From 10-12 April 2023, the IIJ travelled to Nairobi, Kenya, to attend the first Africa Children Summit and hold a side event on Criminal Justice Approaches to Children in a Counter-Terrorism Context. The side event, generously financed by the U.S. Department of State’s Counterterrorism Bureau, convened over 40 youth leaders, prosecutors, judicial officers, defence counsel, prison and probation officers and other relevant actors.
The primary objective of the side event was to spread the principles in the IIJ Juvenile Justice Notes for Practitioners to enhance the capacity of criminal justice actors handling terrorism matters to better manage children with whom to come into contact. The IIJ partnered with the Kenyan National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) Standing Committee on the Administration of and Access to Justice for Children and four experienced practitioners in Kenya to introduce the principles in the Notes.
At the side event, presenters introduced the five Juvenile Justice Notes for Practitioners, focusing on the practical roles of investigators, prosecutors, defence counsel, judges, and detention personnel in handling children in a counter-terrorism context while considering and respecting their unique needs. The participants so appreciated the event that several of them approached the IIJ afterwards to request capacity-building on the same themes.
The Summit also increased the Institute’s visibility within the large and dynamic community of international and regional organisations involved in child rights and advocacy issues, child protection, and criminal justice. In addition, the IIJ built relevant professional networks ready to help spread the principles beyond its usual reach.
For more information on this workshop, please contact IIJ Programme Manager Mr. Emerson Cachon.