The side event is organized by the University Network for Children in Armed Conflict, the Institute of Political Studies “S. Pio V” and the Fondation Congolaise pour la Promotion des Droits humains et la Paix, to analyze the situation of children in armed conflicts concerning international instruments aimed at their protection.

This side event will be celebrated within the framework of the project “National Action Plans on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the impact of armed conflicts on children: study and analysis of the International Universities Network”, which was carried out by the Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict in collaboration with the Institute of Political Studies “S. Pius V” and supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Armed conflicts subdue children to systematic and widespread violations of their human rights, with physical, mental, emotional and material repercussions.

Armed conflicts have severe direct and indirect consequences for children, and, most often, indirect consequences are not taken into account due to the severity of direct consequences, which are broadly defined as death, injury, recruitment as child soldiers and violence against children. The disastrous consequences of indirect harm caused to children during armed conflicts have a lasting impact on these children due to the double trauma such as gross violations of kidnapping, forced removal from their families, illegal detention and recruitment as child soldiers. Furthermore, these children are also deprived of their fundamental rights to education, housing and the right to build a successful and holistic life.

 

This side event offers the opportunity to construct a comparative analysis of the situation of children in armed conflicts in relation to international instruments aimed at the prevention, protection and participation of girls, such as UN resolutions, in particular UNSCR 1325, and the responses of the international justice. The organization manages to guarantee the need to promote accountability for crimes committed in armed conflicts against minors.

This side event aims to create a narrative and collate ideas on how Resolution 1325 can impact and support the global movement to reduce the direct and indirect impacts of armed conflict on children. To achieve this, we must expand the understanding and impact of Resolution 1325 from its gender perspective to reach children affected by armed conflict as well and create a broader umbrella of sustainable peacebuilding via the 4 pillars of Resolution 1325 – Participation, Protection, Prevention, Relief and Recovery, and Accountability. The impact of armed conflict on children needs to deep dive into the following:

 

•          Participation – how can we create a dialogue from a gender perspective to include the protection of children under Resolution 1325 mutually, and how should the National Action Plans reflect this?

•          Protection – how does the jurisdiction of the national and international communities work together to create a system of sustainable protection of children from armed conflict under the umbrella of Resolution 1325? (Considering that internal civil wars create a jurisdictional question for international community intervention)

•          Prevention – what specific areas of direct and indirect impacts of armed conflict on children can Resolution 1325 address?

•          Relief and Recovery – can Resolution 1325 play a more significant role in the relief and recovery of children affected by armed conflict (as this is a critical impact point that tends to see many children fall through the cracks)?

•          Accountability – how do we improve accountability measures to support children and women affected by armed conflict?

 

During the side event, the Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict will show a video reportage by the photographer Marzia Ferrone and the Virtual Map on the situation of children living in the States in conflict or post-conflict object of the research, realized through the support of the Italian MoFA.

 

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Side Event Agenda

 

 

1.15 pm -1.25 pm  Welcome addresses

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Moderator: Mrs. Simona Lanzellotto, Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict

 

H.E. Mr. Zenon Mukongo Ngay, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Democratic republic of Congo to the UN

H. E. Mr. Maurizio Massari, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN

 

 

 

1.25 pm-1.35 pm Keynote Speaker

 

Mrs. Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict

 

 

1.35 pm - 2.30 pm Panel Discussion Protection of children during Armed Conflicts. A focus on the gender perspective in light of the UNSCR 1325

 

Moderator: Mrs. Simona Lanzellotto, UNETCHAC

 

Mrs. Laura Guercio, Secretary General UNETCHAC

Mr. Kito Masimango, Professor at the Universitie Panafricaine De Conformite En Oceanique (Upaco) (Republic Democratic of Congo) and President of Fondation Congolaise pour la Promotion des Droits humains et la Paix

Mrs. Vasilka Sancin Professor at the University of Lubjiana (Slovenia) and a member of the UN

Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

Mrs. Azza Karam, Professor at the Vrije Universiteit (Netherlands); worked on the religious dialogue at the UNFPA and the UNDP; founder of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on religion and development; member of the UN Secretary-General’s “High Level Advisory board on Effective Multilateralism”.

Mrs. Jan Marie Fritz, Professor at the University of Cincinnati and University of Johannesburg, expert on gender issues and NAP’s on UNSCR 1325

Mr. Jean Paul Mukolo Nkokesha, Procureur Général près òa Cour Constitutionelle de RDC et Président du Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature

Mr. Greg Carroll, Professor at Salem State University (USA), Coordinator, Peace and Conflict Studies program, Faculty, Center for Human Rights and Human Rights Education; worked on Millennium Development Goals in Timor-Leste; currently working on Youth Resiliency in Liberia

Mr. Mame Mandiaye Niang, Procureur Adjoint de la CPI

 

 

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“This conference was carried out with the support of the Directorate-General of Political Affairs and Security of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in accordance with the Decree n. D.D. n. 2111/101 of 27/03/2023. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation”.

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