Advocacy

Targeted, concerted and strategic advocacy on all aspects of the children and armed conflict agenda underpin the work of the Office of the Special Representative. Activities are geared towards: (i) creating awareness and global consensus on the need to protect all children affected by armed conflict both during and after conflict; (ii) creating a broad coalition of support for the further development and application of international human rights standards as they relate to war-affected children; and (iii) advancing ideas and mobilizing support for policies within the United Nations system, regional organizations and donor aid practices to ensure that the protection of children affected by armed conflict is addressed in their peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian, transitional and development aid strategies.

The Special Representative advocates with other important "destinations for action", such as the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission, regional organizations, national Governments and other entities, that have different capacities and important roles to play within the purview of their own mandates, jurisdictions and responsibilities.

Field visits by the Special Representative and her Office are a crucial aspect of her mandate and necessary for promoting increased cooperation. Such visits enable the Special Representative to bear witness first-hand to the situation of children, to enhance dialogue with Member States, to support more effectively the work of operational partners, to elicit commitments from parties to conflict and to unblock difficult political situations, as required.

The Special Representative's advocacy strategy also includes media outreach, events, briefings to schools and universities and the maintenance of a website, in collaboration with the Department of Public Information and other partners. Engagement with media and newswires in New York and other key global media hubs, as well as during country missions has served to raise greater international awareness and calls for increased international cooperation around the children and armed conflict agenda. The Special Representative's participation in and organization of special events has helped to build partnerships, to create media interest and to mobilize the international community. The website of the Office of the Special Representative serves as a platform of references on children and armed conflict issues for United Nations partners, Member States, NGOs, practitioners, the media and the public at large.

A particular advocacy initiative represents the Office's two-year campaign called "Zero under 18" with the purpose to achieve universal ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC). Activities planned and partly implemented by the Office and its partners include bilateral meetings with Member States that have not signed and not yet ratified the Optional Protocol, advocacy initiatives at multilateral meetings, assistance to countries translating the Optional Protocol into national legislation as well as the organization of events. The Office has also created an online, a social media platform of the campaign to promote awareness, as well as to provide information and support. The Special Representative also calls on Member States and regional organizations to support the "Zero under 18" campaign by using their own advocacy means as well as by providing technical assistance.