The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called for stronger protection mechanisms for children affected by armed conflict, emphasizing that safeguarding their rights is both a legal and moral obligation.

In an advisory, the CHR underscored the continuing challenges in protecting the welfare of children caught in hostilities, including displacement, loss of access to education and health services, psychological trauma, and the risk of recruitment or exploitation by armed groups.

Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts and the Philippines’ recent delisting from the United Nations Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, the CHR said sustaining compliance with international standards remains critical.

“Protecting children in situations of armed conflict is not optional. It is both a legal and moral obligation,” the CHR stressed.

The advisory identified major gaps hindering the full implementation of Republic Act No. 11188 or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act, such as the lack of comprehensive data, limited access to conflict zones, and insufficient dedicated care facilities for affected children.

To address these, the CHR recommended strengthening the monitoring and reporting of child rights violations under the Inter-Agency Committee and establishing dedicated care facilities staffed with trained personnel and equipped with tailored rehabilitation programs.

The CHR also called for improved training of frontline responders, implementation of psychosocial and reintegration programs, finalization of case management protocols, and community awareness campaigns on children’s rights during armed conflict.

While acknowledging efforts to curb grave child rights violations, the CHR lamented that children continue to be unlawfully recruited or used in hostilities and emphasized that they must be treated as victims, not combatants.

“Their release, demobilization, and rehabilitation—not prosecution—must be prioritized in line with the best interest of the child,” it furthered.

The full CHR advisory can be accessed here: https://chr.gov.ph/chr-resource/human-rights-advisory-protecting-the-rights-of-children-affected-in-situation-of-armed-conflict-csac-chr-vi-a2025-014/

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