The UN's role on the rights of children

On 1 April 2025, Save the Children and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) with the support of the Legal Mobilization Platform and The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre co-organized an event to critically examine the role of key actors – particularly humanitarian NGOs and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee) – in protecting children affected by armed conflict.

Panellists Ann Skelton (Leiden University), Aurélie Lamazière (Save the Children) and Karin Arts (ISS) explored how children’s rights continue to be violated in conflict zones, the efforts of the CRC Committee to address these violations, and what more needs to be done especially at the institutional level. A new report captures the key insights from the event, drawing on presentations, discussions and questions raised by attendees.

Children bear the brunt

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2024 was one of the very worst years in recent history for children affected by armed conflict. Children were killed or injured, missed out on education, lacked access to life-saving vaccines, and suffered from critical malnutrition. While one in six children globally lives in a conflict-affected area, the past year saw especially severe violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, Gaza (Palestine), Ukraine and Sudan.

The event provided a space to reflect on the institutional response to these crises. It examined the roles of humanitarian NGOs and the CRC Committee, highlighting the structural challenges that persist at international, national and local levels. Through the panellist's insights, the discussion underscored the urgent need for stronger accountability and more coordinated action to protect the rights of children in conflict zones.

Read the full report by Daniela Raad Sierra and Lee Ann de la Hunt, research fellows at the Legal Mobilization Platform, key key takeaways and insights.