KARACHI: Appalled at the great number of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children victims of Israel’s acts of aggression, the UN General Assembly had decided on 19th August 1982 (at its emergency special session) to commemorate the 4th June of each year as the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
Graça Machel, expert of the SG has rightly pointed out: “Millions of children are caught up in conflicts in which they are not merely bystanders, but targets!” United Nations points out that in situations where armed conflict breaks out, children are the most vulnerable members of societies. They are most affected by the consequences of war. UN has noted that the VI most common violations are:
i) Recruitment & Use of Children in War;
ii) Killing;
iii) Sexual Violence;
iv) Abduction;
v) Attacks on Schools & Hospitals;
vi) Denial of Humanitarian Access.
UN observes 4th day of June to acknowledge the agony suffered by children allover the globe who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse. On 4th day of June, UN commits to protect the rights of children guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history – Convention on the Rights of the Child – happens to harbor 4 core principles:
i) Non-discrimination;
ii) Devotion to the best interests of the child;
iii) The right to life, survival;
iv) Development.
United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba has maintained: “With more children suffering horrific abuses in war zones across the globe, we desperately need to reinvigorate our efforts to raise awareness about the core of the mandate I represent – the six great violations, and to redouble our common advocacy to ensure action by parties to conflict to give children the protection they deserve.”
In response to a rise in grave violations committed against children in recent years, United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba is launching ACT to Protect Children Affected by Conflict, a global campaign to generate greater awareness and action to protect children affected by war. Over the next three years, the campaign will seek to strengthen collaboration between the United Nations, civil society and the international community to support actions designed to end and prevent grave violations committed against children in times of conflict.
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According to the United Nations, more needs to be done to protect the 250 million children living in countries and areas affected by conflict. It has been noted that in recent years, the number of violations perpetrated against children have, in many conflict zones, increased.
Violent extremists should not be permitted to target children; international humanitarian and human rights law should be promoted; accountability for violations of the rights of children should be ensured.
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