RIA reiterates
that the physical and psychological safety of
children is key to their health and future prospects. Where this
safety is
threatened, their rights and needs are ignored. Children who
are affected include adolescents, females, refugees, and
displaced children, children
in armed conflict,
tension and strife.
As such, the first step towards
the promotion and protection of
this safety lies
in the application
of international human
rights law in humanitarian
situations. The requirement
to protect and
to ensure the
protection of the
rights of the
child, calls for
the use of
international human rights
law as the
measure of first
resort in a
humanitarian crisis. Reliance
on human rights
law as captured
in the African
Children’s Charter, for
example, offers protection
of children affected
by conflict, crises and
humanitarian situations, and
protection in other
situations. This is
because human rights
standards give rise
to legal obligations
that are generally
valid at all
times and in
all situations, including during humanitarian crises. Thus,
the application of
humanitarian law is
a complementary tool
to the protection
of children’s rights in
humanitarian contexts. The universally recognized humanitarian principles of
humanity, neutrality, impartiality and
independence are themselves
linked to the
core principles of
children’s rights, particularly
the right to
life, survival and
development, non-discrimination, and
the best interests of the child. The
requirement to place
children’s rights first
is an indication
that where there
is an obligation,
the requisite body
or individual must
fulfil such an
obligation in the interests of
the child or
children concerned. This
is a restatement
of the need
to uphold the
best interests of
the child at all times. Placing
children’s rights first
is a recognition
of the principle
in Article 4(1)
of the Children’s
Charter that should
be interpreted broadly to
incorporate all actions that directly or indirectly affect children. The best
interests’ principle ought
to be used
as a “gap filling” tool that is used to ensure that the
child whose rights
are violated in
a humanitarian crisis
are subsequently recognized and protected by the world.
Humanitarian Action in Africa: Children’s Rights First the best
interest of the child. This should be
evaluated through the tools used to re-integrate the children who are affected
by the humanitarian crisis. Closely linked to the child’s right to life, survival
and development is the right to
health. Humanitarian crises affect children’s health not only
physically, but mentally and psychologically as well. States needs to pay
attention to the
health needs of
children, even and
especially during humanitarian
crises, and respond
to their survival
needs. Attention should also be paid to the health needs of children based
on gender differences. For example, adolescent
girls in humanitarian crises may have sanitation and/or menstruation as
well as sexual
and reproductive health needs (including sexually transmitted
diseases) that are
different from the needs of other affected children. Also of great importance to children’s
survival and development during humanitarian crises is the right to
education. RIA affirms the
importance of securing
education for children
regardless of context.
Access to education
and learning helps
children cope with
the trauma of humanitarian
disasters, enabling them to build resilience and provides them with some form
of stability. What do children want in times of emergency and crisis? They want
an education, focused on
children’s development, able
to prepare children
for preventing and
dealing with or
responding to humanitarian crises, equipping
them equipping them
with practical skills
to enhance their
protection and survival. We call the government of Botswana to
have strategies in
place to ensure
children can continue
to access education during humanitarian crises if they
arise. ‘Children’s rights first’ underscores the interconnectedness of all children
rights whether during or outside of humanitarian crises. Like
the Charter (and
the global United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child – CRC), Agenda 2030 recognizes the
interdependence of rights
and underscores the
importance of the
goals to the
development of children.
Through the adoption
of a rights-based
approach to sustainable
development, children’s rights
are highlighted as
the pivot around
which State action
towards development should
revolve. This approach
increases monitoring and
improves accountability of
governments towards the
realization of children’s
rights in connection
to Agenda 2030 goals.32. Similarly, it
is important for
all stakeholders, including those
working in separate fields of
development, policy, and human rights, etc. To work together and ensure a cohesive and
comprehensive response to humanitarian crises
rather than working in silos.
With all this having been said, it is vital that we as RIA
remind the public on the Hands of Our Genitals campaign which is aimed at
protecting intersex children from the health risks and permanent damage caused
by surgeries done on them at birth to “normalize” their sex and fit them in a
box.
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