"Children in conflict with the law will have their rights protected by the International Legal Foundation (ILF) and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Myanmar. The partnership followed the implementation of the nation’s Child Rights Law which came into effect in July, according to The Myanmar Times. Funded by the European Union initiative “Protecting children affected by migration in Southeast, South, and Central Asia”, the project focused on diverting children away from the criminal justice system and promoting alternatives to their detention. Unicef Myanmar and the ILF would train defence lawyers and other justice stakeholders on child-friendly justice as well as set defence standards for juveniles. They would also facilitate increased cooperation between police, prosecutors, judges and social service providers to divert cases concerning minors away from courts and connect children with appropriate community support to promote alternatives to incarceration. Jennifer Smith, executive director of the ILF, underscored the importance of having skilled lawyers to defend children accused of crimes. “Children need strong and skilled defenders to fight for them from the earliest possible moment after arrest, and their cases must be handled differently from adults,” she said..."