Campaigners call for ceasefires and urgent protection for children in conflict zones
Children in conflict areas are highly vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation, a landmark legal decision awards damages to smuggling victims’ families, and the Biden administration directs U.S. agencies abroad to prioritize workers’ rights.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, along with human rights and children’s campaign groups, marked World Children’s Day yesterday by mourning the many young people who have recently died in armed conflict, calling for ceasefires and urging a return to the basics of humanitarian law to safeguard all children, and particularly the 468 million living in conflict zones.
Urgent action is also needed to protect young people who, beyond the immediate dangers of war, face impacts including sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, forced recruitment, and child marriage, say campaigners, with international child protection group ECPAT yesterday highlighting the prevalence of child sexual exploitation in conflict situations, and The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) releasing its 12th annual report on violations against children in Syria.
The UN Committee noted the high number of children killed in the past weeks in Gaza, and the unusual level of brutality used against them. However, it also remains acutely concerned that thousands of children are dying in armed conflict in many other parts of the world, it said, as well as facing grave human rights violations. For instance, the plight of girls is at a crisis point, with verified reports of the abduction and rape of girls in Sudan and Haiti, and concerns raised by the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children that the deterioration in access to humanitarian services is driving girls towards recruitment by armed groups.
Many thousands of young people in conflict situations also face dangers such as trafficking for sexual purposes, sexual exploitation through the commercial sex industry, and survival sex in refugee camps in exchange for cash, food or protection, according to ECPAT, with a lack of support services and collapsing health and social systems increasing their vulnerability.
They also face significant shifts in the socio-economic roles they may be expected to play, routinely being pushed to contribute to family income at a young age. There is often a disturbing rise in child marriages, fueled by economic strain, security concerns, and to protect girls from further forms of sexual exploitation, and these situations are further complicated by factors such as increased social tolerance towards some forms of violence and gender-based violence, ECPAT says. Moreover, with educational disruptions, many children are left unsupervised and vulnerable, prematurely stepping into caregiving roles for siblings and relatives. Such dynamics create expectations far beyond their years and expose them to various forms of violence, in particular sexual exploitation.
Meanwhile, SNHR’s new report sheds light on human rights violations committed against children in Syria, including extrajudicial killing; unlawful detention, arbitrary arrest, abduction, and enforced disappearance; torture; sexual violence; child recruitment; attacks on vital facilities such as schools and hospitals; and the blockage or denial of humanitarian assistance. It records 1,493 cases of child recruitment by Syrian regime forces, as well as further cases involving militant and opposition groups, and says that Syrian regime forces have routinely used sexual violence against children.
Despite the abundance of international instruments establishing and protecting children’s rights at all times, and despite the Syrian regime having ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, violations against children in Syria have not stopped for 12 years and all parties to the conflict have failed to respect these rules, the authors say. The report calls on the international community to ensure the protection of forcibly displaced children and for all possible legal, political, and financial measures to be taken against the Syrian regime and its allies, as well as against other perpetrators of violations in the Syrian conflict, in order to compel them to respect children’s rights.
Meanwhile, ECPAT’s upcoming publication on the sexual exploitation of children in humanitarian contexts will be launched in 2024, marking a crucial milestone in its commitment to safeguarding the wellbeing of children across the globe.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
A French criminal court has ruled in favor of damages awards for families of some of the 39 people who died in a refrigerated lorry while being illegally smuggled into the UK in 2019, in a landmark decision which sets a crucial precedent in recognizing that victims of transnational illegal migrant smuggling organizations should be given access to reparations and effective remedy. The families were represented by Pacific Links Foundation, advised by Hogan Lovells International LLP.
Lawmakers and advocacy groups are increasingly calling on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to take action after an Outlaw Ocean Project investigation revealed seafood processed or sourced via Uyghur and other forced labour is entering the U.S. supply chain. A second petition focuses on the Wei Yu 18 vessel and cites evidence from the Outlaw Ocean report regarding forced labour conditions and the death of an Indonesian crew member, underlining the urgency for intervention.
President Biden has issued a memorandum directing U.S. government agencies, particularly those engaged abroad, to prioritize and enhance global efforts in advancing worker empowerment, rights, and high labour standards. The policy emphasizes whole-of-government coordination, engagement with international partners, and actions across various sectors to protect internationally recognized labour rights, prevent forced labour, and promote inclusive economic growth.
This new study, entitled Spillover Effects of EU Supply Chain Legislation – Perspectives from Third Countries, explores the global impact of the EU’s supply chain legislation, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and forthcoming Forced Labour Regulation. It highlights how these measures, along with national due diligence laws of EU states, are influencing corporate culture and accountability worldwide, with a focus on Brazil, Chile, Kenya and Uganda.
A new policy brief by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC) condenses insights from seven research projects on survivor support, offering promising practices and evidence-based recommendations while also highlighting ongoing evidence gaps and suggestions for future research directions.
The Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls has requested input to “examine the nexus between the global phenomenon of prostitution and violence against women and girls”, and to clarify terms, approaches and the actions states should take in order to maintain the spirit of international human rights law and protect women and girls from all forms of violence. The resulting report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2024.
A study by Migrant Forum in Asia, supported by ASEAN-ACT, examines the linkages between wage theft and forced labour among migrant workers in ASEAN, focusing on Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Winrock International and International Justice Mission invite you to join Evidence2Action: Global Perspectives, on 6 December, 8.30am-4pm ET in Washington, DC. The evidence-based event will convene survivors and persons with lived experience, NGOs and practitioners, service providers, academics, corporate partners, and U.S. government representatives to learn from one another to effectively reduce trafficking in persons around the world. Learn more and register here.
Join Blue Dragon’s webinar An Unfolding Crisis: Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia’s Scam Compounds, on 30 November at 8am GMT. This one-hour discussion with experts from Blue Dragon and Humanity Research Consultancy will shed some light on how scam compounds emerged, what goes on within them, the impacts on victims of human trafficking, and what can be done about them. A recording will also be available. Please register here.
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