Ref: 2/2012

On Monday, 02 January 2012, the Palestinian
Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) Economic and Social Rights Unit concluded its
meeting aimed at evaluating a five-month project titled ‘Protection of
Children’s Rights in Times of Armed Conflicts.’ This project was implemented in
the Gaza Strip in partnership with Save the Children-Sweden.

Khalil Shaheen, Director of PCHR’s Economic and
Social Rights Unit welcomed social workers who participated in the project and
explained that this project is a part of the continued coordination between
PCHR and organizations working in the area of children’s rights in the Gaza
Strip and a part of PCHR’s follow-up of all issues relating to children’s
rights.  Shaheen thanked the social
workers for the role they played in the preparation of fact sheets on
violations of children’s rights in the Gaza Strip.

On behalf of the social workers participating
in the project, Mustafa al-Qanou’ thanked PCHR and Save the Children-Sweden for
their efforts, including the organization of training courses on monitoring and
documentation of violations of children’s rights.  He appreciated the experience and practical
skills that the participants acquired during the course of the project.  Al-Qanou’ called for continued connection and
coordination in order to document violations of children’s rights and put an
end to such violations.

It should be noted that the ‘Protection of
Children’s Rights in Times of Armed Conflicts’ project is a joint project
implemented by PCHR and Save the Children-Sweden.  The project aimed at establishing a database
on violations of children’s rights in the Gaza Strip and at disseminating this
database in accordance with the Monitoring & Reporting Mechanism on grave
child rights violations which was adopted by the Security Council in its
Resolution No. 1612 (2005).  This
Mechanism requires monitoring and documentation of killing and maiming of
children, recruitment and use of children, attacks on schools and hospitals,
rape and grave sexual violence, forced deportation of children, abduction of
children and denial of humanitarian access, torturing children and kidnapping
children.  Twenty one volunteers from
local organizations working in the area of children’s rights participated in
the project.

During the course of the project, PCHR’s
Economic and Social Rights Unit organized 5 training workshops on the monitoring
and reporting mechanism on violation of the rights of the child.  The training targeted social workers.  The Unit also prepared and published 5 fact
sheets on violations of the rights of the child in the Gaza Strip covering the
period between 01 August and 31 December 2011.