Canada urges ethical journalism to strengthen child protection in conflict zones

The Government of Canada has called on journalists to adopt ethical and responsible reporting practices as a critical tool in strengthening the protection of children affected by armed conflict, stressing that the media plays a decisive role in shaping narratives, preventing recruitment and advancing accountability in violence-prone environments.

Counsellor (Political) at the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria, Mr Omar Alihashi, who represented the High Commissioner, made the call on Monday in Abuja at a workshop organised by the Dallaire Institute in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights, focused on preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.

Alihashi said Canada remains firmly committed to international child protection frameworks, including the Vancouver Principles, noting that prevention, partnership and knowledge-sharing remain central to building safer communities.

“Canada remains committed to supporting international efforts to protect children affected by armed conflict and to advance the principles reflected in the Vancouver Principles,” he said. “Prevention, partnership, and knowledge sharing are essential to building safer and more resilient communities.”

He stressed that journalists have a critical responsibility to ensure that reporting on conflict and child protection issues is conducted with sensitivity and professionalism.

“Through accurate, ethical, and responsible reporting, the media can help raise awareness, amplify evidence-based information, and contribute to informed public dialogue,” Alihashi said. “At the same time, reporting on these issues requires sensitivity, professionalism, and a strong understanding of the rights and dignity of children.”

Earlier, Mrs Offiong Nsa, representing the Dallaire Institute, said the workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of journalists to report responsibly on children affected by armed conflict while challenging harmful narratives that portray children solely as perpetrators.

She said children remain among the most vulnerable groups in conflict situations, often exploited and recruited by armed actors, adding that the media has a responsibility to reshape public understanding.

“The use of children in armed conflict is one of the most egregious violations of human rights,” she said, warning that children are often treated as expendable instruments of war.

Nsa urged journalists to adopt child-centred reporting that prioritises dignity, safety and accountability, noting that ethical storytelling can expose recruitment networks and support prevention efforts.

The Africa Programme Director for Journalists for Human Rights, Mr Mustapha Dumbuya, said the training forms part of broader efforts to strengthen media capacity across Africa on human rights and conflict-sensitive reporting.

He explained that the organisation works in more than 30 countries to promote human rights education through media development, describing journalists as key actors in accountability and governance.

“The media plays a critical role in shaping opinions and influencing behaviour, which is why working with journalists is a strategic way of advancing human rights education,” he said.

Dumbuya said the workshop would cover journalist safety, trauma-informed reporting, gender-sensitive storytelling and the ethical use of digital platforms in reporting on vulnerable children.

In her goodwill message, the Treasurer of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Sandra Chukwugekwu, who represented the Chairperson, Comrade Grace Ike, called on journalists to exercise discipline and empathy when covering children affected by conflict.

“The media has a central role to play in addressing this crisis,” she said, urging journalists to avoid sensationalism and protect the identities of victims.

She also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society and the media in addressing the recruitment and use of children in armed violence.