'The most important meaning of this Nobel award is the solemn recognition that the welfare of today's children is inseparably linked with the peace of tomorrow's world.' -- Henry R. Labouisse, Executive Director of UNICEF (1965-1979), in his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for UNICEF.

The legacy of land-mines

A further tragedy of war that haunts children even when conflict ends is the ever-present threat from anti-personnel land-mines. In 64 countries around the world, there are an estimated 110 million land-mines still lodged in the ground -- waiting. These are of particular danger to curious children, to whom they may seem attractive toys, yet they will explode even under the gentle pressure of a child's hand or foot. Land-mines can be cleared-but only at enormous expense. Ironically, weapons that cost less than US$3 each to make can cost up to US$1,000 each to clear. While some mines were cleared in 1993, even more new ones were laid, leaving a 'de-mining deficit' for the year of 1.9 million mines, adding as much as US$1.4 billion to the cost of clearance.

Anti-war Agenda

The abuses against children in wartime violate international conventions, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, its Additional Protocols and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report points out that the principles, provisions and procedures of the Convention are particularly relevant at times of war when all rights of the child are at risk. But such international laws require much greater determination from governments if they are to be effective. The report argues, therefore, for an Anti-war Agenda, which emphasizes: 'Prevention -- A much more deliberate effort should be made to address the underlying causes of violence, including poverty, and to invest resources in mediation and conflict resolution. 'Girls and women -- Specific measures are necessary to ensure the security of girls and women because of the terrible threat they face of sexual violence and rape. 'Child soldiers -- The minimum age for recruitment into the military specified in the Convention on the Rights of the Child is 15 years. UNICEF supports the adoption of an Optional Protocol that would raise this age to 18 years. 'Land-mines -- Their production, use, stockpiling, sale and export should be prohibited through international law. 'War crimes -- Recent years have seen the most barbaric acts of violence against children and other civilians. These must be denounced as they are revealed. International war crimes tribunals must have both the support and the resources to bring perpetrators to justice. 'Children as 'zones of peace' -- The idea of negotiating temporary cease-fires to allow children in war zones to be vaccinated, for example, or to allow food supplies to pass through enemy lines, has already proved its worth. The principle was first applied in 1985 in El Salvador and has since been used in a number of other disputes in Lebanon, the Sudan and Uganda, among others. This has proved an important tool of international diplomacy and should be raised to a tenet of international humanitarian law. 'Sanctions -- These are used increasingly in international diplomacy to exert pressure on regimes. However, a 'child impact assessment' is needed whenever any set of sanctions is applied, and constant monitoring must take place thereafter to gauge the impact of sanctions on children. 'Emergency relief -- Where there is long-term conflict, aid should be seen as part of a process to help rebuild a society's capacity and promote development. 'Rehabilitation -- A much more deliberate effort needs to be made to demobilize both adult and child soldiers and rebuild communities so as to offer not just respite but also reconciliation. An important part of this rehabilitation must be to address the psycho-social damage that children suffer. 'Education for peace -- All countries should include in their school curricula methods of conflict resolution that develop mutual understanding and show how differences can be resolved without recourse to violence. But beyond the immediate conflicts, the Executive Director of UNICEF also emphasizes the longer-term value of protecting children. 'Many of today's most intractable disputes, for all the ethnic or religious character they acquire, are at heart struggles for resources and for survival. Today's problems of poverty and violence will never subside unless we invest in the physical, mental and emotional development of the next generation.