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The United Nations and many member states have placed increased emphasis on improving child protection in UN peacekeeping missions, particularly with regard to child soldiers. These efforts often depict a critical role for female peacekeepers in child protection. In this paper I analyse UN child protection documents, drawing on feminist critiques of gendered discourses in peacekeeping and work on children in global politics to explore how the UN understands gender in child protection contexts. I do so through an analysis of how peacekeepers' gendered subject positions and representations of children in need of protection are constructed. I find that the construction of children primarily as victims lacking agency and in need of being saved, and a focus on female peacekeepers primarily in community engagement, risk perpetuating the neglect of children's agency during armed conflict and leave the protective masculine basis of peacekeeping largely unchallenged. These constructions have implications for the implementation of both the children and armed conflict and WPS agendas in peacekeeping.

Within this issue of Allons-y, two talented graduate students provide fascinating examinations of the present-day use of child soldiers. In the 21st Century, children are the primary victims of war, but their use as soldiers is also a primary driver of conflict, one which requires a comprehensive and holistic approach. This publication aims to promote interdisciplinary praxis to contribute to ending this scourge of modern warfare.Michelle Legassicke, a PhD candidate in political science at Dalhousie University and a Research Fellow here at the Dallaire Initiative, examines the prevalence of children in cattle raiding in South Sudan prior to the outbreak of the civil war there in 2013, and how this correlates to the levels of violence experienced during the war, showing its utility as an early warning indicator. This war is one of the gravest on the planet, with actions amounting to genocide, which the international community has abjectly failed to prevent.Jacqueline Salomé, a research assistant at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, examines the use of restorative justice for former child soldiers, and the failure to apply it to child pirates, arguing that it is important to apply this form of justice to all militarized children and not selectively to only those who do not directly threaten Western interests, and that it can serve as a powerful preventative mechanism. Despite the commonalities among children used in war, criminal enterprise, and terrorism, the opposite responses applied to children depending on how we label them undermine the commitments that almost all nations have made to upholding the rights of children.Each of these pieces is accompanied by an expert commentary, situating it in the broader context and commenting on its importance for practitioners. Nicholas Coghlan, Canada's ambassador to South Sudan from 2014 to 2016, comments on Michelle's piece, and Kenneth Watkin, comments on Jaqueline's piece. All too often in our work there is a gap in interaction, discussion, and learning between academics and practitioners; and a gap in time between when data is collected and when academic research on that data gets published. Allons-y attempts to address these gaps, and the expert commentaries are a key part of this. They both increase interaction between practitioners and academics, and situate the academic pieces in the present moment in our rapidly changing world.As editor of Allons-y, I hope that these insightful pieces will stimulate further thought and debate among academics and practitioners and help to advance the importance of children to the peace and security agenda.

Since the publication of the first issue of Allons-y in August of last year, the world has become a darker place. Rising tides of xenophobia, toxic nationalism, and violent rhetoric threaten our diverse and inclusive societies at home and abroad, while the world seems to be retreating from critical international institutions and the very democratic values that underpin peace and the rule of law. New and escalating crises threaten to cause new inter- and intra-state wars, while horrific conflicts without end in sight grind on in Syria and Iraq, South Sudan, Somalia, and elsewhere. The renewed hope of the past eight years has now been fully replaced by doubt, cynicism, and the sense of impending crisis.As always in such times of instability and growing conflict, children are both the ones most at risk of harm during wars and refugee flows, the go-to tool for extremist recruiters, and the most important agents of change for building a brighter and more peaceful future. As ISIS loses ground in Iraq and Syria, we see them turning increasingly to recruiting children over the internet to carry out attacks, placing new challenges before our communities and governments. As millions of refugees flee brutal conflicts and repressive regimes, half or more of them are children, and are left vulnerable to exploitation and abuse as they are turned away at borders, sent back to more dangerous countries, or viewed with suspicion because of their religion or race.Children and youth are also taking action to build a better world, engaging in politics, standing up for peaceful and inclusive societies, and working to build peace in their communities. As an international and interdependent community, we must support the efforts of children and youth to create a better world, and help protect them from use and abuse by those who pursue a malign agenda.In order to effectively do so, we require research, analysis, and insights on the roles that children and youth play in the perpetuation of conflict and the building of peace. Allons-y seeks to provide a platform for this kind of work, and this issue addresses a number of the most pressing matters facing the modern world. I hope that these pieces on children and cyberwarfare, Islamophobia and Islamist fundamentalism, and the mental health of Syrian refugee children provoke thought, inform conversations, and form one small part of our work to build a world that is peaceful, prosperous, and affirms and supports the rights of all human beings.

For this volume of Allons-y we asked young authors to write about how armed conflict impacts children in the countries on International Crisis Group's ten conflicts to watch in 2018 list. Much has changed in these conflicts since then, but all continue to do grave harm to children, which we struggle to address in the aftermath. The militarization and abuse of children are often used by autocratic regimes and armed groups to further their aims, and the trauma can have a lasting impact on the children and their societies. The four papers and their accompanying commentary in this volume illustrate these challenges and collectively highlight the importance of prevention.The authors, all young scholars who are in or have recently completed graduate school, wrote about the ways in which children are ripped from their communities in order to be used for military and political ends in armed conflict, and the difficulties of repairing these harms afterwards, whether in countries affected by armed conflict like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or when people flee as refugees to new lands. The first two papers explore how children are weaponized: Peter Steele writes about the North Korean Songbun system that militarizes children from birth, and Airianna Murdoch-Fyke writes about the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war targeted at girls in the DRC. Both methods are designed to disrupt a child's connection to their family and community. The last two papers explore the difficulties of addressing the resulting trauma: Arpita Mitra writes about the failures of the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration process in the DRC, and Emily Pelley writes about the difficulties of aiding young refugees exposed to wartime violence when they come to Northern countries such as Canada. Collectively, these papers highlight the need to invest more in prevention of wartime abuses, rather than scrambling to catch-up and repair the damage already done.While it may be cliché to say that young people are the future, it is also the truth, and it is important for them to have platforms to discuss and present their ideas and contribute to the most pressing challenges facing our world. Whether it is young politicians challenging our complacency on climate change, students fighting for safer schools, young activists towards peace in their countries and around the world, or young scholars such as the authors of this volume, we must turn to and support the younger generations who are invested in making a better world for themselves and all of humanity. In this spirit, Allons-y seeks to pair the academic and practical work of young people with the commentary of those who are more experienced in their field to demonstrate how young people can contribute to and create a brighter tomorrow.

Ensuring that peacekeepers receive suitable and effective training to prepare for deployments has become an important focus for the UN and member states over the past three decades. This is particularly relevant for non-traditional military skills needed in modern multidimensional missions, including child protection. This article discusses the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative's (Dallaire Initiative) training and education programming for security sector actors, highlighting its effectiveness in preparing peacekeepers for addressing the presence of child soldiers, the importance of integrating the issue of child soldiers into national curricula, and the necessity of evaluating and learning from training.Keywords: training, peacekeeping, child soldiers ; Au cours des trois dernières décennies, les Nations Unies et ses États membres ont accordés une grande importance à la formation appropriée et efficace des soldats de la paix en vue de leur déploiement. C'est particulièrement le cas en ce qui concerne les compétences militaires non-conventionnelles dont ils doivent faire preuve pendant les missions multidimensionnelles modernes, notamment les compétences liées à la protection des enfants. Cet article examine les programmes de formation et d'éducation de l'Institut Dallaire pour les enfants, la paix et la sécurité destinés aux intervenants du secteur de la sécurité, et fait ressortir leur efficacité dans la préparation des soldats de la paix à faire face à la présence d'enfants soldats, l'importance d'intégrer la question des enfants soldats dans les programmes d'étude nationaux et la nécessité d'évaluer la formation et d'en tirer des enseignements.Mots-clés : formation, maintien de la paix, enfants soldats

Since the passage of UN Security Council resolution 1325, there has been a growing focus on the involvement of women in peacekeeping operations. Ambitious UN targets, the Vancouver Principles, and the Canadian government's Elsie Initiative all aim to support the increased inclusion of uniformed women in peacekeeping missions. This article discusses three areas in which the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative (Dallaire Initiative) is working to support Vancouver Principle (VP) 11 through the training of women security sector actors, training on gendered dimensions of the recruitment and use of child soldiers and SGBV against child soldiers, and through research on how gender matters in peacekeeping operations. Based on these experiences and an engagement with the academic literature, it makes a number of policy recommendations in support of VP 11.Keywords: gender, peacekeeping, training, child soldiers, SGBV ; Depuis l'adoption de la résolution 1325 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, on met de plus en plus l'accent sur la participation des femmes aux opérations de maintien de la paix. Les objectifs ambitieux des Nations Unies, les Principes de Vancouver et l'Initiative Elsie du gouvernement canadien visent tous à soutenir l'inclusion accrue des femmes qui portent l'uniforme aux missions de maintien de la paix. Le présent article traite de trois domaines dans lesquels l'Institut Dallaire pour les enfants, la paix et la sécurité (Institut Dallaire) s'efforce de soutenir le onzième principe de Vancouver grâce à la formation des intervenantes du secteur de la sécurité, à la formation sur les dimensions sexospécifiques du recrutement et de l'utilisation des enfants soldats et sur la violence sexuelle et sexiste à l'encontre des enfants soldats, et à la recherche sur l'influence de la problématique hommes-femmes sur les opérations de maintien de la paix. Sur la base de ces expériences et d'une recherche dans la documentation universitaire, il formule un certain nombre de recommandations politiques à l'appui du onzième principe de Vancouver.Mots-clés : problématique hommes-femmes, sexe, maintien de la paix, formation, enfants soldats, violence sexuelle et sexospécifique

This sixth volume of Allons-y: Journal of Children Peace and Security focuses on the implementation of the Vancouver Principles in light of the successes, lessons learned, and challenges of the past twenty-five years of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) Agenda. The volume began its journey in 2021, which represented a number of important milestones for children, peace and security: the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the CAAC Agenda with General Assembly Resolution 51/77 (1996), the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1379 (2001) which first mandated that the Secretary-General publish a list of parties to conflict who recruited and used child soldiers, and 2021 was the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. As multiple of the authors in this volume note, there have been great advancements in the recognition of the specific harms children face during armed conflict and in the international system to prevent and redress them over the past 25 years. These include the adoption of a specific treaty on children's involvement in armed conflict, the establishment of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for grave violations of children's right, and the inclusion of child protection mandates in UN peacekeeping operations. States, the UN, and civil society now have multiple tools to aid in better protecting children, and particularly, in preventing their recruitment and use as soldiers, such as the Vancouver Principles, Safe Schools Declaration, and Paris Principles. This time has also witnessed expanded research into children's experiences during armed conflict and how to better protect them, from a range of disciplines from history to social work to international relations.At the same time, the past twenty-five years have seen the emergence or return of conflict dynamics which further expose children to violence and make their protection even more difficult. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the latest example of the disregard for children during war, while existing conflicts in Yemen, South Sudan, Mozambique, and elsewhere continue to involve children as both perpetrators and victims of violence. These include the challenges in effective multilateral responses by the UN due to great power politics and challenges to the international system, the intractability of longstanding civil conflicts that affect hundreds of millions of children, and changes in armed conflict such as the scope of violence by organized crime, the splintering of armed groups and use of terrorist tactics, and new developments in cyber warfare and autonomous weapons. Support for basic human rights and the resources required to address children's needs, are sorely lacking and not rising to meet the challenges of the current world. We hope these reflections on the roles of youth, the UN, civil society, and committed governments in advancing the CAAC agenda into the next quarter century can help foster new thinking, strategies, and relationships to raise children's place in the peace and security agenda and further the cause of peace globally.

"National and international strategies to protect children must empower and build the capacities of women, families and communities to address the root causes of conflict and strengthen local development." –Graça Machel[1]Over this past year we saw events, reflections, and new research on the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. Critical dialogue has continued on the roles of men and women in peacekeeping and gaps remain in our collective understanding of how gender influences peacekeeping practice. The Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and Preventing the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, now endorsed by over 100 countries, raises particular attention to the intersections of gender and child protection practice and policy. Principle 11, Contributions of Women, aims "to recognize the essential contribution of women to peacekeeping operational effectiveness, and the distinct and critical roles of both men and women in the protection of children and the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers."Thus, for this 5th volume of Allons-y, we called on the international community to consider the interconnections between the Women, Peace and Security and Children, Peace and Security agendas to explore how gender influences the prevention of the recruitment and use of children in violence. The contributors are researchers and practitioners with extensive experience working in the fields of child protection, security sector reform, and feminist scholarship. Together, the contributions in this volume demonstrate the complexities of the humanitarian, development and security nexus, and the importance of understanding the complexities of gender within peace and security.In the opening preface, Clare Hutchinson, the NATO Secretary-General's Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, reflects on the evolution of formal mechanisms designed to address the gendered impacts of conflict and the importance of enhancing women's meaningful engagement in peace and security. Nidhi Kapur and Hannah Thompson argue that the complexities of gender, beyond a binary perspective, need to be considered in child protection, not least in the context of fragile and conflict environments if peace is to be sustained. Vanessa Brown argues for reforms to military training that prioritize the protection of children affected by conflict and considers an intersectional, gendered analysis as essential to effective military operations. Dustin Johnson analyzes Vancouver Principle 11 – Contribution of Women – in relation to the emerging complexities of a gender transformative approach to child protection.The Vancouver Principles are an important mechanism to prioritize children within peace and security. Recognizing that conflict and conflict prevention are gendered social issues that require a commitment to critical dialogue, reflective practice, and evolving protection frameworks, are essential to a comprehensive approach to protecting children. The contributions in this volume particularly demonstrate the importance of applying theory to practice, and illustrate the value of using critical and feminist approaches in scholarship to tackling the complexities of gender, peacekeeping, and, child recruitment. We hope this 5th volume of Allons-y serves to challenge understandings and practices in order to improve child protection and the prevention of the recruitment and use of children as soldiers.[1] Graça Machel, "Impact of Armed Conflict on Children" (New York: United Nations, 1996), 59, https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/51/306. ; "Las estrategias nacionales e internacionales de protección infantil deben proporcionar y desarrollar las capacidades de las mujeres, las familias y las comunidades para abordar las raíces de las causas de un conflicto y promover el desarrollo local". –Graça Machel[1][traducido]Durante el último año, fuimos testigos de eventos, reflexiones y nueva investigación en el 20mo aniversario de la Resolución 1325 del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU sobre mujeres, paz y seguridad, así como el 25to aniversario de la Plataforma de Acción de Beijing. A pesar que en el presente existe un debate crítico continuo sobre los roles de hombres y mujeres en labores de mantenimiento de la paz aún, quedan brechas para nuestra comprensión colectiva de cómo el género influye en la práctica del mantenimiento de la paz. Los Principios de Vancouver sobre Mantenimiento de la Paz y Prevención del Reclutamiento y Uso de Niños Soldados, que actualmente cuentan con el apoyo de más de 100 países, consideran de manera específica las intersecciones entre el género y las prácticas y políticas de protección infantil. El Principio 11, Contribuciones de las mujeres, tiene por fin "reconocer la contribución esencial de las mujeres a la eficacia de las operaciones de paz, así como los roles distintos y fundamentales de hombres y mujeres en la protección infantil y en la prevención del reclutamiento y uso de niños soldados".Por lo tanto, para este 5to volumen de Allons-y, invitamos a la comunidad internacional a considerar las interconexiones entre los planes sobre Mujeres, Paz y Seguridad, y Niños, Paz y Seguridad para analizar cómo el género influye en la prevención del reclutamiento y el uso de niños en contextos de violencia. Los colaboradores son investigadores profesionales con vasta experiencia de trabajo en los ámbitos de protección infantil, reformas del sector de seguridad y estudios feministas. En conjunto, las contribuciones en este volumen demuestran las complejidades del nexo humanitario, de desarrollo y seguridad, así como la importancia de comprender las complejidades de género en temas de paz y seguridad.En el prefacio, Clare Hutchinson, la Representante especial del Secretario General de la OTAN para el plan sobre Mujeres, Paz y Seguridad, reflexiona sobre la evolución de los mecanismos formales diseñados para abordar los impactos de género de un conflicto y la importancia de fomentar la participación significativa de las mujeres en labores de paz y seguridad. Nidhi Kapur y Hannah Thompson afirman que, para mantener la paz, es necesario considerar las complejidades del género, más allá de una perspectiva binaria, en la protección infantil, particularmente en el contexto de entornos frágiles y de conflicto. Vanessa Brown señala que las reformas en la capacitación militar que priorizan la protección de niños afectados por un conflicto deben considerar un análisis interseccional y de género para que las operaciones militares sean eficaces. Dustin Johnson analiza el Principio de Vancouver 11: Contribución de las mujeres en relación con las complejidades emergentes de un enfoque transformador del género para la protección infantil.Los Principios de Vancouver constituyen un mecanismo importante para hacer de los niños una prioridad en los temas de paz y seguridad. Reconocer que el conflicto y la prevención del mismo son problemas sociales basados en el género que requieren un compromiso de diálogo crítico, práctica reflexiva y marcos de protección en constante cambio, es crucial para adoptar un enfoque integral de protección infantil. En términos específicos, las contribuciones en este volumen demuestran la importancia de aplicar la teoría a la práctica e ilustrar el valor de aplicar enfoques críticos y feministas en el ámbito académico para abordar las complejidades de género, mantenimiento de la paz y reclutamiento infantil. Esperamos que este 5to volumen de Allons-y sirva para cuestionar las concepciones y las prácticas con el fin de optimizar las iniciativas de protección infantil y prevención del reclutamiento y uso de niños soldados.[1] Graça Machel, "Impact of Armed Conflict on Children" (New York: United Nations, 1996), 59, https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/51/306. ; « Les stratégies nationales et internationales de protection des enfants doivent tendre à permettre aux femmes, aux familles et aux communautés de mieux s'adapter aux causes profondes des conflits et de promouvoir le développement local. » – Graça Machel[1]Au cours de l'année écoulée, nous avons assisté à des événements, à des réflexions et à de nouvelles recherches à l'occasion du vingtième anniversaire de la Résolution 1325 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies sur les femmes, la paix et la sécurité, et du vingt-cinquième anniversaire du Programme d'action de Beijing. Le dialogue critique s'est poursuivi sur les rôles des hommes et des femmes dans le maintien de la paix, et des lacunes subsistent dans notre compréhension collective de la manière dont la dimension sexospécifique influence la pratique du maintien de la paix. Les Principes de Vancouver sur le maintien de la paix et la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation d'enfants-soldats, auxquels ont désormais souscrit plus de 100 pays, accordent une attention particulière aux recoupements entre les pratiques et les politiques en matière de sexospécificité et de protection des enfants. Le Principes 11, intitulé Contribution des femmes, consiste à « reconnaître la contribution essentielle des femmes à l'efficacité opérationnelle des opérations de maintien de la paix, ainsi que les rôles distincts et cruciaux que jouent les hommes et les femmes dans la protection de l'enfance et la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation d'enfants soldats ».Ainsi, pour ce cinquièmevolume d'Allons-y, nous avons appelé la communauté internationale à considérer les interconnexions entre le programme « Femmes, paix et sécurité » et le programme sur les enfants, la paix et la sécurité afin d'étudier l'influence de la dimension sexospécifique sur la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation des enfants dans la violence. Les collaborateurs sont des chercheurs et des praticiens possédant une vaste expérience dans les domaines de la protection de l'enfance, de la réforme du secteur de la sécurité et des études féministes. Ensemble, les articles de ce volume établissent la complexité des interfaces entre l'action humanitaire, le développement et la sécurité, et l'importance de comprendre les subtilités de la dimension sexospécifique dans la paix et la sécurité.Dans la préface, Clare Hutchinson, représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général de l'OTAN pour les femmes, la paix et la sécurité, réfléchit à l'évolution des mécanismes officiels conçus pour traiter les impacts sexués des conflits et à l'importance de renforcer l'engagement significatif des femmes dans la paix et la sécurité. Puis, Nidhi Kapur et Hannah Thompson soutiennent que les questions complexes de la dimension sexospécifique, au-delà d'une perspective binaire, doivent être prises en compte dans la protection de l'enfant, notamment dans le contexte d'environnements fragiles et conflictuels, si l'on veut que la paix soit durable. Vanessa Brown plaide ensuite en faveur de réformes de la formation militaire qui donnent la priorité à la protection des enfants touchés par les conflits et considère qu'une analyse intersectionnelle et sexuée est essentielle pour des opérations militaires efficaces. Finalement, Dustin Johnson analyse le Principe 11 de Vancouver, intitulé Contribution des femmes, en relation avec les questions complexes qui se dégagent d'une approche transformative de la dimension sexospécifique à l'égard de la protection de l'enfance.Les Principes de Vancouver constituent un mécanisme important pour donner la priorité aux enfants dans le cadre de la paix et de la sécurité. Reconnaître que les conflits et la prévention des conflits sont des questions sociales sexospécifiques qui nécessitent un engagement en faveur d'un dialogue critique, d'une pratique réfléchie et de cadres de protection évolutifs est essentiel à une approche globale de la protection des enfants. Les articles de ce volume attestent particulièrement de l'importance d'appliquer la théorie à la pratique, et illustrent la valeur de l'utilisation d'approches critiques et féministes dans la recherche pour aborder les questions complexes de la dimension sexospécifique, du maintien de la paix et du recrutement d'enfants. Nous espérons donc que ce cinquièmevolume d'Allons-y servira à remettre en question les conceptions et les pratiques afin d'améliorer la protection des enfants, et la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation d'enfants comme soldats.[1] Graça Machel, "Impact of Armed Conflict on Children" (New York: United Nations, 1996), 59, https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/51/306.

"The Vancouver Principles pushes the international community boldly forward on issues related to peacekeeping and protecting children used as weapons of war and ensure peacekeepers are prepared."LGen Roméo DallaireThe Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers has rapidly been endorsed by states around the world, demonstrating the global desire for peacekeeping to address the use of children as soldiers. Co-created by the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative and the Canadian Government, the Vancouver Principles are a set of political commitments endorsed by states and are focused on "the need to prioritize and operationalize the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers in areas of operations of peacekeeping, noting the critical role of such prevention to the achievement of peace and security, and taking into account the differential impact of conflict on girls and boys." The seventeen Principles range from the prevention-oriented planning, to the inclusion of child protection focal points in command structures, to the commitment to share best practices among states.For this volume of Allons-y, we asked contributors to focus on the implementation of the Vancouver Principles, with each article focussing on practical aspects of one of the principles and the current status of research in the area of focus. The contributors are researchers and practitioners in the field of Children, Peace and Security and offer their perspectives on current literature as well as field-based experiences in relation to the goals of the Vancouver Principles. The preface, commentary and six papers in this volume illustrate the complexities of contemporary armed conflict, the increasing and evolving impacts on children, and the importance of prevention.The volume opens with Commentary by Valentina Falco and Alec Wargo who provide an overview of the UN protection framework for children affected by armed conflict and the accompanying monitoring mechanisms. Shelly Whitman and Catherine Baillie Abidi lay the foundation of the concept of prevention and the increasing need to take preventative actions to break cycles of armed conflict. Victoria Bryce and Dustin Johnson build on this foundation and further explore how prevention can be operationalized within security sector structures to dually enhance the protection of children and improve operational effectiveness. In relation to improving protection, Dustin Johnson and Allyssa Walsh explore the role of gender in recruitment prevention, emphasizing the gendered dimensions of recruitment and use of children, and the need to better understand how the gender of peacekeepers affects child protection. Laura Cleave and William Watkins offer insights into early warning systems and the opportunities to embed child-specific indicators as a measure to prevent or disrupt recruitment processes. Marion Laurence explores the function of monitoring and reporting grave violations of children's rights in light of the move towards better and more coordinated use of data in UN peacekeeping. And finally, Jo Becker examines the alarming trend of the detention, rather than the release and rehabilitation, of children associated with armed groups.Given the unprecedented and increasing number of children living in conflict-affected areas, it is vital that the international community prioritizes children's rights and rallies toward building peaceful communities. The creation of the Vancouver Principles in 2017 has added vital momentum to this agenda, and with this and future issues of Allons-y we aim to contribute to this momentum with research, experiences, and practical guidance that will be critical to improving the protection of children during armed conflict and ending their recruitment and use as soldiers. ; « Les Principes de Vancouver poussent la communauté internationale à faire un pas audacieux en avant sur les questions liées au maintien de la paix et à la protection des enfants utilisés comme armes de guerre, et à s'assurer que les soldats de la paix sont préparés. »- Lgén Roméo DallaireLes Principes de Vancouver sur le maintien de la paix et la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation d'enfants-soldats ont rapidement été approuvés par les États du monde entier, ce qui témoigne de la volonté manifeste à l'échelle mondiale de lutter contre l'utilisation d'enfants comme soldats dans le cadre du maintien de la paix. Co-créés par l'Initiative Enfants soldats de la Fondation Roméo Dallaire et le gouvernement canadien, les Principes de Vancouver sont une série d'engagements politiques approuvés par les États et axés sur « nécessité de prioriser et d'opérationnaliser la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation d'enfants-soldats dans les zones où sont déployées des opérations de maintien de la paix, notant l'importance cruciale de ces mesures de prévention pour assurer la paix et la sécurité, et tenant compte des conséquences différentes que les conflits ont sur les filles et les garçons[1] ». Les dix-sept principes vont de la planification axée sur la prévention, à l'inclusion de coordonnateurs chargés des questions de protection de l'enfance dans les structures de commandement, en passant par l'engagement d'échanger les pratiques exemplaires entre États.Pour ce volume d'Allons-y, nous avons demandé aux collaborateurs de se concentrer sur la mise en œuvre des Principes de Vancouver, chaque article se penchant sur les aspects pratiques de l'un des principes et sur l'état actuel de la recherche dans le domaine concerné. Les collaborateurs sont des chercheurs et des praticiens dans le domaine des enfants, de la paix et de la sécurité et offrent leurs perspectives sur la documentation actuelle ainsi que sur les expériences de terrain en relation avec les objectifs des Principes de Vancouver. La préface, le commentaire et les six articles de ce volume illustrent la complexité des conflits armés contemporains, leur incidence croissante et changeante sur les enfants et l'importance de la prévention.Le volume s'ouvre sur un commentaire de Valentina Falco et Alec Wargo qui donne un aperçu du cadre de protection des Nations Unies pour les enfants touchés par les conflits armés et des mécanismes de surveillance qui l'accompagnent. Shelly Whitman et Catherine Baillie Abidi ont jeté les bases du concept de prévention et de la nécessité croissante de prendre des mesures préventives pour briser le cycle des conflits armés. Victoria Bryce et Dustin Johnson poursuivent dans cette voie et examinent plus en détail la manière de concrétiser la prévention au sein des structures du secteur de la sécurité afin d'améliorer à la fois la protection des enfants et l'efficacité opérationnelle. Au chapitre de l'amélioration de la protection, Dustin Johnson et Allyssa Walsh étudient le rôle de la problématique hommes-femmes dans la prévention du recrutement, en soulignant les dimensions sexospécifiques du recrutement et de l'utilisation des enfants, et la nécessité de mieux comprendre l'incidence du sexe des soldats de la paix sur la protection des enfants. Laura Cleave et William Watkins donnent un aperçu des systèmes d'alerte rapide et des possibilités d'intégrer des indicateurs propres aux enfants comme mesure de prévention ou de perturbation des processus de recrutement. Marion Laurence analyse la fonction de surveillance et de communication de l'information sur les violations graves des droits de l'enfant à la lumière de l'évolution vers une utilisation plus efficace et coordonnée des données dans le cadre du maintien de la paix des Nations Unies. Et enfin, Jo Becker examine la tendance alarmante de la détention, plutôt que de la libération et de la réadaptation, des enfants associés aux groupes armés.Compte tenu du nombre sans précédent et croissant d'enfants vivant dans des zones touchées par des conflits, il est essentiel que la communauté internationale donne la priorité aux droits de l'enfant et se mobilise pour édifier des communautés pacifiques. La création des Principes de Vancouver en 2017 a donné un élan vital à ce plan, et dans ce numéro d'Allons-y et les suivants, nous voulons contribuer à cet élan par des recherches, des expériences et des conseils pratiques qui seront essentiels pour améliorer la protection des enfants pendant les conflits armés et mettre fin à leur recrutement et à leur utilisation comme soldats.Catherine Baillie Abidi, Ph. D. et Dustin JohnsonInitiative Enfants soldats de la Fondation Roméo Dallaire[1] Affaires mondiales Canada, « Les Principes de Vancouver sur le maintien de la paix et la prévention du recrutement et de l'utilisation d'enfant-soldats », Affaires mondiales Canada, 21 février 2017, 2, https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/human_rights-droits_homme/principles-vancouver-principes-pledge-engageons.aspx?lang=fra.

The war currently raging in Syria is without a doubt the most serious failure of the r2p paradigm. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been brutally killed while the world has looked on, largely unable to affect events on the ground. The use of child soldiers by all sides in the conflict has been well documented, and the authors' previous work has demonstrated the importance of the recruitment and use of child soldiers as an early warning indicator. Yet, the world has consistently failed to act preventatively, and this is most notable in the case of Syria. This paper takes the Syrian war as a case study to examine how the recruitment and use of child soldiers can serve as an early warning indicator of mass atrocities and be used to help prevent conflict escalation.