We promote child-friendly justice systems, which recognise the right of children to special protection, have a minimum age of criminal responsibility of 14 or higher, abolish status offences and use detention only as a measure of last resort, diverting children away from criminal justice systems wherever possible.
- We advocate for child-friendly justice systems. Such systems prioritise crime prevention; increase the age of criminal responsibility; set up a separate criminal justice system for children with trained staff; abolish status offences; divert children from formal criminal justice systems wherever possible and use detention only as a last resort; focus on reintegration and rehabilitation programmes; and prohibit all forms of violence against children in conflict with the law.
- We promote child-rights based responses to children charged with or convicted of terrorismârelated activities, or those affected or involved in foreign terrorist activities, grounded in international human rights law and the rule of law.
- We provide guidance on how criminal justice responses should meet the unique and specific needs of girls, based on the UN Bangkok Rules and other human rights standards.
- We publish research and recommendations for reform, and develop resources for policy-makers, prison authorities, judges, members of inspection committees, prison staff, as well as social and probation workers who work with children in contact with the law.
- We provide training to build the capacity and skills of professionals, such as judges, prison staff, social and probation workers who work with children in contact with the law
- We advocate at regional and international forums, such as the UN and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, to highlight the most pressing challenges in implementing international standards on children in conflict with the law.