Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 6341st Meeting, 16 June 2010, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Children and Armed Conflict"]

S/PRST/2010/10View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Security Council, under agenda item 187 Children and armed conflict, published in 2010.

What’s in this document?

23 paragraphs

At the 6341st meeting of the Security Council, held on 16 June 2010, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Children and armed conflict”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council takes note with appreciation of the 9th report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (S/2010/181) and the recommendations contained therein as well as the positive developments referred to in the report, and notes the continuing challenges in the implementation of its resolution 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and other relevant resolutions reflected therein.

“The Security Council reiterates its equally strong condemnation of all violations of applicable international law involving the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals and denial of humanitarian access by parties to armed conflict. The Council condemns all other violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, committed against children in situations of armed conflict. The Council demands that all relevant parties immediately put an end to such practices and take special measures to protect children.

“The Security Council expresses deep concern about the growing number of attacks or threats of attacks in contravention of applicable international law against schools and educational facilities, and teachers and pupils, in particular the specific targeting of girls and in this regard calls upon all parties to armed conflict to cease immediately these violations of international humanitarian law.

“The Security Council welcomes the steps taken by the Secretary-General in the implementation of resolution 1882 (2009) by including in the annexes of his report those parties to armed conflict that engage, in contravention of applicable international law, in patterns of killing and maiming of children and/or rape and other sexual violence, in situations of armed conflict.

“The Security Council calls upon the Secretary-General to redouble his efforts to ensure strengthening of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism’s capacities with a view to the implementation of resolution 1882 (2009) to allow for prompt advocacy and effective response to all violations and abuses committed against children, inter alia, by ensuring that all relevant UN agencies actively help to collect accurate, objective, reliable and verifiable information on acts of rape and other sexual violence committed against children, and also by ensuring synergies and avoiding overlap among relevant UN entities, at the headquarters and country levels as requested by resolutions 1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009).

“The Security Council reaffirms its decision in OP11 of its resolution 1882 (2009) to continue to include specific provisions for the protection of children in the mandates of all relevant United Nations peacekeeping, peacebuilding and political missions, encourages the deployment of Child Protection Advisers to such missions and calls upon the Secretary-General to ensure that such advisors are recruited and deployed in line with the Council’s relevant country-specific resolutions and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Policy Directive on Mainstreaming the Protection Rights and Wellbeing of Children Affected by Armed Conflict. It further underscores the importance of training on child rights and child protection for all personnel involved in United Nations peacekeeping, peace building and political missions and in this regard welcomes the ongoing efforts by DPKO in developing the policy implementation plan, including training programmes and materials.

“The Security Council welcomes the progress made in preventing and responding to violations and abuses committed against children especially with regard to the signing of action plans by some parties as mentioned in the 9th report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/181).

“The Security Council reiterates its call on parties to armed conflict listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict that have not already done so to prepare and implement, without further delay, action plans to halt recruitment and use of children, patterns of killing and maiming of children and/or rape and other sexual violence against children, in violation of applicable international law, in situations of armed conflict.

“The Security Council also reiterates its call to all parties listed in the annexes to the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict to address all other violations and abuses committed against children and undertake specific commitments and measures in this regard.

“The Security Council expresses deep concern that certain parties persist in committing violations and abuses against children, and expresses its readiness to adopt targeted and graduated measures against persistent perpetrators taking in to account the relevant provisions of its resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009). To this end, the Council invites:

(a) Its Working Group on children and armed conflict to exchange pertinent information with relevant Sanctions Committees, in particular through communication of the Working Group’s relevant recommendations.

(b) Its relevant Sanctions Committees to consider inviting more regularly the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict to brief them on specific information contained in the Secretary General’s reports.

(c) The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict to share specific information contained in the Secretary-General’s reports with relevant Sanctions Committees expert groups.

“The Security Council expresses its intention, when establishing or renewing the mandate of relevant Sanctions Committees, to consider provisions pertaining to parties that are in violation of applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict.

“The Security Council expresses its readiness to consider specific recommendations from its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict on violations and abuses committed against children by parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s reports, whenever they occur, with a view to considering action on them, without prejudging or implying a decision by the Security Council as to whether or not to include a situation in its agenda.

“The Security Council calls upon concerned Member States to take decisive and immediate action against persistent perpetrators of violations and abuses committed against children in situations of armed conflict, and further calls upon them to bring to justice those responsible for such violations that are prohibited under applicable international law, including with regard to recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming and rape and other sexual violence, through national justice systems, and where applicable, international justice mechanisms and mixed criminal courts and tribunals, with a view to ending impunity for those committing crimes against children.

“Given the regional dimensions of some armed conflicts referred to in the Secretary- General’s report, the Security Council reiterates its request that United Nations peacekeeping, peacebuilding and political missions as well as United Nations country teams, within their respective mandates and in close cooperation with governments of the concerned countries, develop appropriate strategies and coordination mechanisms for information exchange and cooperation on cross-border child protection concerns.

“The Security Council welcomes the overall work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict and highlights the importance of her field visits in enhancing dialogue with concerned governments and parties to the conflict, including by negotiating action plans, securing commitments, advocating for appropriate response mechanisms and ensuring appropriate attention and follow up to the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict conclusions and recommendations.

“The Security Council also welcomes the efforts undertaken by UNICEF in carrying out its mandate on child protection by supporting the overall development and implementation of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) and ensuring appropriate response to children in armed conflict, and encourages it to continue to follow up, through the MRM Country Task Forces, on relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

“The Security Council welcomes the sustained activity of its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and stresses the importance of continuing to adopt timely conclusions and recommendations in line with resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009). Furthermore, the Council invites the Working Group to fully implement its toolkit (S/2006/724), inter alia, by carrying out a country-specific visit within one year, to examine a situation referred to in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report in order to better fulfil its mandate and enhance its capacity to protect children affected by armed conflict.

“Recalling previous Presidential statements on children and armed conflict as well as paragraph 18 of resolution 1882 (2009), the Security Council reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to provide administrative and substantive support for its Working Group on children and armed conflict and further requests the Secretary-General to take action on this subject within one month of this date.

“The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to submit a report by May 2011 on the implementation of its resolutions and Presidential statements on children and armed conflict, including the present statement.”

Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 6341st Meeting, 16 June 2010, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Children and Armed Conflict"]

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