UN Common Approach to Justice for Children

This conceptual note outlines strategies for a common UN approach towards justice for children within existing rule of law frameworks. The approach aims to ensure that relevant provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international legal instruments related to child justice are reflected in broader policy reform and implementation efforts. A common approach will help UN entities to leverage support through partners working on broader agendas around rule of law, governance, security and justice sector reform in which justice for children can easily be integrated. It is also expected to bring further cost-effectiveness and to maximize results of respective efforts.

The concept paper is presented in three parts. Part I provides the rationale for this concept paper and defines the term ‘justice for children’ and the basic elements of the approach. Part II recalls what brings UN entities together around this concept, i.e. a human rights mandate and the UN coherence agenda. Part III goes on to describe the approach in more detail, highlighting both how children can better be taken into account within existing rule of law and related development strategies and how to reinforce additional, complementary interventions in view of improving respect for children’s rights.