In 2016, Watchlist commemorated 15 years of advocacy on behalf of children in armed conflict. The year also marked an important shift in Watchlist’s strategy to remain relevant and effective in addressing the needs and rights of children in a changing world. Key to this shift was a focus not just on holding accountable parties to conflict who commit grave violations, but also the UN actors responsible for implementing the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict (CAC) agenda. Towards this aim, Watchlist commenced work on a new thematic research topic on attacks on health care in Afghanistan and Yemen, and a policy note recommending a credible and accurate list of parties to conflict who commit grave violations against children. Watchlist additionally produced a lessons-learned study following 10 years of implementation of the UN’s Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism, looking at Colombia and South Sudan, and additionally worked with mediation and CAC experts to develop the first-ever checklist for drafting children and armed conflict provisions in ceasefire and peace agreements.
Read more in Watchlist’s 2016 Annual Report.
