Doha- International officials criticized the tragic conditions to which children are exposed Middle East region In particular as a result of the Israeli aggression against Gaza andLebanonexplaining the importance of working on concerted efforts to provide international legislative cover that guarantees the protection of children and other vulnerable groups during crises, wars and migration.
During their participation in the work of the International Conference on the Protection of Children and Other Vulnerable Groups, which it organizes Qatar National Human Rights Committee In partnership with the European Institute of Ombudsmen, conference participants expressed their aspirations for the conference to produce real recommendations that can be implemented in the near term to protect children around the world, pointing out that the current events in the Middle East demonstrate a clear international inability to achieve this goal.
Dawoud Al-Masry, Head of the Analysis and Communication Center in Doha at the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, said To the United Nations Concerned with Children and Armed Conflict – According to the United Nations report, the year 2023 witnessed the recording of more than 33,000 grave violations against children worldwide, explaining that this number reflects only a small part of the truth on the ground.
During his speech at the conference, he pointed out that the timing of the conference is of great importance in light of the increasing challenges that threaten the rights, safety and well-being of children in many countries affected by conflicts, as the recent months have witnessed many diverse circumstances, including natural disasters, wars and conflicts, with increasing risks that threaten the safety of children. And their future.
He stressed the importance of working to provide an effective mechanism to protect children from exploitation and violence, stressing that this challenge exceeds the capabilities of any party alone, and that effective international cooperation and participation are necessary to achieve the desired goal.
The most affected category
In statements to Al Jazeera Net, the head of the Board of Grievances said: Türkiye Sharaf Malkosh said that there is an urgent need for the importance of working to provide a legitimate global cover to protect children, especially during wars and migration, explaining that for more than a year, innocent civilians – including children – in the Gaza Strip have been exposed to war. genocide At the hands of the Israeli occupation without clear international action to stop these crimes.
He added that children are of course the most affected group in this war, through losing the opportunity to provide education, as schools were destroyed and no semblance of appropriate medical care was provided, which are things that we can call war crimes.
He pointed out that Gaza has now become the largest cemetery for children in the world at the present time, “but I am confident that this crime will inevitably be punished, and I hope that the world will move to implement human rights principles to achieve justice, and we are making our efforts in this context,” explaining that this conference It is an important step to communicate to the whole world that these crimes must stop.
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Chances of normal life
The High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatiana Moskalkova, told Al Jazeera Net that what children are exposed to in Gaza and Lebanon is horrific, and “we are working hard for the United Nations to move to provide appropriate protection for this group whose rights are being robbed,” noting that the conference aims The need to focus on not violating the rights of the child and providing him with normal life opportunities in all circumstances.
She stressed the importance of focusing on providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip to help all groups in the Strip, not just children, and providing them with the basic necessities of life, such as food, safe shelters, and health care.
She pointed out that the world is currently required to provide health care for children in Gaza, and to work to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches safe areas on the border in order to establish normal societies that guarantee the most basic rights of this vulnerable group, which is considered the most vulnerable to harm in this war.
She continued that we must work in various ways to provide information to the world about the current situation in Gaza, most notably ensuring freedom of passage and how to reach the Strip with regard to the necessary humanitarian aid.
Provide a safe canopy
The head of the European Ombudsman Institute (EOI), Professor Dragan Milkov, said that children are the weakest party among the groups in society. They are devoid of will and depend in their lives on the decisions of others. This is where their weakness emerges. Therefore, those responsible for them must have wisdom and insight. To make decisions that are in their best interests and protect them from mistreatment, discrimination and violence, especially during periods of war and migration.
He stated to Al Jazeera Net that in addition to children being deprived of their will, wars and migration are considered additional circumstances that increase their vulnerability and harm their living conditions, pointing out the necessity of working to provide a safe protection umbrella for this vulnerable group, and ensuring that their legitimate rights are provided during their exposure to unnatural conditions.
Children’s rights in legislation
During his speech at the opening of the conference, the Secretary-General of the Qatari National Human Rights Commission, Sultan Al-Jamali, expressed his aspiration that the conference would result in strengthening international cooperation and developing the prospects for partnership between governments, national institutions and relevant non-governmental organizations, and presenting innovative visions and solutions to address the challenges facing children and other vulnerable groups. Including the negative impacts resulting from climate change and armed conflicts taking place in some regions of the world.
He added that he hopes that the attendees will reach visions that enhance children’s rights in legislation and public policies, and ensure their participation in decision-making that affects them, with an emphasis on protecting their rights in all circumstances, especially in emergency situations, and in times of armed conflict, in keeping with the rules of international humanitarian law.
He stressed that protecting children and other vulnerable groups is a top priority for the National Human Rights Committee in the State of Qatar, which is making many efforts that include awareness, education, providing advice to various stakeholders, and building effective partnerships with relevant regional and international institutions.
He pointed out that, in order to keep pace with the challenges related to the rights of these groups, last September the committee held its third national forum under the title: Protecting the Rights of Children in the Safe Digital Environment, and the previous year it devoted its second forum to the rights of persons with disabilities, in addition to organizing activities and awareness campaigns. Related to the rights of migrant workers.
Protecting the digital environment
The conference witnessed the organization of several sessions, including a session on the protection of children and vulnerable groups during migration and wars, which focused on the necessity of concerted international efforts to work to provide a legitimate global cover that guarantees protection for these groups during global crises.
The conference also included organizing a session on Protection from Cyber Threats: Children and Adolescents in the Digital Age, which focused on how to protect children and adolescents from cyber threats in today’s world and protect children’s rights in the digital environment.
A session was devoted to the role of ombudsmen in protecting the rights of children and vulnerable groups, which touched on ensuring the rights of this group from being exposed to any violations and the importance of developing legislation to guarantee their access to their rights in the event of violations, as well as the importance of ensuring the right of migrant children to obtain education.
