20/12/2024
On 4 December 2024, the Netherlands and Global Rights Compliance (GRC) hosted a Global Dialogue on Justice for Children in Armed Conflict during the 23rd Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Drawing on insights from experts in Colombia, Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine, the dialogue addressed the devastating impact of conflict on children. It explored strategies to ensure holistic, child-sensitive justice processes.
Lessons learned from this global dialogue will be crucial to ensure our accountability responses to atrocity crimes:
are equipped to meet the needs of children, families and communities;
foster active and meaningful participation of children in justice mechanisms; and
understand and take into account the full range of victimisation and physical, psychological and developmental harms that children face during conflict.
From documenting violations to implementing child-friendly justice frameworks, the event showcased progress made and the significant work still required to ensure justice for children worldwide.
The key outcomes and takeaways from the Side Event are outlined here: https://lnkd.in/dVZix_y3
As Ruby Mae Axelson, GRC’s Lead of Gender and Child Justice, stated:
“As the future generation of a hopefully freer and more peaceful world, children deserve and are entitled to be made visible in justices processes and to participate in those processes effectively with child-friendly protections. It is incumbent upon us, as the international community, to ensure our responses to atrocities centre the needs of children and seek to highlight the multiple and differentiated suffering of all children impacted.”
