Child protection
Child protection
![Children huddle in a doorway. "With Children, #WithRefugees" is overlayed.](/sites/default/files/legacy-images/581719924.jpg "Children huddle in a doorway. "With Children, #WithRefugees" is overlayed.")
Children constitute over 40 per cent of forcibly displaced and stateless persons. Situations of forced displacement and statelessness can have a lifelong, devastating impact on the lives and development of children – from infancy and childhood through to adolescence and adulthood.
Conflict and persecution expose children and their families to violence, abuse and exploitation and cause families and children to flee. As a result, forcibly displaced and stateless children face a wide range of child protection risks which include diverse forms of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
What is child protection?
Child protection is the prevention and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation, violence and the separation of children, and the promotion of solutions in children’s best interests.
The protection of forcibly displaced and stateless children is governed by complementary and mutually reinforcing international legal and policy frameworks. These include international standards governing the protection of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stateless persons, as well as the child protection provisions set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, as well as in other international or regional instruments.
How does UNHCR protect children?
UNHCR supports authorities and works with other partners to protect children.
We take a holistic approach to protecting children. We invest in both dedicated child protection programming and leveraging our and partners' investments in protection, solutions and assistance to contribute to the protection of children. We protect children by:
- strengthening inclusive child protection systems
- supporting children, families and communities to protect children
- [when needed] providing supplementary child protection services for children at risk
- strengthening child-friendly protection and solutions
- promoting children’s safety and prevent harm through sectoral responses
- strengthening child participation and child-friendly communication and accountability.
Publications
UNHCR Policy on child protection (Refworld)
UNHCR Operational guidance on child protection core programme actions (Refworld)
Both documents are also available in Arabic, French and Spanish (via the language dropdown on the Refworld site).
Also available in Arabic, French, Spanish and Turkish (via the language dropdown on the Refworld site).
Also available in Arabic, French and Spanish (via the language dropdown on the Refworld site).
