New OHCHR Call for Inputs on the Rights of the Child

About the author(s):

Salonee Singh

Salonee Singh is a 2024-2025 U.S. Fulbright Scholar conducting research on non-state armed groups at the Geneva Graduate Institute. She also serves as a research assistant at the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. Prior to her time in Geneva, Salonee worked in political communications for the Biden-Harris administration as a White House intern. She is a recent graduate of Brown University, where she earned a B.A. in International and Public Affairs and completed an honors thesis on detainee repatriation at Guantanamo Bay.

The OHCHR has issued a call for inputs to inform the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report on the rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts, which will be presented at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in September/October 2025.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child mandates States parties to apply its provisions to all children at all times, both in times of peace and in times of war. In resolution 55/29, the Human Rights Council focused its 2026 annual meeting on children’s rights in armed conflicts and invited the High Commissioner to prepare a report, emphasizing consultation with stakeholders such as states, UNICEF, and civil society, including children themselves.

The OHCHR is seeking comprehensive inputs from governments, non-state actors, civil society, and other independent entities on how they are implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child to prioritize children’s best interests in armed conflict situations. This includes information on: (1) Nature and extent of violations, (2) Best interests of the child in State actions, (3) Adequacy of current protections and remedies, (4) Challenges to upholding children’s best interests, (5) Recommendations for strengthening protections and remedies, including measures to monitor violations, provide reparations, and consider children’s views in accountability processes.

Submissions will be made publicly available on the OHCHR website. To contribute, inputs can be sent to ohchr-registry@un.org (cc: sulini.sarugaser@un.org) with the subject line “Inputs for report on the rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts.”