Prior to the debate, the Watchlist released a briefing note, Next Steps to Protect Children in Armed Conflict, which highlighted the practical and achievable steps that the UN Security Council could take to ensure stronger protection for children affected by armed conflict.

On June 30th, the permanent Mission of Germany organized a high-level Side Event on Children and Armed Conflict. The Side-Event was chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Dr Peter Wittig (Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN) and SRSG-CAAC Radhika Coomaraswamy. The panelists included Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser (UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education), Mr. Martin Mogwanja (Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF), Ms. Irina Bokova (Director General of UNESCO), Mrs. Béatrice Le Fraper (Permanent Mission of France to the UN), Robert Young (ICRC) and Watchlist Director Eva Smets.

Click here to view the webcast

Click here to read the statement delivered by Watchlist Director

Hosted by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, Watchlist organized an evening encounter and discussion with grassroots child rights activists from DR Congo, Nepal, Colombia and Burma/Myanmar, facilitated by Ms. Pamela Falk, CBS News. The evening featured Watchlist partners from around the world:

  • Partnerships to Protect Children in Armed Conflict (PPCC), Nepal
  • ‘Association des Jeunes pour le Développement Intégré – Kalundu (AjediKa)’, the Democratic Republic of Congo
  •  Karen Human Rights group (KHRG), Eastern Burma
  • Children and Armed Conflict Observatory (COALICO), Colombia

On 12 July, in  partnership with the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, Watchlist opened the exhibit: In their own words: ‘Attacks on Schools and Hospitals’ in Children’s Drawings, with German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Guido Westerwelle.

 

The drawings came from Nepal, Burma, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The drawings from Nepal were made in 2008, during a 5-day workshop on peace and reconciliation. All other drawings were made throughout June – July 2011.

Dr. Guido Westerwelle, the German Minister for Foreign Affairs said in his opening address: “Today many children are still forced to live in fear, often without their parents or teachers on their sides to protect them. And this fear often stays with them, even when the war is over. Children want to go to school. They know that education is the key to their future. Schools should be places where they can feel protected from an oftentimes frightening world.”

Click here to watch an ARD German news broadcast on the opening of the exhibit

Click here for an English text translation of the broadcast