Protecting children in armed conflict

Abstract

In conflicts around the world, a shocking number of children are being killed, raped, abducted and recruited to fight. In light of this continuing, if not worsening, general failure to protect children in conflict, it is questionable whether existing international law norms and institutions provide sufficient protection and accountability. Consideration needs to be given to whether international law can do more - practically and effectively - when moral lines are crossed. This book reviews the position of children in conflict by reference to the six grave vilations as identified by the UN Security Council. It analyses the protection offered by international humanitarian law, international criminal law and international human rights law, and also assesses the related adjudicative accountability mechanisms. The analysis concludes with a number of recommendations and proposals for reform, with aview to enhancing accountability, deterring future violations and ending the harmful effects of war on children