for association with armed groups,388 as well
as independent human rights monitors.
•
Family unity and separation of adults and
children: Generally, except for cases in which
families are accommodated as family
units, children must be held in quarters
separate from those of
adults.389 While
international humanitarian law does not exclude the detention of children, it emphasizes
that they must be lodged together with their
parents if they were interned during an international armed conflict in accordance with
the Fourth Geneva Convention.390 Customary
international humanitarian law also requires
that family life be respected as far as possible (see chapter 3 on preserving family
unity).391 If not with parents, children should
be kept in a juvenile facility separate from
adults. When a child is detained, States shall
notify the parents and family of any detained
child about the child’s whereabouts and
provide information to the child about the
whereabouts of his or her family members
and facilitate family contact. Establishment of
family links is critical not only to supporting
family unity and to the rehabilitation and
reintegration of the child, but also to
reducing fear and anxiety related to missing
family members.
•
Registration: At the time of admission, the
number and personal details of children
being admitted should be recorded, including
names and ages.392 All information relating to
a child should be kept confidential and used
only in a manner consistent with the best
interests of the child.393
Examples from Morocco and Thailand—Birth registration
In Morocco, children born in prison are registered. Information about the address of
the prison or the fact that the child was
born in prison is not included in the registration documents. Similarly, in Thailand, even if a child is born in a prison,
it is prohibited to record the prison as the
birth location.
•
Adequate standard of living: Adequate
and timely meals, a healthy environment
and regular exercise opportunities should
be provided.394 There should be a regular
supply of water available for the personal
care of children and mothers.395
•
Health care: Each child should undergo
health screening, preferably by a child health
specialist. Suitable health care equivalent to
that available in the community should be
388 Security Council resolution 2427 (2018), para. 20.
389 ICRC, Customary International Humanitarian Law database, rule 120 on accommodation for children deprived
of their liberty, available at https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/
customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule120.
390 Geneva Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949), art. 82; ICRC, Customary
International Humanitarian Law database, rule 120 on accommodation for children deprived of their liberty, available
at https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/
v1_rul_rule120.
391 ICRC, Customary International Humanitarian Law database, rule 105 on respect for family life, available at https://
ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_
rule105.
86.
392 The Bangkok Rules (2010), rule 3(1).
393
Ibid., rule 3(2).
394 Ibid., rule 48(1).
395 Ibid., rule 5.
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