Non-state groups get new arms from states

UNICEF policy requires Senior Management at all levels — Headquarters, Regional, Country, and Field Offices — to pursue and maintain systematic engagement with armed non-state actors (ANSAs) whenever operationally necessary to access children or to implement principled humanitarian programming on their behalf, as set out in the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.

What are Armed Non-State Actors?

Armed non-state actors can be defined as groups that have the potential to employ arms in the use of force to achieve political, ideological, or economic objectives; are not part of the formal military structures of States, State alliances, or intergovernmental organizations; and are not under the control of the State or States in which they operate.

Why engage with ANSAs?

There is wide consensus within the humanitarian and development communities that ANSAs are a typical, increasingly prominent, and increasingly complex feature of emergency settings. As such, they have a significant impact on humanitarian programmes and operations. In particular, ANSAs may:

Control areas where vulnerable children and women may be assessed or served.

Control areas through which humanitarians and affected populations must transit to access one another.

Influence the fulfilment or realization of the needs and rights of children and women.

Engagement with ANSAs is justified by the needs of children and women and by operational necessity. It reflects practical humanitarian considerations only and does not imply acceptance of any ANSA’s agenda or recognition of legitimacy. In line with the principle of neutrality, UNICEF does not take sides in conflict or engage in non-humanitarian controversies.

In addition to neutrality, engagement with ANSAs must be guided by the principles of humanity, impartiality, and independence, and anchored in international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as relevant United Nations frameworks.

What risks should be considered?

UNICEF should engage with ANSAs, based on programmatic or operational necessity, whenever the benefits of engagement outweigh the associated residual risks after mitigation measures have been applied. In rare and exceptional circumstances, UNICEF may decide not to engage when risks are exceptionally high and clearly documented.

Relevant risks extend beyond security considerations and include reputational, legal, and fiduciary risks. Risks may also arise when engagement could harm humanitarian conditions or civilian populations, place interlocutors at risk, be used by armed groups to enhance perceived legitimacy, or create tensions among humanitarian actors.

Where such risks are present, caution is required and the Regional Director and the Director of EMOPS should be kept informed. To deliver on its child-centred mandate and adhere to policy, UNICEF expects engagement with ANSAs to be the norm, with non-engagement remaining the exception.

How can this site be used?

This site provides UNICEF and partner staff with policy and guidance to support engagement with armed non-state actors, as well as related materials and links from other organizations.