Red Hand Day 2026

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. Known as Red Hand Day, this international day of awareness reminds the global community of its responsibility to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. 

In 2025, escalation of armed conflicts, along with persistent violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, continue to have devastating consequences for boys and girls in numerous countries. The growing scale and intensity of conflicts, coupled with shrinking humanitarian funding, are placing the futures of countless children at even greater risk.

Today, the Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) Task Force and its members stand united in calling for urgent and collective action to prevent child recruitment, secure the release of children from armed forces and armed groups, and ensure sustained support for their recovery and reintegration. 

In simple words: ‘children associated with armed forces and armed groups have the right to be released immediately and to receive the support they need to rebuild their lives’.

This Red Hand Day, we invite you to explore promising practices and initiatives from Alliance Members that help prevent child recruitment, facilitate release, and support the long-term reintegration of CAAFAG.

• Strengthen the capacity of field practitioners through training on programme design for Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG). Watch this short video of practitioners in Mali. Resources available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic.
• Explore how the IRC has contributed to the prevention of forced recruitment in Ecuador through this short case study. 
• Recognise that girls associated with armed groups are too often overlooked and excluded from protection, release, and reintegration efforts, and read the article highlighting their specific risks and needs.
• Learn from a success story in Nigeria how through reintegration support, a 17 years old boy found a safer path forward.
• Understand how the recruitment and use of children—including boys—by armed forces or armed groups heightens their vulnerability to conflict-related sexual violence, and consult the OSRSG CAAC reports on Colombia and the Central African Republic to learn more.
• Join a global community of CAAFAG experts by registering to the community space, where members can access and share evidence, research, tools, guidance, good practices, and lessons learned on CAAFAG.