For nearly 30 years, we have investigated, documented, and exposed grave human rights violations against children.

We hold Israeli and Palestinian authorities accountable to universal human rights principles, and advocate at the international and national levels to advance access to justice and child protection. We remain the only Palestinian human rights organization specifically focused on child rights.

When we opened our doors in 1991, we were a small group of volunteers, working out of a single room in the Beit Sahour YMCA. Today, we are a leading Palestinian human rights organization with over 40 staff members working to protect and defend Palestinian children’s rights, with offices and staff located in Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, East Jerusalem, Gaza, New York and London. We are committed to securing a just and viable future for Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and envision a world where all children attain rights in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international standards.

Our work is divided into two main programs: Accountability and Child Protection. The Accountability Program offers direct socio-legal services to Palestinian children prosecuted in both the Israeli military court system and Palestinian jurisdictions, and collects high-quality evidence that drives innovative national and international advocacy initiatives. The Child Protection and Participation Program enhances protections and mitigates the impact of child rights violations for children across the OPT by promoting the participation and empowerment of children so they can defend and address their own rights and become agents for positive change.

As a national section of Defense for Children International (DCI), an international child-rights movement and non-governmental organization established in 1979, we pledge to follow DCI’s mandate to “promote and protect children’s rights in accordance with international standards.” At the same time, DCIP is an autonomous organization that raises its own funds and develops its own programs in response to contextual needs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.