Kids Are Our Future. Spare Them, Protect Them.Kids Are Our Future. Spare Them, Protect Them.

Most of the legal texts, be it at the national or international level, offer a higher degree of protection to children.

As the most emblematic and perhaps known convention, the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1980 puts it: “When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children.”

This convention and others, either under human rights or under international humanitarian law, state that children must be protected during war.

They are of course protected as civilians but there are also special provisions that recognize their particular vulnerability and needs in armed conflicts.

As an example, it is prohibited to recruit children in the armed forces and in armed groups for combat function. And this is in the vast majority of cases respected. When that happens, it sadly often leads to separation from their families, children being killed, maimed, sexually abused or exploited in other ways.

In addition, their special needs for medical help, food, shelter and clothing are recognized and their education is also considered as an important element (remember also that schools are protected).

A simple key message, kids are indeed our future, we need to protect them, and the laws of war contribute to it.