UN Child and Armed Conflict report: What it is and why India was removed?

This is the first time India has been removed from the list since 2010 due to cooperative measures taken by the nation with the UN to better protect children

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has dropped India's name from the annual report on children in armed conflict.

The UN Secretary-General stated that "measures taken by the government to better protect" children had been taken, hence India was removed for the first time since 2010.

India was mentioned under a section of the report titled 'Situations' not on the agenda of the Security Council or other situations and had expressed its disappointment on being named in the report.

What is the UN Children and Armed Conflict list?

The UN "Children and Armed Conflict" list, officially known as the "Secretary-General's Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict," is published by the UN Secretary-General. It identifies parties to armed conflicts around the world that are involved in grave violations against children. The aim of the report is to raise awareness about the impact of armed conflicts on children and advocate for their protection.

Parties listed in the report include armed groups and government forces that have committed violations against children. These violations include recruitment and use of child soldiers, killing and maiming of children, sexual violence against children, attacks on schools & hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access to children.

The inclusion of a party in the list serves as a means of accountability and puts pressure on them to take measures to end violations and protect children.

The list is compiled based on verified information gathered by the United Nations and its partners on the ground, including UN peacekeeping missions, humanitarian agencies, and non-governmental organisations. The report covers conflicts from around the world and provides an overview of the situation of children affected by armed conflicts, highlighting specific concerns and trends.

The publication of the list is an essential tool in the efforts to protect children in conflict situations. It aims to engage with parties involved in armed conflicts and encourage them to take concrete measures to prevent violations, release child soldiers, and promote the overall well-being and rights of children affected by conflict.

The UN "Children and Armed Conflict" list plays a crucial role in advocating for the protection of children and raising global awareness about the urgent need to address the specific challenges faced by children in conflict zones.

Reported violations in India

According to data on the official 'Children and Armed Conflict' website, India had 18 cases of recruitment and use of child soldiers, all of whom were boys, and two incidents of attacks on schools & hospitals as well as 34 instances of killing & maiming of children.

The chief challenges listed by the UN included:

• Risk of child recruitment by armed groups in affected districts.
• Increased number of violations against children verified in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Continued detention of children.

Inasmuch, the UN had recommended the government of India to strengthen child protection. One main step was to put an end to the use of pellet guns.

Another recommendation was to ensure that detaining children was a last resort act and that this was done for the shortest period of time. Furthermore, the UN asked the government to try and prevent any and all forms of ill-treatment to children in detention linked with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Why was India finally removed?

In the report, Guterres welcomed the engagement of the government of India with his special representative and acknowledged the possibility of India being removed as a situation of concern. He took note of the technical mission conducted by the Office of the Special Representative in July 2022, which aimed to identify areas of cooperation for child protection.

Additionally, Guterres acknowledged the workshop on strengthening child protection that was organised by the Indian government in Jammu and Kashmir in November 2022, with the active participation of the United Nations.

The Secretary-General also urged India to implement the remaining measures, which were identified in consultation with his special representative and the United Nations. These measures include providing training on child protection to armed and security forces, prohibiting the use of lethal and non-lethal force on children (including the discontinuation of pellet guns), ensuring that children are detained only as a last resort and for the shortest necessary duration, preventing all forms of ill-treatment during detention, and fully implementing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Recognising the steps taken by the Indian Government to enhance the protection of children, Guterres announced that India has been removed from the report in 2023.