Community-based child protection mechanisms

The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes that parents, as well as families and communities “have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child” and “States Parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents and legal guardians in the performance of their child- rearing responsibilities and shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities and services for the care of children.” (Article 18). However, in times of humanitarian crisis and displacement, the capacity of communities and parents is often undermined as children face new and exacerbated protection risks such as family separation, abuse and exploitation and recruitment into armed forces and groups. In order to mitigate those risks, it is important that humanitarian actors support and strengthen the protective capacity of families and communities, who are the first point of call and primary duty-bearers when it comes to the protection of vulnerable children. The active involvement of communities in the protection of children is a key p rinciple of action for UNHCR and is reiterated in the Framework for the Protection of Children.