussions.

The importance of curtailing the breakdown of traditional norms and social codes of behaviour which often takes place during armed conflict, was highlighted and elaborated upon by several members of the groups. In this context, it is essential to strengthen the various local institutions which serve to protect children, and to integrate them with current international norms.

The overall recommendations below represent proposed solutions to common aspects of the protection and prevention of child rights abuses discussed by the working groups. This has been done by linking the common aspects to recent political- and program developments, like the Lysøen declaration, the Security Council Statement on Children affected by Armed Conflict, ways of utilising the ARC-project, and further development of the co-operation between the Special Representative and humanitarian organisations.

Appendix 1

Summary background of the key speakers at the seminar in Oslo 09.11.98

Mr. Ola H. Metliaas, Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council:
Before taking up his post as Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Ola Metliaas was Director General of Ullevål Hospital (1989 - 1996). Mr. Metliaas has also been Director General of the Directorate of Labour, Director General in the State Rehabilitation Institute, and Head of Division, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ola Metliaas has published several books and articles, and held several honorary positions in the Liberal Party. He has served as party chairman during two periods, and is today a member of the Committee. He has also held a substantial number of honorary positions in the World Association of World Federalists, and is today a member of the Council.

Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson, Norwegian Minister of International Development and Human Rights:
Before taking up the position as Minister of International Development and Human Rights, Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson worked for four years as representative in the Parliament. She was a member of the Energy and Environment Committee. In 1992 - 93, she worked as consultant to the Resource Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has also served as personal advisor to Mr. Kåre Gjønnes (parliamentary leader) and for the leader of the Christian Democratic Party, Kjell Magne Bondevik (1990 - 91). She served as Kjell Magne Bondevik’s political advisor when he was Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1989 - 90.

Mr. Olara Otunnu, UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflicts:
As the Secretary General’s Special Representative for children in armed conflict, Mr. Otunnu serves as advocate for children in conflict situations, promoting measures for their protection in times of conflict and for their healing and reintegration in the aftermath of conflicts. Mr. Otunnu is widely recognised for his long-standing commitment and contribution to diverse activities related to international peace and security, prevention of conflict, reform of multilateral institutions, development, human rights issues, and the future of Africa. In this connection, he has held many leadership responsibilities, including President of the United Nations Security Council, Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, and Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations. He has also participated in several commissions, including the commission on Global Governance, the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, and the Club of Rome. In addition to this, Mr. Otunnu has also been active in many civic initiatives and organisations, such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Aspen Institute, Hampshire College, the International Crisis Group (ICG), and many other initiatives and organisations.

Ms. Wairimu Karago, Deputy Director of Division of International Protection, UNHCR:
Ms. Wairimu Karago has worked in UNHCR since 1979. As Deputy Director of the Division of International Protection, she is assisting the director in advising the High Commissioner on the formulation and implementation of policies for the international protection of refugees as well as providing advice, direction and supervision to protection staff on matters related to the protection of refugees. Ms. Karago led the UNHCR delegation to the 4th World Conference and NGO forum on Women in Beijing, and co-drafted chapters on human rights and displacement in the Beijing Platform for Action. She has participated in numerous panels, round tables and working groups on gender issues and the advancement of women. Before taking up the responsibility as Deputy Director, she was the Representative of Branch Office Harare, Zimbabwe. She has also worked as Deputy Regional Liaison Representative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as Senior Protection Officer in Nigeria, and as Legal Officer in Geneva. Before joining UNHCR, Ms. Karago was a law practitioner in Nairobi.

Ms. Tove Romsaas Wang, Assistant Secretary General/Head of International Department, Redd Barna:
Ms. Tove Romsaas Wang has held the position as Assistant Secretary General, responsible for the international program, since 1994. She has twenty years of development experience behind her, including long term assignments in Africa and Asia, with special emphasis on management, organisational development and child rights issues.

Ms. Hirut Tefferi, Rädda Barnen, Ethiopia:
Ms. Hirut Tefferi has been working for Rädda Barnen for ten years, mainly on issues related to family reunification and displaced children. Until 1996, she was the Head of the Rädda Barnen office in Kenya and Southern Sudan. While she still occupies that position, she is also the regional representative on the issue of children in armed conflicts (East Africa).

Ms. Angelina Acheng Atyam, Concerned Parents Organisation, Uganda:
Professionally, Angelina is a nurse midwife, and is self-employed in a private clinic in Lira District of Uganda. She has worked for Concerned Parents Organisation for two years, working with traumatised children who have been abducted by the Sudanese Army and Kony rebels in Uganda. Ms. Atyam participated in the committee that drafted the resolution on «Instructing Sudan to Unconditionally release all the Ugandan children abducted (in Uganda) and taken to Sudan».

Mr. Nigel Fischer, Visiting UN Fellow at the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development:
As «visiting UN Fellow» at the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa, Nigel Fischer advises the minister on issues affecting children in armed conflicts, and is working to ensure that children are high priority on Canada’s foreign policy and human security agenda. He is focusing on strengthening Canadian capacity to mediate for children in the midst of conflict, and has this year been the Canadian focal point for a joint Canadian-Norwegian initiative to open up dialogue and co-operation with Algeria for child victims of violence. He is also involved in joint government-NGO efforts to develop a common Canadian strategy for children in armed conflicts, is working with the department of National Defence towards 18 years limit for military recruitment in Canada, and is a member of a bilateral US-Canada Steering Committee working to increase gender-sensitivity in the two countries’ armed forces. Mr. Fisher is on sabbatical leave from UNICEF. Much of his 20-year UNICEF career has been in posting in conflicts or post-conflict zones. He was most recently Director of UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programs.

Mr. Neil Boothby, Senior Co-ordinator for Refugee Children, UNHCR:
As Senior Co-ordinator for Refugee Children, Mr. Boothby is in charge of assisting UNHCR in the priority task of formulating policy action for refugee children and adolescents, and overseeing its integration into all stages of UNHCR’s programs and project planning. Mr. Boothby joined UNHCR in 1995 as Regional Co-ordinator for Refugee Children in Kigali, Rwanda. Before joining UNHCR, he was Professor of the Practice of Policy Studies at Duke University, Durham, N.C. (USA), and has also worked with NGOs, UNICEF and various government ministries on child and adolescent programs in Guatemala, Mozambique, former Yugoslavia, Liberia and Cambodia.

Appendix 2

Working groups