Red Hand Day 2024

February 12th marks adoption of the Optional Protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for the protection of children in armed conflict. Also known as ‘Red Hand Day’, this day of international awareness aims to remind the international community to strengthen efforts to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts. 

In 2023, the escalation of armed conflicts, increasing violations of International Humanitarian Law, and disregard of International Human Rights Law has had devastating consequences for children and their protection. An increase in the scale and intensity of conflicts, often with no clear end in sight, paints a very bleak outlook for children in 2024.

Today, the Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) Task Force and our members join this global commemoration and ask for collective action to prevent recruitment, facilitate release, and respond to the needs of children associated with armed forces or armed groups.

In simple words: ‘End the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. Children must always be protected!’ Explore key tools and guidance to design and implement programmes for the prevention, release, and reintegration of CAAFAG below: 

• The Inter-Agency CAAFAG Programme Development Toolkit provides field practitioners with the knowledge and skills to design quality gender-sensitive programmes for CAAFAG, with the involvement of children, including former CAAFAG. Available in English, French Spanish, Portuguese  and Arabic.
• The Inter-Agency Technical Note on Girls associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups provides recommendations to field practitioners and donors to programme effectively for girls associated with armed forces and armed groups. This note can also be used for advocacy purposes. Available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
• The Inter-Agency MHPSS in CAAFAG Programmes Resource Package (field-test version) is an inter-agency package of resources that aims to support the integration of MHPSS into programmes for the prevention, release, and reintegration of CAAFAG.  It includes field testing versions of the: Operational Guidance, Evidence Review, Contextualization Guidance and Advocacy Brief.
• The CAAFAG cross-sectoral Technical Note on Education documents the opportunities, barriers and best practices for supporting CAAFAG. Availabe in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
• The CAAFAG cross-sectoral Technical Note on Livelihoods documents the opportunities, barriers and best practices for supporting CAAFAG. Availabe in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
• The Growing Stronger Together is a parenting intervention for caregivers of CAAFAG to promote the prevention of recruitment and the reintegration of CAAFAG. Available in English, French and Arabic
• The Paris Principles Operational Handbook contains information and advice on a comprehensive set of topics, from the applicable international legal frameworks to how to manage caseloads and how to approach specific issues such as economic reintegration or justice and accountability.
• Dallaire Red Hand Day videos in English, French and Spanish. Now it’s the time to act and prevent armed violence.
• Spotlight children affected by armed conflict from The Unprotected: Overview of the Impact of Humanitarian Crises on Children in 2023 with key recommendations below:
  • Uphold international law and endorse and implement key international standards and instruments to protect children in armed conflict
  • Ensure issues related to conflict-affected children are explicitly referenced in discussions around Security Sector Reform (SSR); Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR); peace processes and mediation; conflict prevention; conflict analysis; early warning; stabilisation; and the Humanitarian-Development-Peace triple nexus
  • Fund and resource accountability mechanisms and ensure they have a specific focus on children,
  • Make funding available for flexible, multi-year standalone and integrated programming to protection children in armed conflict