Deadline: 19-Jun-22
The Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (the OSRSG- CAAC) has launched the Virtual Summer School (VSS) on Child Protection in Armed Conflict strengthen the knowledge, competencies and skills of actors contributing in various capacities to the protection of children in armed conflict through a holistic and collaborative approach.
This innovative training course is specifically designed to bring together partners from all relevant professional backgrounds and to strengthen their capacity to support the CAAC mandate.
The VSS is implemented by the OSRSG CAAC, with the financial support of the Government of Malta and the technical support of the University of Malta. It involves as trainers and keynote speakers experienced practitioners, identified notably among key UN partners and leading I/NGOs in the sector.
Courses
- Week 1 – ‘War-torn children: the multifold impact of armed conflict on children’
- During week 1, participants will be acquainted with relevant definitions, concepts, and frameworks related to conflict-affected children. They will explore the place of the CAAC mandate in the protection architecture, gain a clear understanding of the six grave violations against children in conflict-affected settings while placing the topic in the broader context of related contemporary issues.
- Week 2 – ‘Acting together to protect: a comprehensive approach to CAAC protection’
- During week 2, participants will obtain essential skills and competencies through sessions on monitoring, analyzing and reporting, on ending, preventing and responding to grave violations against conflict-affected children, as well as on fostering accountability and combating impunity.
Benefits
Certificate: Participants who have attended at least 75% of the course and passed the final assessment will receive a certificate delivered by the organizers. No academic credits (ECTS) attached.
Duration: 2 weeks (10 half-days • ~20h per week • ~23 modules/topics).
Outcomes
- Knowledge: By the end of the VSS, the participants will be able to:
- understand links with other child rights violations, with children’s specific needs, with the broader work of various international, regional and national actors, and with further topical issues.
- list and describe the six grave violations against CAAC;
- identify key relevant CAAC actors and mandates;
- understand the CAAC mandate and how it relates to the broader protection architecture in international human rights and humanitarian law;
- Competencies & skills: By the end of the VSS, the participants will have gained skills towards:
- monitoring and reporting on violations against CAAC;
- engaging and negotiating with parties to conflict;
- mainstreaming and integrating the CAAC agenda into various fora and sectors;
- formulating a coordinated and holistic programmatic response, including on the reintegration of children formerly associated with armed forces and groups;
- advocating on CAAC for and with children and communities in various settings;
- initiating measures to prevent CAAC violations and combat impunity.
Target audience: The VSS targets selected professionals contributing or likely to contribute in various capacities to child protection in armed conflict and related issues, such as personnel of UN entities, governments, regional organizations, I/NGOs, legal professionals, journalists and communication officers, military, as well as academics and students meeting the admission requirements (~30 participants).
Requirements
Applicants must:
- have a basic understanding of, and a professional interest in, the CAAC mandate;
- hold at least a BA in Law, Political Science or International Relations, or bring equivalent professional experience in a relevant field;
- have an advanced English level (C1 CEFR level);
- commit to participate actively in the training;
For more information, visit https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/virtual-summer-school-on-child-protection-in-armed-conflict/