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STRIVE Juvenile - Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Children by Terrorist and Violent Extremism

Children are often among the casualties of acts of terrorism and are victims of abduction, trafficking, and sexual and gender-based violence by terrorist groups. In recent years, the international community has been increasingly confronted with the recruitment and exploitation of children perpetrated by a variety of groups all over the world, making this a truly global issue.

Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

For the European Union, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) is becoming a key concept both in internal and external security circles, and activities have been taken at both the Member State and EU level. Under the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, a number of global P/CVE-specific actions have been launched around the world under the Strengthening Resilience to Violent Extremism (STRIVE) programme. These STRIVE actions aim to facilitate innovative P/CVE projects in collaboration with local communities, to strengthen conditions conducive to development, and resilience towards violent extremism.

The new STRIVE Action: 'STRIVE Juvenile'

The European Union has launched a new STRIVE action to better protect children, STRIVE Juvenile. This three-year initiative, funded by the European Union, which cooperates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and three country partners, Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria, for the implementation of the project, aims to disrupt terrorist groups’ recruitment of children, support children’s rehabilitation and reintegration, and strengthen their resilience against violent extremism.

Prevent and counter violent extremism affecting children, in full respect of human rights, gender equality and international law

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has the specific mandate to support Member States in the areas of crime prevention and criminal justice, in particular justice for children, counter terrorism and violence against children. As executing agency, UNODC designed STRIVE Juvenile’s intervention aiming at preventing and countering violent extremism affecting children, in full respect of human rights, gender equality and international law.
UNODC will focus on two major lines of action: i) improve government strategies, policies and mechanisms related to child recruitment and exploitation by terrorist groups through the enhancement of global awareness over the phenomenon; the review of legal and policy framework and the improvement of professionals capacity on strategies and measures; ii) increase resilience of vulnerable children against terrorist groups agendas through the enhancement of the capacity of children and their environment to resist recruitment attempts and to successfully reintegrate into society.
The new STRIVE Action will benefit from the lessons learnt by UNODC within its Global Programme to End Violence Against Children during the past five years of technical assistance to Member States in the area of prevention and responses to violence against children recruited and exploited by terrorist and violent extremist groups. From a substantive stand-point, such lessons learnt are enshrined in UNODC’s publications and policy-guidance, including the 2017 UNODC Handbook, its three complementary Training Manuals and the UNODC Roadmap on the Treatment of Children Associated with Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups.
Reducing children’s vulnerability to violent extremism and ensuring the resilience of children as key component of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives. Children should become agents of change within their own lives and communities...

Three selected partner countries: Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria

The action is expected to be implemented in three partner countries which have been affected by, or are at considerable risk of, experiencing child recruitment by terrorist and violent extremist groups, and have identified this phenomenon as a key concern, with serious consequences on children and their well-being, as well as on public safety. All partner countries have expressed a willingness to tackle the recruitment and exploitation of children by terrorist and violent extremist groups, and readiness to invest in comprehensive action to address prevention efforts, rehabilitation and reintegration measures and appropriate justice responses.
Disrupting the recruitment of children by terrorist and violent extremist groups... Given the mandates and expertise of UNODC in the areas of violence against children, justice for children and counter-terrorism, the Office is uniquely positioned to support Member States in their efforts to provide comprehensive responses to the complex challenges raised by children recruited and exploited by terrorist and violent extremist groups while strengthening multi-disciplinary approaches to this phenomenon.

INDONESIA

Indonesia has experienced the grave consequences of recruitment and exploitation by terrorist groups, both domestically and abroad. Through its leadership in the Bali Call for Action, a political declaration that endorses the “UNODC Roadmap on the Treatment of Children Associated with Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups”, the national government is reaffirming its strong commitment to the protection of children, as well as the rehabilitation and reintegration of those associated with terrorist and violent extremist groups.

IRAQ

After the rise and fall of the so-called Islamic State, a large number of children remain deprived of their liberty as a result of their alleged association with terrorist groups. The justice sector is confronted by massive caseloads and warrants for arrests, including children and young people held in detention centres and prisons under difficult conditions, with no capacity to support them with rehabilitation or adequate services. In addition, the government is now facing increased challenges to provide appropriate treatment to child returnees. Providing specialized assistance to all children associated with terrorist and violent extremist groups in Iraq, in a context of social cohesion and reconciliation, is an urgent priority.

NIGERIA

The recruitment and exploitation of children, including girls, have been integral to the tactics employed by terrorist and violent extremist groups in Nigeria. National Authorities have expressed growing interest in developing a common approach and coherent strategies to better serve and protect children under the framework of the ‘National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism’. Interventions to promote stabilization, rehabilitation and reintegration in the most affected communities are now on the forefront of the national agenda.

The project is conceived through an approach that is:

INTEGRATED and recognizes the interlinkages between security considerations and child rights protection
COMPREHENSIVE by tackling prevention, together with rehabilitation and reintegration, and justice responses to this phenomenon
INCLUSIVE which targets national policy-makers but also professionals and front-line stakeholders, as well as children, families and their communities
MULTI-LATERAL by fostering cooperation with international organizations and national authorities in the partner countries, and with the relevant support of local actors, including civil society organizations
LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY enhanced through the activities and their mode of implementation. Collection and analysis lies at the core of the project to ensure that interventions will be responsive to partner country contexts and priorities

STRIVE Juvenile is designed to enhance global awareness about the recruitment by terrorist and violent extremist groups that specifically target children in more pervasive and multiple ways. Governments and communities with increased awareness and sensitivity towards the phenomenon formulate better prevention and response frameworks and embrace inter-disciplinary approaches that increase their resilience against violent extremism, hence, resulting in a reduction of the terrorist threat and an increased stability both in the geographical area where activities are implemented and beyond.

STRIVE Juvenile is aligned with SDG 5: ‘‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, the EU Gender Action Plan, and SDG 16: ‘‘Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.