October UN study highlights links between child trafficking and grave violations against children during armed conflict

University of Galway’s Professor Siobhán Mullally supports study analysing effect of armed conflict in seven regions worldwide

Armed conflict puts children at an increased risk of grave violations while their risk of being trafficked similarly increases, including in transitional period, a new UN study has revealed.

The study – the first of its kind – was produced by the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, in close collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Professor Siobhán Mullally.

Professor Mullally is the Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at University of Galway and was appointed Special Rapporteur by the UN Human Rights Council in July 2020. 

The study analyses the links between child trafficking and the six grave violations against children caught up in war. They are recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.  

            Professor Mullally said: “The study addresses a key gap in policy and practice on the protection of children in armed conflict, and limited attention has been given to child trafficking as a protection risk, or to the prevention of child trafficking and accountability, as priorities for sustainable peace. The lack of accountability for child trafficking further contributes to continuing cycles of impunity.” 

Focus was on seven countries or geographic areas - Colombia, the Lake Chad basin in Africa, Libya, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine - and the report offers recommendations for ensuring greater protection and accountability.

            Special Representative of the Secretary General, Virginia Gamba said: “What this study shows are the ways in which child trafficking overlaps and interacts with the six grave violations while mapping out legal and policy responses, which too often are done in silos.”

Child trafficking in armed conflict takes many forms, including sexual exploitation and sexual slavery, child marriage, forced labour, recruitment and use in combat and support roles. It has long been used by parties to armed conflicts to control and terrorize communities and to support and sustain conflict.

At the same time, grave violations are often part of the lead-up to, process of, or aftermath of child trafficking.  For example, denial of humanitarian access during wartime can make children more vulnerable to being trafficked.

Furthermore, the Study found that the risks of child trafficking are deeply gendered. Whereas girls are most often targeted for sexual exploitation and child marriage, boys are more likely to be recruited for use in  hostilities, and sexual exploitation of boys is often under-reported.

There also can be both internal and cross-border dimensions to child trafficking in armed conflict.

The study recommended calls for full application of the non-punishment principle to emphasize that trafficked children are victims rather than accomplices, and early identification of victims is critical.

Other recommendations underscore the importance of countries preventing child trafficking and ensuring long-term protection for victims, including through addressing poverty and gender inequality, ensuring universal registration of all children, and eliminating statelessness.  

The study was launched at UN Headquarters on October 3^rd, at an event co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Greece, Panama, Colombia and the Philippines, with Professor Siobhán Mullally and SRSG Virginia Gamba presenting on the research.

The full text of the Report is published at: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/virtual-library/documents/publications/

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