As delivered by Ms. Agnès Coutou, Diplomatic Adviser, ICRC NYC
Thank you.
The ICRC welcomes the UN's Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty as an important initiative that will improve the base of evidence on child detention and enhance child protection.
The Global Study outlines critical recommendations to improve the situation of children detained in places of armed conflict and on national security grounds and reaffirms the urgent need for States to adhere to the applicable international law and standards.
Importantly, the report emphasizes that States should ensure that children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups receive appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration assistance. On that note, children associated with groups designated as terrorists deserve specific attention as they are often at greater risk of facing lower standards of implementation of existing legal protections. The ICRC calls on States not to selectively implement the law for those children.
