The increasing needs of children affected by armed conflict highlight the urgent need for diversified and innovative funding solutions. Since the establishment of the UN's Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) mandate in 1996, frameworks for child soldier protection have evolved, but current funding falls short, exacerbated by climate change impacts. A recent report reveals a 75% funding shortfall despite increases in child protection funding. It advocates integrating child reintegration into broader frameworks and leveraging new financing avenues, including philanthropy and repurposed funds, to ensure long-term, sustainable support and address the systemic issues of child recruitment and re-recruitment.
Increasing needs of children affected by armed conflict require urgent commitments. In December 1996, the United Nations General Assembly established the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) mandate to protect children from hostilities. This led to the development of legally binding instruments aimed at safeguarding children affected by armed conflict. In 2018, the Global Coalition for Reintegration of Child Soldiers (GCR) initiated research to better support children leaving armed forces and armed groups, resulting in three briefing papers published in 2020. Since then, the needs of children associated with armed forces and armed groups, especially girls, have significantly increased, outpacing traditional sources of financing for child reintegration. Considering projected increases in child recruitment due to climate change, short-term financing methods are deemed insufficient.
Collectively addressing longer-term solutions while matching diversified financing opportunities. The report proposes a comprehensive approach to child reintegration challenges, grounded in 12 international statutes. It identifies eight child reintegration themes and nine long-term recruitment drivers, validated through surveys, reviews, and interviews. Country typologies are considered to understand contextual factors, mapped against financing codes for insights into resource allocations. Emphasising sustainable support aligned with international protocols, the report highlights the inadequacy of short-term funding and suggests integrating reintegration into wider sectoral frameworks. It advocates for immediate and ongoing support throughout the child life cycle, urging collaboration across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus to diversify financing and address both immediate and long-term needs.
Amidst a yawning gap between growing reintegration needs and available financial resources, repurposing 0.2 per cent of development, peace and climate finance loans by IFIs would not only close the current gap, but also decrease investment risks, making it a win-win.
Key Take-aways
Urgency in addressing child reintegration needs: Established by the UN in 1996, the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) mandate focuses on protecting children in hostilities, with legal instruments developed to safeguard these children. Rising recruitment rates, especially due to climate change, have outpaced traditional funding methods for child reintegration.
Significant increase in reintegration needs: Research by the Global Coalition for Reintegration of Child Soldiers (GCR) highlights that the needs of children, particularly girls, involved with armed forces have grown substantially, rendering short-term financial strategies insufficient.
Comprehensive funding approach: Advocating for long-term solutions, the report suggests integrating child reintegration into wider frameworks, leveraging in-depth analysis of recruitment drivers and resource mapping against international standards.
Gap between funding and needs: Despite a 791% increase in child protection funding from 2017 to 2021, there remains a 75% funding gap due to surging humanitarian appeals. Peace funding has also decreased by 62% over the past decade.
Innovative financing strategies: The report calls for exploring new financing modalities like philanthropy and repurposed funds to close the investment gap by reallocating just 0.2% of these funds, urging partnerships with development banks and bilateral donors for sustainable support.
Emphasis on collaboration across sectors: It is critical to encourage collaboration across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus to diversify financing sources and provide comprehensive support throughout the child's life cycle, addressing both immediate and long-term reintegration needs.
The pressing issue of a significant disparity between the escalating needs for child reintegration and the available financial resources is highlighted, drawing from analyses by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, War Child UK, and GCR. Despite a notable 791% increase in funding for child protection between 2017 and 2021, humanitarian appeals surged even more, leaving a substantial 75% funding gap in 2021. Similarly, peace funding for child reintegration has steadily declined over the past decade, dropping by 62% between 2017 and 2020. In response, innovative financing approaches, such as philanthropic funding and leveraging humanitarian resources to address both short-term and long-term needs, are being explored. To address this financial shortfall, the report identifies five innovative financing modalities and suggests repurposing development and peace funding to tackle the root causes of child recruitment. By reallocating just 0.2% of these resources, the investment gap for humanitarian child reintegration can be addressed while mitigating investment risks. Collaboration with new partners, including development banks and bilateral donors, is recommended to ensure sustainable financial support.
