The African Union (AU) has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intensify advocacy for children affected by armed conflict, including pushing for increased funding and stronger protection measures across the continent.

The AU Special Envoy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, made the call during a meeting with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on October 20.

Jagne urged ECOWAS to use its regional influence to press for the effective implementation of child protection frameworks and ensure that the needs of children caught in conflict are prioritised in peacebuilding and security interventions.

She highlighted the challenges facing children in conflict and post-conflict settings, including psychological trauma, disrupted education, limited access to healthcare, loss of livelihoods and exposure to exploitation and abuse.

Beyond immediate protection, she stressed the need to invest in affected children’s futures and give them opportunities to participate in peacebuilding and resilience initiatives.

Jagne also called for child protection to be integrated into peacekeeping operations, including through troop training, disarmament initiatives and mediation processes.

She noted that children constitute a significant proportion of Africa’s population and that conflict affecting them required coordinated action by regional and continental institutions.

According to the AU envoy, ECOWAS is well positioned to advance child protection initiatives because of its proximity to citizens and the range of programmes it implements across West Africa.

She expressed the AU’s readiness to work with the regional bloc on interventions aimed at improving conditions for conflict-affected children and their families.

Responding, Diop stressed that preventing conflict and sustaining peace required collective responsibility and continued cooperation among regional and continental institutions.

He highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation in promoting stability and reducing the devastating consequences of conflict on communities, particularly children and other vulnerable groups.

The ECOWAS Commission president also pointed to good governance, sustained dialogue and efforts to address the underlying causes of conflict as essential to creating conditions for lasting peace.

“We must be proactive and not reactive,” Diop said, emphasising the need for preventive approaches, collective action and continuous reassessment of peacebuilding strategies.

The meeting comes amid broader efforts by the two institutions to strengthen cooperation on child protection in conflict-affected areas and ensure that the rights and welfare of children are incorporated into peace, security and development initiatives.

Both institutions reaffirmed the need for sustained political commitment, adequate resources and better coordination to strengthen protection mechanisms and enable children affected by conflict to contribute to decisions shaping their future.