Policy & Advocacy
The Dallaire Institute works to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed violence by supporting the integration of policy in domestic law and security sector doctrine.
Children, Peace and Security: Connecting Agendas
Over the past few years, the Dallaire Institute has been advocating for a deeper understanding of the fragile contexts that threaten children, increase their vulnerability to extreme violence and insecurity, and diminish their agency to positively impact change. These challenges perpetuate cycles of violence that continue over generations. Building a global Children, Peace and Security agenda is a response to address these challenges and build on several existing frameworks, including: the Women, Peace and Security agenda; the Youth, Peace and Security agenda; the Early Warning and Genocide Prevention Networks; Security Sector Reform efforts and Economic Security Frameworks. The synthesis of these frameworks will provide new approaches and platforms to place children at the heart of global peace and security. To help create dialogue and catalyze action, we created a ten-point checklist on tangible actions that governments can take to build a Children, Peace and Security agenda.
Accelerating Actions on the Vancouver Principles
As co-developer and custodian of The Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, the Dallaire Institute is a global leader and subject matter expert on recruitment prevention.
Through advocacy, we increase the understanding about the Vancouver Principles to accelerate endorsement and implementation among priority national, regional and international partners. We also advise governments and multilateral partners on how best to integrate the Vancouver Principles into domestic law, security sector governance, peace processes and other post-conflict reconstruction policies.
To date, more than 100 countries have endorsed the Vancouver Principles, which strengthen normative frameworks for protecting children from armed violence and enhancing the operational effectiveness of peacekeepers by reducing incidences of moral injury.
