Integrating the Vancouver Principles into UN Peace Operations

This project aims to reduce the number of child recruits and child soldiers in countries where the United Nations (UN) conduct peacekeeping operations. The Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers are a set of policy commitments focused on protecting children and the prevention of enlistment and use of child soldiers by armed forces and non-state armed groups. This project streamlines the Vancouver Principles and their implementation into the existing UN policy guidance and training frameworks for child protection in UN Peace Operations with the UN Department of Peace Operations. The UN ensures that the principles are harmonized implemented and respected by civilian military and police peacekeepers. This project includes a gender review of materials for men and women peacekeepers and boys and girls as child soldiers. The two-year scalable activities include comprehensive consultation material development and review and extensive training.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened all relevant stakeholders’ capacity in UN Peace Operations to identify the dynamics and early warning signs of child recruitment and use and take prompt action to prevent its occurrence; and (2) reduced the recruitment and use of child soldiers in peacekeeping operations.