HRREC Director John Packer and Ms Hokbi Tiunn, a doctoral candidate in law and student member of the Centre, participated in the international conference Children in Armed Conflict: How Can They be Protected in a Multilevel International Framework? on November 21 and 22 at the University of Luxembourg. The conference was hosted by the UNESCO Chair Professor Robert Harmsen along with the Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict, UNESCO, the University of Luxembourg, Law International, and the Instituto Di Politici “S. Pio V.” In addition to scholars and researchers worldwide, HRH the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms Virginia Gamba, delivered addresses.
Drawing from their research paper commissioned by the Canadian Defence Academy (Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security), Director Packer and Ms Tiunn together addressed “How Can the Vancouver Principles Assist Children Accessing the Right to Education during Armed Conflicts?” The Vancouver Principles were launched by Canada in hosting a global Defence conference in November 2017. They aim to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers by armed forces and non-State armed groups. The Vancouver Principles have so far been endorsed by 105 UN Member States. Following adoption of UNSCR 1261 (1999) – the first resolution on children and armed conflict (CAAC) – in 2005 the UN identified “recruiting or using child soldiers” as one of the “six grave violations” against children in armed conflicts.
The Vancouver Principles seek to stop the recruitment and use of child soldiers beginning from the mission mandate stage, including planning, organizing and budgeting. They call for all peacekeeping personnel to acquire relevant knowledge and skills, thereby improving early warning and action notably “effective, systematic, and timely monitoring and reporting” with the ultimate aim of prevention.
Director Packer and Ms Tiunn illustrated how the Vancouver Principles offer practical ways to protect the right to education during armed conflicts. Violation of the right to education and recruitment of child soldiers have reciprocal effects; denial of the former contributes to the latter and vice versa. Keeping children in school is a main obstacle against recruitment while ending recruitment of children allows them to remain in school thereby diminishing conflict escalation. According to the UN, over 220 million crisis-affected children need educational support with almost 80 million out of school mostly in areas of armed conflict.
Following their visit to Luxembourg, Director Packer and Ms Tiunn attended the 2022 Max van der Stoel Award hosted by the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of The Netherlands at the Peace Palace in The Hague on 24 November. Named after renowned Dutch Statesman and first HCNM, the Max van der Stoel Award honours a person or institution which improves the position of national minorities in the OSCE area. This year the prize (with EUR 50,000) was awarded to the Social Justice Center from Georgia. As a Taiwanese international lawyer, Ms Tiunn was especially pleased to enter the Peace Palace, seat of the International Court of Justice, using her original name and identity document – a right expressly advocated by the Georgian award recipients. Witnessing the international community honour a community-based minority organization for their dedicated and courageous work was a special privilege and inspiration.