Shaping Knowledge and Attitude towards Child Protection Capacity Building in Peace Support Operations

For over two decades, Save the Children (SC) has been working with armed forces in sub-Saharan Africa to promote the rights of children in conflicts, post-conflict and protracted political emergency situations. In the last ten years, SC has worked with the African Union (AU) in strengthening child protection in the Peace Support Operations (PSO). This has yielded remarkable results; there is now a standardised and harmonised curriculum adopted by the African Union, EASF and ECOWAS Additionally, three main partners and stakeholders learning event have been held and continue to articulate lessons and best practices in the region ensuing improved coordination amongst partners and enhanced commitment to advancing child protection efforts in the region.

This study was commissioned to assess the effectiveness of the on-going Child protection training within the African Peace Support Architecture. The study sought to explore if the harmonised and standardised curriculum is being used by the various stakeholders in pre-deployment training for troops earmarked for AU peacekeeping missions, how effective the training is, gaps, challenges and opportunities currently existing around child protection training.