Prevention of child recruitment and use, and the release, and reintegration of children associated with armed forces or armed groups

Cradled by Conflict is a technical note, researched and written by Claudia for the United Nations University’s (UNU) Children and Extreme Violence Project, was a collaboration of UNU, UNICEF, DPKO, and the Governments of Luxembourg and Switzerland. Based on the research findings, as well as on reflections from practitioners and children, this note documents how existing programming and practice might be strengthened to respond to the particular challenges facing child protection practitioners in contemporary conflicts.

The document identifies six key findings:

1. Focus on children’s rights and best interests in securitized operating environments
2. Rethink assumptions about neutrality
3. Be cautious about the role of ideology
4. Understand and positively build on children’s prosocial motivations
5. Support children’s long-term and non-linear exit processes from armed groups
6. Be cautious about the “violent extremist” lens

The guidance aims to supplement existing programming tools and literature for child protection practitioners and partners working on the prevention of child recruitment and use, and the release, and reintegration of children associated with armed forces or armed groups.

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