Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict, March 2014

Indeed, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has suffered for more than a decade of intermittent armed conflicts with the grimmest of consequences, children are among those civilians whose rights are most frequently violated. What is worse, given their immature psychological makeup, they experience great trauma when they are recruited as soldiers. That is the case, for example, when they are forced to kill an adversary in cold blood or a comrade in arms suspected of collaboration, or when forced to burn villages or to stand by helplessly as comrades suffer. All the armed groups operating in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo recruit boys and girls as soldiers, messengers, spies or traffickers or to transport munitions.

Given the scope of the phenomenon, and pursuant to the recommendations contained in the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, the Congolese authorities have spared no expense in tackling the challenges. In October 2012, my Government and the United Nations signed an action plan with a series of commitments by both parties, aiming to end the recruitment and use of children by Congolese armed forces and security services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as sexual violence against children.

Moreover, two coordination mechanisms have been created to follow up the implementation of the action plan. Results have been encouraging. According to statistics, 2,494 children were removed from armed groups and forces in June 2013, while 2,824 children, of whom 365 were girls, were placed in the care of the transitional support structure. Those numbers fell through 31 December 2013 and perhaps even more by today.

While terrorist armed groups continue to recruit Syrian children, boys and girls for their military operations, the relevant authorities in the Syrian Government are taking legal action with regard to these recruited children, in accordance with the law on the recruitment of children adopted on 6 May 2013, which criminalizes those who recruit children to take part in any form of combat. That is punishable by a term of 10 to 20 years of hard labour, reaching a life sentence if the child dies while in combat. It is very important to underscore that this law deals with the recruited children as victims by virtue of the juvenile code under Syrian law. They are placed in social protection centres, rather than in detention centres, where they reside until they face a fair trial and are immediately referred to rehabilitation institutions in cooperation with civil society and under the supervision of expert mentors.

Allow me to share with the Council that the fundamental strategy of the Colombian State includes a policy to prevent the recruitment and use of girls, boys and adolescents by illegal organized armed groups and criminal groups. Since 2010, we have been able to dedicate a significant amount — $190 million to date — to implementing that initiative. Colombia has established an intersectoral committee that, since 2007, has been working to reduce the recruitment of youth by illegal armed groups. The committee brings together 23 national, regional and local entities that address the prevention of sexual violence against girls and boys. That strategy has produced encouraging results. We have not achieved everything we wanted to, and we are not able to declare a complete victory, but at least 3,400 children have been dissociated from illegal groups. Some 1,160 investigations have been opened since 2003 by the country's general prosecutor concerning the rights of forcibly recruited children and the childhood of which armed groups deprived them.

With regard to the practice of reintegrating children into communities, domestic and international stakeholders dealing with situations of conflict in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations often face difficulties. To resolve such complex issues, efficient coordination among different actors is needed, including by the host country, host Government, United Nations entities, donors and non-governmental organizations. Special attention should be given to refugees and displaced children, children with disabilities and those who have been subjected to sexual violence. We believe that their participation in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration practices is critical.

Recruitment is not the only danger to which children are exposed. Violations and abuses committed against children in armed conflict can take many forms. But whether they become victims of bombings or crossfire, are subjected to sexual violence or are recruited to serve in the ranks of armed forces or groups as combatants, or are held as sex slaves, each fate tells the story of a life shattered.

According to UNICEF in a report published in 2011, more than 60 per cent of the LTTE's fighting cadre from 1983 to 2002 consisted of boys and girls less than 18 years of age. UNICEF recorded more than 5,700 cases of child recruitment by the LTTE from 2003 to 2009. Human Rights Watch has suggested a figure of more than 21,000. Following the tsunami, orphaned children were harvested for combat purposes. Child soldiers were also used as suicide bombers, especially girls. Each family was forced to surrender even very young children for combat purposes in the final stages of the conflict. The LTTE had no scruples about sacrificing thousands of children in the frontline of combat. Children were given cyanide capsules by their leaders to commit suicide to avoid capture.

At the Geneva peace talks in February 2006, the LTTE publicly conceded that it was holding thousands of children as combatants. With the end of the conflict, 594 child combatants — 231 girls and 363 boys between the ages of 12 and 18 years — were taken into custody by the security forces. The Government adopted a caring attitude with those former child combatants, treating them with a sensitivity rarely seen elsewhere, as victims and not as perpetrators of violent crimes. They were placed in institutional rehabilitation centres and received access to education, vocational training, health care and psycho-social support. Following their rehabilitation process, they have all been reunited with their immediate or extended families. That happened as early as May 2010. The rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers was a priority for Sri Lanka. Family reunions are continuing to take place with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF, which has continued to assist with its extensive background of experience and goodwill.

Next Monday, 10 March, Thailand will organize a side event on increasing women's contribution to peace and security at the Japan Society here in New York. Participants from Australia, Rwanda and Indonesia will share their views and perspectives on the role of female peacekeepers. In addition, two Thai female peacekeepers will share their experiences from peacekeeping missions in Haiti and Darfur.

In 2013, the National Centre for Historical Memory, which was established by the Government of Colombia as part of the peace process and through the law for victims and the restoration of land, published a heartrending report entitled “Enough already: a memoir of war and dignity”, which recounts the very valiant way in which women in particular demanded that illegal groups return their children, who had been tricked into being recruited or had simply been recruited against their will. I therefore want to emphasize, as our Ambassador indicated to the Council last year (see S/PV.6980), we believe that the implementation of the mechanism set out in resolution 1612 (2005) should also be sharply focused on strengthening the existing international pressure brought to bear on illegal armed groups to put an end to their violent actions and the recruitment of minors. Similarly, we also believe that we should always bear in mind that in dealing with this issue, the Council should consider the situations and focus on those where there are armed groups that indeed threaten international peace and security, and establish distinctions with those situations that are not on its agenda. Every case must be analysed on an individual basis and the appropriate response to the circumstances, as well the specific context, of each situation should be found.

Indeed, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has suffered for more than a decade of intermittent armed conflicts with the grimmest of consequences, children are among those civilians whose rights are most frequently violated. What is worse, given their immature psychological makeup, they experience great trauma when they are recruited as soldiers. That is the case, for example, when they are forced to kill an adversary in cold blood or a comrade in arms suspected of collaboration, or when forced to burn villages or to stand by helplessly as comrades suffer. All the armed groups operating in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo recruit boys and girls as soldiers, messengers, spies or traffickers or to transport munitions.

Syria has always been a pioneer in providing for all the needs of children and in promoting their rights and protection, in particular quality free education and medical services. This fact has been recognized in the reports of specialized United Nations agencies over decades. However, it is regrettable that the current crisis in Syria has led to inhumane extremist manifestations that are contrary to the Syrian values of moderation. Syrian children were the first to suffer under the practices of mercenaries and takfiris openly imported from all parts of the world to impose obscurantist Wahhabi ideas on our children and young people and commit the most horrific crimes against Syrian children. They recruit these children and youngsters and train them to commit the most horrific crimes of terror — slaughter, kidnapping. maiming, dismemberment, beheading with axes and swords, disemboweling pregnant women, hanging their foetuses on trees by the umbilical cord, and human and organ trafficking. Those are just some examples.

During scores of meetings of the Security Council, directly or indirectly related to Syria, I have never heard that one or more States with influence over the armed groups in Syria — some of which are members of the Council — has exercised any pressure on these terrorist armed groups to lift the blockade of a certain area in Syria or to stop the militarization of a hospital or a school in Syria, or to free religious leaders, priests, nuns and orphans who have been kidnapped for months or even years. I have not once heard that any of any States that exercises pressure on terrorist armed groups had pressed for the release of Syrian women and children who had been taken hostage, kidnapped and used as human shields, from Latakia to Deir ez-Zor, Al-Raqqa and Deraa. I have never heard of anybody who had pressured those terrorist armed groups to release women and children who were kidnapped after dozens and hundreds of them were slaughtered.

Security Council resolutions on this subject not only enjoy the firm support of my Government, but also carry institutional weight, since, as established in resolution 1612 (2005) and resolution 2143 (2014), adopted today, the primary role of States in protecting and assisting girls and boys in armed conflict and developing the necessary corrective measures is recognized. Colombia agrees with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Zerrougui, that in the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism established under resolution 1612 (2005), any dialogue between special representatives, the United Nations team in our country or the task force of the monitoring and reporting mechanism will be possible only with the prior express agreement of the Government of Colombia, and we were thus able to work jointly.

Allow me to share with the Council that the fundamental strategy of the Colombian State includes a policy to prevent the recruitment and use of girls, boys and adolescents by illegal organized armed groups and criminal groups. Since 2010, we have been able to dedicate a significant amount — $190 million to date — to implementing that initiative. Colombia has established an intersectoral committee that, since 2007, has been working to reduce the recruitment of youth by illegal armed groups. The committee brings together 23 national, regional and local entities that address the prevention of sexual violence against girls and boys. That strategy has produced encouraging results. We have not achieved everything we wanted to, and we are not able to declare a complete victory, but at least 3,400 children have been dissociated from illegal groups. Some 1,160 investigations have been opened since 2003 by the country's general prosecutor concerning the rights of forcibly recruited children and the childhood of which armed groups deprived them.

The Government of Colombia is working with the full conviction that the rebuilding of society in post-conflict situations, if we are to achieve the peace that we so deeply desire as Colombians, should be established on the basis of protection for boys and girls. As underscored by President Santos Calderón himself, Colombia seeks genuine peace — peace that will ensure non-repetition, contribute to an environment of reconciliation and heal the wounds of confrontation, and give my country its first generation in a long time of children who grow up in an environment of peace, security and prosperity.

Malala Yousafzai, targeted by the Pakistani Taliban for assassination for promoting education for a generation of young men and women, stands out as a symbol for millions who are denied opportunity and access. Therefore, in times of conflict, all steps should be taken to safeguard the right to education. All parties to conflict should safeguard schools as protected areas and zones of peace for boys and girls.

We should spare no effort to protect those who are the most vulnerable and those unable to protect themselves. Croatia firmly supports the inclusion of child protection advisers in peacekeeping operations and the organization of predeployment targeted training for child protection for peacekeepers. It is of paramount importance that all the relevant peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations properly address the impact of conflict on children, especially girls. We also advocate that this aspect be given even greater prominence in the relevant reports submitted to the Security Council.

No country emerging from war can, without risk, leave its young people on the sidelines without any future, knowing only a culture of violence. Programmes for disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating combatants must therefore take into account the specific needs of children, in particular young girls, who are even more severely affected than boys and whose reintegration is even more difficult. In Uganda, following the end of the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in 2006, one of the priorities of the Government was reintegration of formerly abducted children into their families and communities.

At the same time, all parties to armed conflicts should strive to meet their obligations under relevant international law and to respect and safeguard the rights of children. In post-conflict situations, the return of children to their families, schools and communities as well as the provision of sufficient resources should be prioritized. Young boys and girls kidnapped or coerced into joining armed groups must be freed to live the rest of their lives without the stigma or trauma of those early years shadowing their future.

Recognizing the progress that has been made does not imply in any way that we ignore or minimize the horrifying realities that daily attest to the fact that children and women are the primary victims of many types of violence and abuse in situations of armed conflict. From a human rights perspective, the protection of children must remain our priority, and must therefore be taken into consideration when defining the mandates of peacekeeping operations, special political missions and Security Council peacebuilding efforts, which should include the integration of experts into its various missions. It is equally important for States and the Organization that training and capacity-building on children and armed conflict not be limited exclusively to staff with direct responsibility for protecting children in the field.

The robust system of child protection built by the Security Council has been judiciously implemented in the field by key partners such as UNICEF and others. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UNICEF have worked tirelessly to raise awareness and to address the rights and protection of girls and boys affected by armed conflict. Canada commends their efforts.

Canada is committed to ensuring that the rights of children are always protected. Be assured that we will continue to fight against the unspeakable violations that threaten the safety, dignity and lives of girls and boys in situations of armed conflict in every corner of the world.

My country is making herculean efforts to defend itself against the growing infrastructure of organized crime and criminal groups. We have begun to reverse that pernicious trend — more through our own efforts than as a result of assistance — but the levels of insecurity continue to be unacceptable. The roiling violence drags in hundreds of girls and boys, either as victims or as bullies. It does not matter what terminology we use. Quite simply, they are victims. Any expectation for the future of the country is unfortunately being lost.

Recruitment is not the only danger to which children are exposed. Violations and abuses committed against children in armed conflict can take many forms. But whether they become victims of bombings or crossfire, are subjected to sexual violence or are recruited to serve in the ranks of armed forces or groups as combatants, or are held as sex slaves, each fate tells the story of a life shattered.

Strengthened efforts are necessary to fully implement the children and armed conflict agenda. We must build upon the shared conviction that children should not be recruited as soldiers, or killed or maimed, or sexually abused or abducted. Their right to humanitarian assistance, education and health care must guaranteed, as our goal will never be truly realized until we have ended all violence against children. All efforts must aim to ensure that their rights are fully respected, in times of war as in times of peace.

My delegation also believes that accountability for ending the impunity of those responsible is a duty under both domestic and international law. We cannot deny the fact that in many conflict situations the most vulnerable members of the population, particularly women and children, are targeted with impunity. My delegation is of the firm conviction that there should be no leniency or amnesty for crimes perpetrated on innocent children. In that regard, we call on Member States to steer their national accountability systems towards meeting international standards in order to establish effective accountability measures in the hope of bringing justice, dignity and rehabilitation for children victimized by armed conflict.

Other resolutions — including 1882 (2009) on sexual violence and children, 1998 (2011) on attacks against schools and hospitals, and 2068 (2012) on criminal liability for persistent perpetrators — are among those initiatives aimed at bolstering existing legal frameworks in terms of child protection. Through its ongoing commitment, the Security Council has also clearly highlighted the fact that the fight against the phenomenon is not only a moral and humanitarian imperative, but also a pillar of international peace and security.

Since 1999, the issue of the involvement of children in armed conflict has enjoyed the special attention of the Security Council. Despite the progress made, the international community continues to face major challenges related to the ongoing recruitment of children by certain parties to armed conflict, in violation of the most basic elements of human rights and international humanitarian law, including refugee law. The focus on women, boys and girls as vulnerable groups in times of armed conflict must remain at the very centre of the Council's concerns with a view to eliminating the worst forms of violence and exploitation against those groups, promote their rights and ensure respect for their human dignity.

According to UNICEF in a report published in 2011, more than 60 per cent of the LTTE's fighting cadre from 1983 to 2002 consisted of boys and girls less than 18 years of age. UNICEF recorded more than 5,700 cases of child recruitment by the LTTE from 2003 to 2009. Human Rights Watch has suggested a figure of more than 21,000. Following the tsunami, orphaned children were harvested for combat purposes. Child soldiers were also used as suicide bombers, especially girls. Each family was forced to surrender even very young children for combat purposes in the final stages of the conflict. The LTTE had no scruples about sacrificing thousands of children in the frontline of combat. Children were given cyanide capsules by their leaders to commit suicide to avoid capture.

At the Geneva peace talks in February 2006, the LTTE publicly conceded that it was holding thousands of children as combatants. With the end of the conflict, 594 child combatants — 231 girls and 363 boys between the ages of 12 and 18 years — were taken into custody by the security forces. The Government adopted a caring attitude with those former child combatants, treating them with a sensitivity rarely seen elsewhere, as victims and not as perpetrators of violent crimes. They were placed in institutional rehabilitation centres and received access to education, vocational training, health care and psycho-social support. Following their rehabilitation process, they have all been reunited with their immediate or extended families. That happened as early as May 2010. The rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers was a priority for Sri Lanka. Family reunions are continuing to take place with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF, which has continued to assist with its extensive background of experience and goodwill.

We also envisage a growing role for female peacekeepers in child protection and rehabilitation during and after armed conflicts. Thailand has intensified its national efforts to increase its numbers of female peacekeepers. They will be specifically trained in international law and international humanitarian law on the rights and protection of women and children. It is our earnest hope that Thai female peacekeepers will be able to make an ongoing contribution, particularly in cases involving violence against women and children, who need special care and treatment.

Despite the commendable progress highlighted in the report, we remain deeply concerned that children continue to be recruited, killed, maimed, sexually abused and deprived of their childhood and their right to education and health care, among other things. It is disheartening to note that in some ongoing crises, such acts have become systematic and widespread. In line with the principle of the responsibility to protect, Botswana believes that States have primary responsibility for protecting their own populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including protecting children from the risk of war.

The appalling situation of children in Syria was rightly described by the Secretary-General as unspeakable and unacceptable. The High Commissioner for Human Rights reminded us in her presentation to the General Assembly on the humanitarian situation in Syria that grave violations against children have been committed by both sides, with documented cases of detentions, torture, sexual violence and executions. The number of schools and hospitals that have been seriously affected by the conflict is alarming. Those acts violate the most fundamental rules of international humanitarian law. To deprive children of education and access to health is to deprive them of paramount tools to build a peaceful society and jeopardize the future of the entire nation.

Guatemala continues to give the highest priority to addressing the situation of children caught up in armed conflict, as well as to strengthening the provisions for the protection of boys and girls in all the relevant mandates of the United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions, including the deployment of child protection advisers.

In one of the many religions that we have in India, God himself is depicted as a child. The child is indeed divine. Notwithstanding that divinity, child soldiers have been used in wars since time immemorial. In contemporary times, it was drummer boys who led Napoleon's initial attack in the battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815, only to be shredded to pieces by gunfire from the other side. Large numbers of women and children were also wilfully killed in concentration camps and by indiscriminate air raids in the Second World War.

Thousands of boys and girls around the world are still being recruited into Government forces and armed opposition groups to serve as combatants, cooks, porters or messengers, or in other roles. Girls, and sometimes boys, are also recruited for sexual purposes. Therefore, we fully echo the words of the Special Representative that the time has come for the world to unite and turn the page, once and for all, on the recruitment and use of children by security forces in conflict.

The regime's security and military forces do not spare children from arrest, arbitrary detention, ill treatment and fatal torture. The violations perpertrated by the regime include the use of children as human shields, sexual and physical violence, and massacres of civilians, including babies. Children, who are especially vulnerable to hunger and disease, are obviously the main victims of the regime's policy of starving Syrian towns and villages. They are also largely affected by the massive destruction inflicted upon the health-care sector in Syria. It is alarming, that as a result of the crisis, polio has re-emerged in Syria.

Just a few weeks ago, the Security Council held an open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (see S/PV.7109). During the debate, I stated that the protection of peace and the prevention of war comprise one of the most important missions of the United Nations, and that in cases where we fail to prevent war or conflict, we must combine efforts, abilities, means and resources to protect those most vulnerable: women, children, elderly persons and persons with disabilities.

In one of her annual reports, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict writes that thousands of children continue to be killed, maimed or abducted, suffer sexual violence, or are denied access to humanitarian assistance or health care in many countries. In several countries, she continues, they have also been used to commit suicide attacks or to serve as human shields. That description corresponds exactly to the ordeal suffered daily by Congolese children due to the presence of numerous foreign and domestic armed groups that plunder the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Given the scope of the phenomenon, and pursuant to the recommendations contained in the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, the Congolese authorities have spared no expense in tackling the challenges. In October 2012, my Government and the United Nations signed an action plan with a series of commitments by both parties, aiming to end the recruitment and use of children by Congolese armed forces and security services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as sexual violence against children.

Among the wide-ranging actions undertaken by the Government to address the phenomenon of sexual violence, I note the law of 20 July 2006. Compared to the earlier criminal code of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the law brings meaningful change, including by raising the age limit for those considered to be victims of sexual violence from 14 to 18 years old. Practices that were formerly considered to be lesser crimes — including forced marriage, forced prostitution or the exploitation of children, sexual slavery, bestiality and genital mutilation — are now punished more severely. Moreover, the new law on sexual violence, includes not only those crimes but also 16 additional crimes under the principle of international humanitarian law.

We are extremely concerned over the ongoing tragic situation and grave violations against Syrian children in the camps of neighbouring countries. Despite the fact that all actors in the international, regional and non-governmental organizations, as well as the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, are aware of the blatant violations that our children face in these camps, as documented in their reports, we find it extremely bizarre that there is not a single reference to any such violations, including sexual violence, forced marriage, lack of access to education, the separation of family members in several camps, the violation of the rights to work and freedom of movement even from camp to camp, let alone the militarization of many of those camps and the recruitment of a large number of Syrian children by armed terrorist groups, whether under supervision or by the host Governments turning a blind eye to some of these cases. We are eseriously concerned that the United Nations has yet to take any tangible measure with the Governments of neighbouring countries to address this dangerous phenomenon.

Syria has always been a pioneer in providing for all the needs of children and in promoting their rights and protection, in particular quality free education and medical services. This fact has been recognized in the reports of specialized United Nations agencies over decades. However, it is regrettable that the current crisis in Syria has led to inhumane extremist manifestations that are contrary to the Syrian values of moderation. Syrian children were the first to suffer under the practices of mercenaries and takfiris openly imported from all parts of the world to impose obscurantist Wahhabi ideas on our children and young people and commit the most horrific crimes against Syrian children. They recruit these children and youngsters and train them to commit the most horrific crimes of terror — slaughter, kidnapping. maiming, dismemberment, beheading with axes and swords, disemboweling pregnant women, hanging their foetuses on trees by the umbilical cord, and human and organ trafficking. Those are just some examples.

Belgium has similar concerns about the reintegration of children who were involved in armed conflict, not only as child soldiers but as sexual slaves, scouts, messengers or in any daily life task. The psychological impact of recruitment into armed forces and the significant stigmatization of the children make their return to civilian life especially difficult. Without appropriate, targeted and long-term follow up — as the Council heard in today's testimony — they risk becoming, in turn, perpetrators of violence as a result of limited life experiences focused on the use of weapons. That is why we need to provide them with special assistance and include their opinions and experiences in peace processes.

Awareness-raising is also necessary in tackling the issue of sexual violence, especially in cases involving children. In the Sudan and in Syria, for example, children who have suffered sexual abuse tend to remain silent, rather than to complain, because they fear social exclusion and reprisals. It is therefore of the utmost importance to implement specific provisions in order to guarantee access to justice and appropriate assistance as part of children's reintegration process.

Belgium remains highly concerned by the impunity surrounding the perpetrators of violence. In that respect, we welcome in particular the efforts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to implement a national plan aimed at preventing and eliminating the recruitment of children in the national armed forces and preventing sexual violence. However, Belgium notes with concern the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of sexual violence. We encourage the Democratic Republic of the Congo to undertake all possible measures to bring to justice those responsible for such crimes.

Under the framework of the fight against sexual violence, my country again calls for the application of the broadest possible definition of sexual violence, as determined by the International Criminal Court.

Allow me to share with the Council that the fundamental strategy of the Colombian State includes a policy to prevent the recruitment and use of girls, boys and adolescents by illegal organized armed groups and criminal groups. Since 2010, we have been able to dedicate a significant amount — $190 million to date — to implementing that initiative. Colombia has established an intersectoral committee that, since 2007, has been working to reduce the recruitment of youth by illegal armed groups. The committee brings together 23 national, regional and local entities that address the prevention of sexual violence against girls and boys. That strategy has produced encouraging results. We have not achieved everything we wanted to, and we are not able to declare a complete victory, but at least 3,400 children have been dissociated from illegal groups. Some 1,160 investigations have been opened since 2003 by the country's general prosecutor concerning the rights of forcibly recruited children and the childhood of which armed groups deprived them.

I would like to start with some statistics. According to UNICEF, 10 million children were traumatized by war in the past decade. Furthermore, in armed conflict, children are the most vulnerable group in society and are often subjected to rape, sexual violence and abduction. Tens of thousands of children continue to be recruited, killed, maimed or deprived of their rights to education and health care. Poverty and conflict are frequently obstacles, as children barely in their teens are compelled to support hungry families or forced to become child soldiers or comfort wives.

With regard to the practice of reintegrating children into communities, domestic and international stakeholders dealing with situations of conflict in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations often face difficulties. To resolve such complex issues, efficient coordination among different actors is needed, including by the host country, host Government, United Nations entities, donors and non-governmental organizations. Special attention should be given to refugees and displaced children, children with disabilities and those who have been subjected to sexual violence. We believe that their participation in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration practices is critical.

Croatia fully supports all efforts aimed at the prevention and combating of sexual violence in conflict and at ensuring accountability for crimes committed. Croatia has become one of the global champions of the United Kingdom's initiative entitled Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and has supported a historic declaration aimed towards worldwide efforts to eradicate that war crime. We look forward to the elaboration of the international protocol on the documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict, which is of special relevance for children's rights and their protection.

Beyond the impact on peace and stability, there is indeed the human dimension of the tragedy of children caught up in armed conflict. Unfortunately, there have been many instances of violent conflict where children have been used as bearers, cooks, messengers and sex slaves, and others have been involved in combat, taking human lives. Besides child soldiers, all children become victims in one way or another during armed conflicts. They become victims when they are displaced or when their Government cannot ensure adequate funding for schools and health clinics, resulting in very low school participation rates and high infant mortality rates.

Recruitment is not the only danger to which children are exposed. Violations and abuses committed against children in armed conflict can take many forms. But whether they become victims of bombings or crossfire, are subjected to sexual violence or are recruited to serve in the ranks of armed forces or groups as combatants, or are held as sex slaves, each fate tells the story of a life shattered.

Strengthened efforts are necessary to fully implement the children and armed conflict agenda. We must build upon the shared conviction that children should not be recruited as soldiers, or killed or maimed, or sexually abused or abducted. Their right to humanitarian assistance, education and health care must guaranteed, as our goal will never be truly realized until we have ended all violence against children. All efforts must aim to ensure that their rights are fully respected, in times of war as in times of peace.

My delegation is perturbed at the thousands of children who are recruited, killed, maimed, abducted, subjected to sexual violence, indoctrinated, forced to commit atrocities, denied humanitarian access and deprived of health care. Despite the progress made thus far, more needs to be done in the area of the protection of the child in armed conflict.

Other resolutions — including 1882 (2009) on sexual violence and children, 1998 (2011) on attacks against schools and hospitals, and 2068 (2012) on criminal liability for persistent perpetrators — are among those initiatives aimed at bolstering existing legal frameworks in terms of child protection. Through its ongoing commitment, the Security Council has also clearly highlighted the fact that the fight against the phenomenon is not only a moral and humanitarian imperative, but also a pillar of international peace and security.

There are reportedly some 6,000 child soldiers in the Central African Republic. Thousands of children are killed in deliberate attacks on civilian areas or caught in the crossfire. Over 10,000 have already lost their lives in the Syrian conflict. Many children are abducted and subjected to sexual violence. Attacks on schools and hospitals continue to deny children an education and desperately needed health care. The denial of humanitarian assistance is depriving children of food and basic necessities. That is a terrible stain on our efforts for peace and security.

Despite the commendable progress highlighted in the report, we remain deeply concerned that children continue to be recruited, killed, maimed, sexually abused and deprived of their childhood and their right to education and health care, among other things. It is disheartening to note that in some ongoing crises, such acts have become systematic and widespread. In line with the principle of the responsibility to protect, Botswana believes that States have primary responsibility for protecting their own populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including protecting children from the risk of war.

The appalling situation of children in Syria was rightly described by the Secretary-General as unspeakable and unacceptable. The High Commissioner for Human Rights reminded us in her presentation to the General Assembly on the humanitarian situation in Syria that grave violations against children have been committed by both sides, with documented cases of detentions, torture, sexual violence and executions. The number of schools and hospitals that have been seriously affected by the conflict is alarming. Those acts violate the most fundamental rules of international humanitarian law. To deprive children of education and access to health is to deprive them of paramount tools to build a peaceful society and jeopardize the future of the entire nation.

Since Graça Machel's seminal report (A/51/150) recognized the impact of armed conflict on children, millions of children have continued to be caught amid armed conflicts, not only as mere bystanders but as targets of multiple acts of violence, such as attacks against schools, mutilations and sexual abuse, as well as hunger, disease and exploitation as tools of war. Such children are subjected to death and suffering and are consequently transfigured into victims of terror and fear. We therefore remain deeply concerned for children's safety in all armed conflicts, including in Syria, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and many other places. Furthermore, we strongly deplore the use of schools as detention and torture centres.

Liechtenstein was shocked by the findings of the Secretary General's recent report on Children and Armed Conflict in Syria, which listed a number of horrendous violations and abuses against children, including arbitrary detention, sexual violence, torture, recruitment and use of child soldiers, maiming and killing, just to name a few. We are deeply concerned about these ongoing violations and abuses by both parties to the conflict and ask them to immediately put an end to them. The recent adoption of Security Council resolution 2139 is of particular importance for the situation of children, who suffer disproportionately from the armed conflict in Syria. We were relieved to see the Council take meaningful, albeit long overdue, action on the humanitarian situation in Syria and look forward to improvements on the ground. We hope that the Council will continue acting with resolve and impose appropriate sanctions should the parties fail to comply with the resolution. In addition, the Council should finally live up to its responsibility to ensure that those committing atrocity crimes in Syria, in particular crimes against children, are brought to justice. In the current circumstances, only a referral to the International Criminal Court could jumpstart accountability in Syria.

Despite undeniable progress in recent years on the agenda of children and armed conflict made as a result of the cooperation among the Organization, Governments and civil society, thousands of children continue to be recruited as soldiers, sexually abused and excluded from the right to education and other basic services. The efforts and resources devoted by the international community since the adoption of resolution 1261 (1999) makes it possible for us today to use tools to monitor and prevent the recruitment of children in specific contexts, but it is clear that those are not enough. As with other functions of the Organization in the maintenance of peace and international security, the agenda of children and armed conflict calls for financial, human and technical capacities that are tailored to the needs in the field.

Thousands of boys and girls around the world are still being recruited into Government forces and armed opposition groups to serve as combatants, cooks, porters or messengers, or in other roles. Girls, and sometimes boys, are also recruited for sexual purposes. Therefore, we fully echo the words of the Special Representative that the time has come for the world to unite and turn the page, once and for all, on the recruitment and use of children by security forces in conflict.

Yet we find millions of children trapped in wars and conflicts around the world. As noted in the concept paper (S/2014/144, annex), tens of thousands of children continue to be recruited, killed or maimed, sexually abused or deprived of their right to education and health care when schools or hospitals are attacked. In situations of armed conflict, children are often coerced into taking part in active hostilities. Pushing children into combat situations is inhuman. As a child soldier, a child becomes both the subject and object of crimes. The scourge can and must be stopped.

The regime's security and military forces do not spare children from arrest, arbitrary detention, ill treatment and fatal torture. The violations perpertrated by the regime include the use of children as human shields, sexual and physical violence, and massacres of civilians, including babies. Children, who are especially vulnerable to hunger and disease, are obviously the main victims of the regime's policy of starving Syrian towns and villages. They are also largely affected by the massive destruction inflicted upon the health-care sector in Syria. It is alarming, that as a result of the crisis, polio has re-emerged in Syria.

My country welcomes the recent developments in the Security Council discussions on children and armed conflict, such as the focus on sexual violence, in particular on justice and accountability, the increased attention to the issues of child protection when setting up or renewing United Nations mission mandates and the attention of children in fast-changing situations on the Security Council agenda. We also welcome the regular briefings by Special Representative Zerrougui to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, as well as other activities for the greater accountability. We would encourage all actors to continue with those efforts and to enhance the efficiency of the tools at their disposal.

We should spare no effort to protect those who are the most vulnerable and those unable to protect themselves. Croatia firmly supports the inclusion of child protection advisers in peacekeeping operations and the organization of predeployment targeted training for child protection for peacekeepers. It is of paramount importance that all the relevant peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations properly address the impact of conflict on children, especially girls. We also advocate that this aspect be given even greater prominence in the relevant reports submitted to the Security Council.

We also envisage a growing role for female peacekeepers in child protection and rehabilitation during and after armed conflicts. Thailand has intensified its national efforts to increase its numbers of female peacekeepers. They will be specifically trained in international law and international humanitarian law on the rights and protection of women and children. It is our earnest hope that Thai female peacekeepers will be able to make an ongoing contribution, particularly in cases involving violence against women and children, who need special care and treatment.

Next Monday, 10 March, Thailand will organize a side event on increasing women's contribution to peace and security at the Japan Society here in New York. Participants from Australia, Rwanda and Indonesia will share their views and perspectives on the role of female peacekeepers. In addition, two Thai female peacekeepers will share their experiences from peacekeeping missions in Haiti and Darfur.

It is essential that mandates for peacekeeping operations and important United Nations political missions make specific provisions for the protection of children, the ongoing deployment of child protection advisers and training in the area for contingents and staff, and ensure that we be kept informed on these issues in the Council's consultations on those mandates. In that context, we appreciate the efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations regarding the matter. Based on my country's experience in peacekeeping missions, we have incorporated into the police sections of such missions policewomen from Chile's Carabineros and Policía de Investigaciones, whose experience in the area can contribute concretely to implementing mandates as they relate to the protection of children.

We are extremely concerned over the ongoing tragic situation and grave violations against Syrian children in the camps of neighbouring countries. Despite the fact that all actors in the international, regional and non-governmental organizations, as well as the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, are aware of the blatant violations that our children face in these camps, as documented in their reports, we find it extremely bizarre that there is not a single reference to any such violations, including sexual violence, forced marriage, lack of access to education, the separation of family members in several camps, the violation of the rights to work and freedom of movement even from camp to camp, let alone the militarization of many of those camps and the recruitment of a large number of Syrian children by armed terrorist groups, whether under supervision or by the host Governments turning a blind eye to some of these cases. We are eseriously concerned that the United Nations has yet to take any tangible measure with the Governments of neighbouring countries to address this dangerous phenomenon.

Since 1999, the issue of the involvement of children in armed conflict has enjoyed the special attention of the Security Council. Despite the progress made, the international community continues to face major challenges related to the ongoing recruitment of children by certain parties to armed conflict, in violation of the most basic elements of human rights and international humanitarian law, including refugee law. The focus on women, boys and girls as vulnerable groups in times of armed conflict must remain at the very centre of the Council's concerns with a view to eliminating the worst forms of violence and exploitation against those groups, promote their rights and ensure respect for their human dignity.

At the same time, all parties to armed conflicts should strive to meet their obligations under relevant international law and to respect and safeguard the rights of children. In post-conflict situations, the return of children to their families, schools and communities as well as the provision of sufficient resources should be prioritized. Young boys and girls kidnapped or coerced into joining armed groups must be freed to live the rest of their lives without the stigma or trauma of those early years shadowing their future.

In that regard, and in conclusion, I would like to pay special tribute to the human rights movement in my country, and in particular to the Asociación Madres e Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, who, through their unwavering commitment to human rights, were the principal movers of the Argentine proposal that formed the basis for the inclusion of articles 7, 8 and 11 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. With the requirement that children should be registered immediately after birth and the commitment of States parties to the Convention to respect the right of a child to preserve his or her identity — measures that States must take to avoid children's illegal transfers abroad — the substance of those articles enshrines the rights of and for children that those women with their white scarves have sorrowfully and courageously handed down as a historical mandate and ethical commitment to political consistency and a legal obligation for humankind as a whole.

While the exploitation of any human being is reprehensible, it is all the more so when children are involved. The use of minors in conflicts by armed organized groups violates ethical standards and international legal principles. Besides being a merciless practice, it is an unforgivable violation of human rights. Innumerable defenceless innocents should not be used as human shields. It is inconceivable that they should be forced to place or deactivate mines, thereby endangering their precious lives. That makes it imperative that States today take a greater responsibility to support the efforts, processes and mechanisms at the United Nations to prevent the recruitment and participation of girls and boys in armed conflict and to ensure that they are protected from hostilities.

My delegation is perturbed at the thousands of children who are recruited, killed, maimed, abducted, subjected to sexual violence, indoctrinated, forced to commit atrocities, denied humanitarian access and deprived of health care. Despite the progress made thus far, more needs to be done in the area of the protection of the child in armed conflict.

There are reportedly some 6,000 child soldiers in the Central African Republic. Thousands of children are killed in deliberate attacks on civilian areas or caught in the crossfire. Over 10,000 have already lost their lives in the Syrian conflict. Many children are abducted and subjected to sexual violence. Attacks on schools and hospitals continue to deny children an education and desperately needed health care. The denial of humanitarian assistance is depriving children of food and basic necessities. That is a terrible stain on our efforts for peace and security.

The appalling situation of children in Syria was rightly described by the Secretary-General as unspeakable and unacceptable. The High Commissioner for Human Rights reminded us in her presentation to the General Assembly on the humanitarian situation in Syria that grave violations against children have been committed by both sides, with documented cases of detentions, torture, sexual violence and executions. The number of schools and hospitals that have been seriously affected by the conflict is alarming. Those acts violate the most fundamental rules of international humanitarian law. To deprive children of education and access to health is to deprive them of paramount tools to build a peaceful society and jeopardize the future of the entire nation.

Belgium remains highly concerned by the impunity surrounding the perpetrators of violence. In that respect, we welcome in particular the efforts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to implement a national plan aimed at preventing and eliminating the recruitment of children in the national armed forces and preventing sexual violence. However, Belgium notes with concern the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of sexual violence. We encourage the Democratic Republic of the Congo to undertake all possible measures to bring to justice those responsible for such crimes.

Under the framework of the fight against sexual violence, my country again calls for the application of the broadest possible definition of sexual violence, as determined by the International Criminal Court.

Croatia fully supports all efforts aimed at the prevention and combating of sexual violence in conflict and at ensuring accountability for crimes committed. Croatia has become one of the global champions of the United Kingdom's initiative entitled Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and has supported a historic declaration aimed towards worldwide efforts to eradicate that war crime. We look forward to the elaboration of the international protocol on the documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict, which is of special relevance for children's rights and their protection.

My delegation also believes that accountability for ending the impunity of those responsible is a duty under both domestic and international law. We cannot deny the fact that in many conflict situations the most vulnerable members of the population, particularly women and children, are targeted with impunity. My delegation is of the firm conviction that there should be no leniency or amnesty for crimes perpetrated on innocent children. In that regard, we call on Member States to steer their national accountability systems towards meeting international standards in order to establish effective accountability measures in the hope of bringing justice, dignity and rehabilitation for children victimized by armed conflict.

My country welcomes the recent developments in the Security Council discussions on children and armed conflict, such as the focus on sexual violence, in particular on justice and accountability, the increased attention to the issues of child protection when setting up or renewing United Nations mission mandates and the attention of children in fast-changing situations on the Security Council agenda. We also welcome the regular briefings by Special Representative Zerrougui to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, as well as other activities for the greater accountability. We would encourage all actors to continue with those efforts and to enhance the efficiency of the tools at their disposal.

Belgium has similar concerns about the reintegration of children who were involved in armed conflict, not only as child soldiers but as sexual slaves, scouts, messengers or in any daily life task. The psychological impact of recruitment into armed forces and the significant stigmatization of the children make their return to civilian life especially difficult. Without appropriate, targeted and long-term follow up — as the Council heard in today's testimony — they risk becoming, in turn, perpetrators of violence as a result of limited life experiences focused on the use of weapons. That is why we need to provide them with special assistance and include their opinions and experiences in peace processes.

The Government of Colombia is working with the full conviction that the rebuilding of society in post-conflict situations, if we are to achieve the peace that we so deeply desire as Colombians, should be established on the basis of protection for boys and girls. As underscored by President Santos Calderón himself, Colombia seeks genuine peace — peace that will ensure non-repetition, contribute to an environment of reconciliation and heal the wounds of confrontation, and give my country its first generation in a long time of children who grow up in an environment of peace, security and prosperity.

Last year, following a children-sensitive approach and supporting girls' education in particular, Croatia funded the construction of a library in Afghanistan used by 5,000 children, and a high school attended by 600 children. Last year we also provided medical treatment in Croatia to a number of Palestinian children suffering from respiratory diseases, thereby contributing to their psychosocial rehabilitation and well-being.

No country emerging from war can, without risk, leave its young people on the sidelines without any future, knowing only a culture of violence. Programmes for disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating combatants must therefore take into account the specific needs of children, in particular young girls, who are even more severely affected than boys and whose reintegration is even more difficult. In Uganda, following the end of the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in 2006, one of the priorities of the Government was reintegration of formerly abducted children into their families and communities.

The robust system of child protection built by the Security Council has been judiciously implemented in the field by key partners such as UNICEF and others. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UNICEF have worked tirelessly to raise awareness and to address the rights and protection of girls and boys affected by armed conflict. Canada commends their efforts.

While the exploitation of any human being is reprehensible, it is all the more so when children are involved. The use of minors in conflicts by armed organized groups violates ethical standards and international legal principles. Besides being a merciless practice, it is an unforgivable violation of human rights. Innumerable defenceless innocents should not be used as human shields. It is inconceivable that they should be forced to place or deactivate mines, thereby endangering their precious lives. That makes it imperative that States today take a greater responsibility to support the efforts, processes and mechanisms at the United Nations to prevent the recruitment and participation of girls and boys in armed conflict and to ensure that they are protected from hostilities.

Guatemala continues to give the highest priority to addressing the situation of children caught up in armed conflict, as well as to strengthening the provisions for the protection of boys and girls in all the relevant mandates of the United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions, including the deployment of child protection advisers.