| answer text |
<p>The UK's objectives on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) are primarily pursued
through our engagement with the UN. The UK is an active permanent member of the UN
Security Council Working Group on CAAC, which leads the international response to
violations committed against children in conflict. These violations include: the killing
and maiming of children, including by the use of explosive weapons. The Working Group
focuses on responding to the UN Secretary-General's annual report and country specific
reports on CAAC which assess the treatment of children within conflict zones and list
governments and armed groups for committing grave violations against children. At
the UN Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict on 23 June, the UK reaffirmed our
commitment to tackling violations against children in armed conflict and highlighted
the need for a transparent and credible framework for accountability based on a standardised
and evidence-backed approach to de-listing and listing of state and non-state actors
for violations.</p><p>The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office
of the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) for CAAC, contributing
£1.3m over the last six years in support of her core mandate. The UK increased its
funding to £550,000 in FY20/21. This includes the funding of the SRSG's visits, political
engagements, technical missions to support UN Country Taskforces on Monitoring and
Reporting who collect information, assess trends, respond to grave violations and
engage in advocacy, notably to negotiate and implement Action Plans to end the recruitment
and use of children. For FY 19/20, the UK also funded Watchlist on Children and Armed
Conflict to produce two reports on "Defending and Upholding the Children and
Armed Conflict Agenda: Advocacy for Children's Rights" and "A Credible List":
Recommendations for the Secretary-General's 2020 Annual Report on Children and Armed
Conflict," in support of securing greater accountability for violations of children's
rights in conflict.</p>
|
|
