Children in War

In wartime, children are exposed to a myriad of risks that deprive them of the opportunity to fully experience childhood. All too often, they are drawn into hostilities themselves. The ICRC implements a range of activities benefiting children in conflict-affected areas; children make up 40% of those reached by ICRC protection and assistance activities. In the ever-evolving circumstances of armed conflict, how can we provide all children with the protection they are both morally and legally entitled to and ensure that their needs and rights are fulfilled?

The speaker for this event is Ellen Policinski. Ms. Policinski is an ICRC legal advisor working on the project to update the Commentaries on the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. She has previously held a number of positions at the ICRC at headquarters and in the field, including Editor-in-Chief of the International Review of the Red Cross, an academic journal produced by the ICRC and published by Cambridge University Press. Prior to joining the ICRC she worked on the IHL team at the American Red Cross and as a consultant at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. She has an LL.M. from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and a J.D. from the University of Villanova Charles Widger School of Law.

All opinions are views are that of the speaker(s) are only intended to further discussion and provide a neutral space for learning and discussion on the law and reality of armed conflict.

Please visit www.redcross.org/ihl or www.rulesofwar.org for more information about the American Red Cross IHL Dissemination Program. If you are interested in volunteering with the American Red Cross please contact your American Red Cross regional office or visit www.redcross.org/volunteer