Geneva — June 1, 2026 — A coalition of human rights experts and organizations has submitted recommendations to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), highlighting urgent measures to protect women and children in conflict and post‑conflict situations.
The submission, authored by representatives from the Global Survivors Fund, Human Rights Watch, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and the Human Rights Defenders Network Sierra Leone, focuses on children’s experiences of gross violations of international human rights law and serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
Children in conflict zones are disproportionately affected by violence, abduction, recruitment into armed groups, sexual and gender‑based violence, and denial of access to healthcare and education. The consequences extend into post‑conflict settings, where disrupted schooling, displacement, psychosocial harm, and exclusion from basic services persist.
The submission stresses that accountability processes often fail to recognize children as independent rights‑holders. Violations against children are frequently subsumed under broader civilian harms, leading to under‑documentation and inadequate reparations. The authors call for child‑sensitive, trauma‑informed approaches to investigations, prosecutions, and reparations, ensuring children’s safe and meaningful participation.
Recommendations include treating children accused of serious violations under juvenile justice standards, not adult criminal systems, and ensuring accountability frameworks — including the proposed crimes against humanity treaty — strengthen protections for children rather than regress from existing standards.
The coalition urges states and accountability mechanisms to prioritize child‑responsive reparations, educational and psychosocial support, and community reintegration measures. They emphasize that recognizing children as direct victims and rights‑holders is essential to breaking cycles of trauma and exclusion across generations.
