On the sidelines of the 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council,
representatives of organizations from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) questioned, during a webinar organized by 5 European civil society organizations, the effectiveness of the implementation of the revised Mining Code and its impacts on the human rights of local populations, including in the context of COVID-19.
In December 2020, Belgium will end its mandate as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
On this occasion, the WING platform (War Is Not a Game) launched a petition to ask Belgium toencourage States to better protect children against recruitment and their participation in hostilities. She hopes to get 5000 signatures for November 20, International Children's Rights Day.
Belgium, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council until the end of the year, chairs the working group on children and armed conflict and supports the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in charge of this thematic. This is therefore a unique opportunity for our country to encourage States to adopt a series of measures aimed at protecting children against recruitment and their participation in hostilities, preventing such acts and supporting disarmament, demobilization and full reintegration of child soldiers, in accordance with international law, in particular the 2000 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
According to Patrick BALEMBA, Research and Animation Officer at Justice and Peace: “ the use of children in armed conflicts amounts to mortgaging their future and the future of society as a whole. War is not a game for children; it causes all the misfortunes of the world by condemning children to the spiral of violence. »
F. Cassier Red Cross Belgium estimates that “hundreds of thousands of children have probably been associated with armed forces or groups over the last decade. The reintegration of these children often remains marginal
in peace processes. We must give them the means to rebuild their lives with their families and their communities by offering them real alternatives, such as education or professional training which will ensure them a future and above all avoid any risk of a new recruitment. »
Justice and Peace, together with the member organizations of the WING platform, have therefore launched a petition addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, so that the fate of child soldiers remains a humanitarian priority on the agenda of the Security Council, at beyond the mandate of Belgium. The WING platform hopes to obtain 5,000 signatures which will be symbolically given to the Minister after November 20, International Children's Rights Day.
– Contact : info@justicepaix.be
– Justice and peace : Pauline Laigneux pauline.laigneau@justicepaix.be
– Petition page
– Promotional video
– The WING platform (War Is Not a Game) aims to prevent and put an end to the recruitment of children, to support disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs, to raise public awareness of the problem of child soldiers and to carry out research
around this issue. It is made up of WAPA International, the Belgian Red Cross, the Justice & Peace Commission and the Research and Information Group on Peace and
security (GRIP).
