Security Council meeting 5129-Resu.1

The President

I should like to inform the members of the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Indonesia, Mali and Niger, in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

The President

I should like to remind all speakers of what I stated during this morning's meeting, namely, that they should limit their statements to no more than five minutes, in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate their texts in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber.

I will also not individually invite speakers to take seats at the Council table or invite them to resume their seats at the side of the Council Chamber. When a speaker takes the floor the Conference Officer will seat the next speaker on my list at the table. I thank participants for their understanding and cooperation.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Luxembourg, on whom I now call.

Mr. Hoscheit (Luxembourg)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and the potential candidates, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro align themselves with this statement.

I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity you have given us to debate the important issue of children in armed conflict. I also wish to pay tribute to Mr. Olara Otunnu, Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, as well as to Ms. Rima Salah, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), for their briefings and their commendable work. I would like also to thank other key players who have contributed to progress on this important subject.

It is absolutely fitting that the Security Council has once again taken up the issue of children in armed conflict. Despite the welcome news that the estimated number of child soldiers has declined from 380,000 to 300,000 in the last 18 months, a disturbing gap remains between the standards and the initiatives developed for the protection of children, on the one hand, and the atrocities that continue to be perpetrated against children by parties to armed conflicts, on the other. Those atrocities must end.

While the European Union welcomes the adoption of resolution 1539 (2004), in April 2004, it also notes that the goals set by the United Nations have not yet been adequately met. In that context, the European Union welcomes the report (S/2005/72) of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 9 February 2005, which identifies persisting shortcomings and proposes remedies.

The European Union agrees that it is important and urgent to establish a systematic and comprehensive monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism to provide systematic, reliable and accurate information on child rights violations in situations of armed conflict using the experience of United Nations peacekeeping missions and country teams. In that context, the European Union encourages all relevant United Nations actors, and in particular UNICEF, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to continue their coordinated efforts to ensure both systematic monitoring and reporting of violations and preventive and rehabilitating action to assist child victims of armed conflict. Furthermore, with regard to monitoring and reporting processes, the European Union would like to stress the need for particular emphasis on the situation of girls, on gender-based violence and on humanitarian access to children.

As contemplated in the Secretary-General's report, the European Union supports the mainstreaming of child-specific best practices in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes at every stage of the work of the United Nations. It also calls for more effective rehabilitation and reintegration of children associated with armed groups back into their communities. The Union is concerned by the negative side-effects of illicit cross-border activities on children in armed conflict. The abduction and recruitment of children, trafficking in small arms and light weapons and the illicit exploitation of natural resources often go together and reinforce each other.

In accordance with resolutions 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003) and 1539 (2004) and in view of the widespread and unacceptable pattern of violations recorded in the Secretary-General's report of 2005, the European Union believes that the Security Council should take appropriate measures against the parties listed in the annexes to the report, who are guilty of persistent violations and have not taken steps to end those violations. In addition to the information concerning the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, the European Union welcomes the inclusion this year of other violations and abuses committed against children in the lists annexed to the report. The European Union urges States and other parties to armed conflict listed in annexes I and II of the Secretary-General's latest report to immediately stop the recruitment and use of girls and boys in situations of armed conflict and to end the violation of their obligations flowing from international humanitarian and human rights law.

In addition to violations perpetrated against children in situations of armed conflict, the European Union is also gravely concerned about allegations of abhorrent sexual misconduct by United Nations peacekeeping personnel. Although the European Union welcomes the ongoing investigation, it urges a prompt review of this very serious problem and requests the Secretary-General and troop-contributing countries to strictly enforce the standards contained in the Secretary General's bulletin on special measures to prevent sexual violence and the exploitation of children, as well as to ensure that perpetrators of such abuses are properly brought to justice.

The European Union fully subscribes to the views and recommendations of the Secretary-General with respect to the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC), because of its deterrent effect and the possibilities it offers for the prosecution of war crimes, including crimes against children. The European Union stresses the importance of putting an immediate end to impunity. In that context, we urge States to accelerate the process of ratification or accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which contains an important provision classifying the conscription or enlistment of children under the age of 15 as a war crime. The European Union also urges States that have not done so to accede to the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a matter of priority, and to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

For its part, the European Union is determined to continue its work to raise awareness about the plight of children affected by armed conflict and to intensify its efforts to address the issue in an effective and comprehensive manner. In December 2003, the Union adopted guidelines on children in armed conflict, following consultations with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UNICEF and NGOs active in this area. Armed with a clear plan of action, the European Union carried out a range of political, diplomatic and financial initiatives during the past year.

First, we have instituted a system of reporting by European Union heads of mission in affected countries, drawing on the list of countries where parties to armed conflict have been censured by the Security Council for their recruitment and use of children. The reports pay particular attention to the need to have a clear picture not only of the recruitment of child soldiers, but also of attacks against schools and hospitals, the blockage of humanitarian access, sexual and gender-based violence against children, and abduction.

Secondly, reporting and analysis have been accompanied by recommendations for action, such as enhanced funding of relevant programmes and demarches. European Union special representatives, including in the Great Lakes region of Africa, have been tasked with paying full attention to the issue when executing their mandates.

Thirdly, in cooperation with UNICEF, the European Union has launched a children's rights training programme for Union officials and the issue has also been introduced in training activities related to the European Security and Defence Policy and crisis management.

Finally, as children are a particularly vulnerable group in humanitarian crises, they have been a priority of the European Union's humanitarian aid policy for several years. The Humanitarian Aid Department has financed projects on child-related activities, such as therapeutic feeding, vaccination, primary education and the reintegration of child soldiers, for a total of 37 million in 2004.

The Plan of Action recently adopted by the European Union is meant to further reinforce the implementation of its Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict through political and practical Union involvement on the ground and a better use of the wide range of tools at our disposal. The Plan of Action intends to match technical assistance with political action by identifying gaps and possibilities for increased cooperation on those issues. As a first step, three focus countries have been identified for pilot projects: Uganda, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka.

The European Union agrees that the main challenges identified in the Secretary-General's report -- such as the establishment of an effective monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism; the need to impose appropriate measures where insufficient or no progress has been made; and the necessity for collective action at the national, regional and international levels -- need to be addressed urgently. The Security Council has begun negotiations on a new draft resolution, which we hope will adequately deal with those issues.

Let me conclude by underlining that the European Union stands ready to continue to work closely with the United Nations system, including the Office of the Special Representative, UNICEF, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as with national and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society, to ensure coherence and effectiveness in our efforts to relieve the suffering of children in armed conflicts and that those responsible for atrocities against children are held accountable for their crimes. The European Union will continue to play its part in trying to make the implementation phase a reality on the ground as a way to bridge the existing gap between norms and action.

The President

I thank the representative of Luxembourg for his kind words addressed to me and to my country, Benin.

I now call on the representative of Nigeria.

Mr. Adekanye (Nigeria)

I have the honour of conveying to you, Sir, the sincere appreciation of the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Ambassador Olu Adeniji, for the invitation extended to him to participate in this open debate on children and armed conflict. Ambassador Adeniji could not make the trip to New York, but has asked me to convey his best wishes for a fruitful outcome.

We are indeed grateful to the Republic of Benin for initiating this debate, which is both timely and necessary, as it will afford us an opportunity to focus attention on the urgent steps needed to prevent children from being used as instruments of war.

We thank the Secretary-General for his in-depth report and the Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu, for his continuing efforts to articulate a workable proposal for a monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism for children and armed conflict. His insightful statement to the Council this morning set an appropriate tone for addressing the challenges before the international community on that important subject.

In spite of international conventions and protocols that guarantee the safety and protection of children in armed conflict, as well as those that guarantee the rights of the child, innocent children are daily being dragged into the quagmire of armed conflict, with its terrible consequences.

Children are paying heavy tolls for causes they know nothing about and are made pawns in dangerous struggles for political power and control of resources with no regard for their well-being. Although children do not start wars, they are most vulnerable to its deadly effects. They suffer loss of their childhood and become objects of adult manipulation and exploitation. Children are, in most cases of armed conflict, the first victims and the ones most likely to suffer loss of loved ones, abduction, injury, death or sexual exploitation -- girls in particular. Furthermore, children are made orphans and, at an early and unprepared age, assume responsibility as heads of families.

Nigeria believes that a fundamental requirement for ending the involvement of children, as well as preventing them from being exploited in situations of armed conflict, is the prevention of conflict. Conflicts do not occur in a vacuum, but are oftentimes the product of an inability to redress, by dialogue and other means, real or perceived injustices, including economic, social and political exclusion, and marginalization or discrimination based on racial, ethnic, religious or political affiliations.

It is important therefore to identify and tackle head on the root causes of conflict and to deny its perpetrators access to the instruments of war, such as small arms and light weapons, which those children are forced to carry. In that connection, my delegation reiterates its conviction that conflict prevention and resolution strategies must be sincere and comprehensive. They must include a willingness and a capability to take bold and concrete political actions that will lead to the removal of real or perceived injustices.

Nigeria has closely coordinated efforts with like-minded States to meet the challenges posed by conflicts in the West African subregion, in particular, and Africa in general. I wish to mention in that regard significant initiatives among States members of the Economic Community of West African States, which are already yielding positive results. I should also refer to the efforts towards peace and accommodation in Darfur that resulted in the Abuja agreement.

President Obasanjo has made conflict resolution in Africa one of the cardinal foreign policy objectives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, mindful of the fact that Africa can neither achieve the Millennium Development Goals nor attain the lofty social development targets set by the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen 10 years ago -- and renewed only last week at the forty-third session of the Commission for Social Development -- unless there is peace, stability and security in our continent. There is a need for increased international cooperation in support of those efforts. There is also a need to strengthen coordination with the African Union in resolving the diverse conflicts in Africa. Above all, we also call on the international community to provide assistance to those countries emerging from conflict to enable them to rebuild their shattered economies and infrastructure.

It is equally essential that the efforts of the international community be geared towards strengthening the rule of law at the international, regional and national levels, and, within that context, towards the protection of children through appropriate mechanisms for monitoring, reporting and enforcing compliance, including through constitutional, legislative, judicial and multisectoral means.

We must put children first -- before, during and after conflict. A stop must be put to the recruitment of child soldiers. It is also important to strengthen the protective environment by encouraging countries to ratify and apply treaties that aim to protect children from the physical and emotional trauma of war. On its part, Nigeria has not only ratified and fully incorporated the Convention on the Rights of the Child into its domestic legislation, but it has also strengthened the domestic environment by enacting, in 2003, the Child Rights Act as well as the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law Enforcement and Administration Act. Those laws should protect our children and promote their rights.

Urgent action should be taken to totally eradicate, in all its forms and manifestations, the culture of impunity, and, as a follow-up, to bring to justice perpetrators of violence against children, including those who abduct, recruit or conscript children into armed forces.

It is also necessary to improve the monitoring and reporting of child rights violations and to pay greater attention to demobilization and reintegration programmes, including those aimed particularly at girls seriously affected by conflict, and engaging in special and accelerated educational programmes, such as free and compulsory education for child victims of war. There should be continued efforts made to mainstream child protection into United Nations regional and national peacekeeping operations.

My delegation is confident that, working together in an open and transparent manner, in a true spirit of cooperation, with all stakeholders -- including the United Nations, regional organizations, State and non-State actors -- we can reduce the need for recourse to conflict and thus prevent children from being made instruments and victims of armed conflict. Thus we will have succeeded in creating a world that is truly fit for children.

The President

I thank the representative of Nigeria for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country, Benin.

The next speaker on my list is the representative of Myanmar, to whom I give the floor.

Mr. Swe (Myanmar)

Mr. President, I wish to congratulate you for holding this open debate on children and armed conflict. Given the gravity of the situation, as described by the Special Representative, Mr. Otunnu, in his moving statement, I believe that today's debate is indeed timely.

The Secretary-General's report has provided us with a useful basis for our deliberations. The report rightfully gives detailed information on compliance and progress regarding situations on the agenda of the Security Council. These are also situations that have a direct impact on peace and security -- matters for which the Security Council has primary responsibility.

Like others, we are deeply concerned by accounts in the report of sexual abuse by United Nations peacekeepers. We also share the concern regarding the report's suggestion of initiating direct contact by United Nations actors with non-State actors. While this may be useful in some situations, the general application of this in all situations, would, in our view, be counter-productive.

We are glad to see that, in preparation for this year's report, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General had held a number of briefings and had also made himself available and responded to the queries of Permanent Missions, for which we are grateful. We regret, however, that no real consultations took place with those Member States which are not in the Security Council.

We are also dismayed that the report continues to retain a high degree of selectivity and double standards.

It is widely known and accepted that insurgent groups in Myanmar extensively recruit and use child soldiers. The Government, on the other hand, has been taking measures not only to prevent children from being recruited into the insurgent groups but also to ensure that no under-age children are recruited into the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar Armed Forces. Tatmadaw is an all-volunteer army, and the minimum age requirement for recruitment is 18 years. The Government is taking effective measures so that no one below that age is recruited into the military. To that end, a high-level Committee for the Prevention of Military Recruitment for Under-age Children was established. Stringent monitoring is carried out, both at the recruitment stage and again at the training stage. Applicants who do not meet the minimum age requirement are turned away at the recruitment stage. Additionally, those who are found to be under 18 at the training stage are discharged from the military.

To ensure transparency, and in a spirit of cooperation, the Government arranged a visit by the Resident Coordinator and a representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to the two main recruitment centres in Yangon and Mandalay, and they were able to interact freely with the recruits.

The Government, of its own volition, has drawn up an action plan which includes the protection of children's rights, preventive measures, promoting public awareness and coordination with UNICEF. The action plan also incorporates provisions for the discharge of children under 18 from military service and for their reintegration into their families and communities. The United Nations country team has duly reported these positive developments, and, as the Special Representative himself has acknowledged, they had recommended that Tatmadaw Kyi be taken out of annex II. I appreciate the fact that these positive remarks were also mentioned by a number of delegations this morning.

The report, however, not only retained Tatmadaw Kyi in annex II, but also lumped Government armed forces together with insurgent groups as recruiting and using children, citing reports from embassies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) -- the only instance in the report where embassies and NGOs are quoted as a source. We are also sorry to witness a degree of politicization and double standards in deciding on inclusion and exclusion from the list under annex II.

We all know the difficulty that last year's report created in the adoption of resolution 1539 (2004). But a report of the Secretary-General that comes before the Security Council, particularly in an era of application, must be based on information that is verified, and it must have credibility and, above all, objectivity. The report should not be tailored to the envisaged resolution.

On the question of the resolution, it is our strongly held view that any resolution that is contemplated should be focussed on situations that affect peace and security -- situations that for that very reason are on the agenda of the Security Council. Such a resolution should encourage and take a cooperative approach towards those parties that have taken effective measures to address the issues in cooperation with the United Nations. We hope also that such a resolution would avoid duplications and redundancies.

Myanmar has managed to put an end to armed conflict and to bring peace and stability to the country. This has enabled us to better promote and protect the rights of our children. My Government will resolutely continue in this important endeavour.

The President

I thank the representative of Myanmar for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country, Benin.

The next speaker on my list is the representative of Iceland, to whom I give the floor.

Mr. Hannesson (Iceland)

Iceland welcomes the Security Council's decision to deliberate on the important issue of children and armed conflict. We are especially pleased to see you here at this meeting, Mr. Foreign Minister.

We would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict for his briefing and the representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their statements.

The impact of armed conflict on children has, fortunately, been given greater attention by the international community in recent years. The ground-breaking study done in 1996 laid the foundation for United Nations consideration of this matter. The report concluded, for example, that, first, the nature of intra-State conflict has drawn civilians, including children, to the forefront of battles, and that children thus constitute a high proportion of the victims of war; secondly, children are being deliberately recruited as combatants; thirdly, armed conflict leads to a breakdown in the family support systems so essential to a child's survival and development; fourthly, Government and community support systems collapse; fifthly, children remain disproportionately exposed to the dangers of landmines; and sixthly, during armed conflicts there is a heightened risk of rape, sexual abuse and violence, prostitution and other forms of gender-based violence.

The authors of the report presented us with disturbing and often shocking reading, and called for action. Some tangible results have been made in the course of recent years, as outlined in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2005/72), dated 9 February 2005. There is increased awareness, norms have been put in place and protection of war-affected children has been placed on the international peace and security agenda.

In this context, we acknowledge the valuable work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Otunnu. Various organizations and entities of the United Nations, such as UNICEF and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, have also been pivotal in advancing the protection of children associated with armed conflict. Many non-governmental organizations have also played a vital role.

Despite the advances made, the report of the Secretary-General also clearly outlines our failures. The report records "widespread and unacceptable patterns of violations" (S/2005/72, para. 57) against children. Armed groups that recruit and use children in armed conflicts are named.

During last year's open debate in the Security Council on this issue, there was unanimous support for establishing a monitoring and reporting system. Indeed, the Security Council requested the Secretary-General to devise an action plan to that effect. But, as the Special Representative pointed out in that debate, the monitoring and reporting system "is of little value ... unless the information compiled can serve as triggers for action" (S/PV.4898, p. 3).

The Secretary-General's proposed action plan provides a basis for concerted action by the Security Council, the International Criminal Court, the Commission on Human Rights and regional organizations, triggered by monitoring reports. The Security Council should be a leader in that process.

Iceland supports the recommendation by the Secretary-General to the Security Council to take measures, such as imposing travel restrictions on certain leaders, the imposition of arms embargoes, a ban on military assistance and restrictions on the flow of financial resources to the parties.

We fully agree with the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report concerning the role of the International Criminal Court. Concrete steps should be taken to ensure prosecution of persons responsible for war crimes against children.

As regards the role of regional and subregional organizations, Iceland has actively contributed to the activities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in its effort to combat trafficking in human beings. As we know, women and children constitute the majority of such victims.

The high -- and increasing -- number of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of local women and children by United Nations peacekeeping personnel around the world, most recently, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, demonstrate an urgent need to review current methods in addressing this problem across all peacekeeping operations. United Nations peacekeeping forces contribute courageously in their thousands around the world. It is, however, vital that they not become part of the problem. The ramifications of such sexual misconduct, both for the victims and the international community at large, will be extensive and long-term, and will require disproportionate efforts to counteract.

In conclusion, we hope that this debate and the report of the Secretary-General will culminate in an action-oriented resolution by the Security Council that could serve as an effective mechanism in an "era of application" of the internationally agreed norms and standards for the protection of children in armed conflict.

The President

I thank the representative of Iceland for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country.

The next speaker is the representative of Canada, on whom I now call.

Mr. Rock (Canada)

Canada welcomes this open debate on children and armed conflict, which provides an important opportunity to advance the normative framework for action and its effective implementation.

It is our duty to protect children in war-torn and post-conflict societies. To fulfil that obligation we require the support and the cooperation of the entire international community. The Security Council also has a central role to play in that regard.

Every day the rights and well-being of children are violated aggressively, despite the multitude of international legal instruments which are supposed to protect them, and despite the existence of a solid programme to prevent the involvement of children in armed conflict. The actors concerned at all levels must make progress in order to prevent violations of the rights of children or to respond to such violations.

Mr. Rock (Canada)

It is for that reason that Canada welcomes the Special Representative of the Secretary-General's call for an "era of application" to pursue the practical and daily implementation of the norms already adopted. As noted by the Secretary-General, important progress has been made in terms of advocacy and in terms of norm development. We must now pass to the next stage: to the effective implementation and assessment of those efforts, in order to ensure concrete changes in countries heading towards, or emerging from, crises where children are at risk.

We welcome the analysis that has been provided on specific situations in the Secretary-General's report (S/2005/72), and we remain concerned about the lack of commitment and progress demonstrated by armed groups, particularly those places such as in northern Uganda, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The inclusion of reporting on all abuses against children is an important development and helps to provide a more comprehensive picture of violations and of efforts by Governments, armed actors and United Nations country teams to respond.

We remain deeply preoccupied by the continued evidence of sexual exploitation and abuse of girls and boys, including by United Nations peacekeeping personnel, aid workers and other international actors. Zero tolerance must be advanced, not only in word, but in deed. Abuse of children by United Nations personnel undermines local and international support for peacekeeping missions and threatens any positive contribution to conflict resolution that an intervention may make.

We call upon the Secretary General to ensure that accusations of sexual exploitation and abuse of children by United Nations personnel are thoroughly investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted in accordance with domestic and international standards of human rights.

We have consistently emphasized the importance of effective monitoring and reporting as follow-up to Security Council resolutions in any domain. It is an issue of accountability.

An important effort has been made in this report to outline a possible reporting format that would include all relevant United Nations actors and non-governmental organization (NGO) staff responsible for child protection issues. The decision to establish child protection task teams also has merit.

The reporting mechanism being proposed is wide-ranging and covers a number of issues, some of which overlap with the protection of civilians agenda and the women, peace and security agenda. It is important that we acknowledge the hard work and the contribution of the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mr. Otunnu, and of the United Nations agencies and funds with whom he worked in developing these recommendations.

On the subject of overlap, Canada would suggest that this overlap be taken into account and that consideration be given by the Secretary-General to encouraging consolidated reporting and assessment requirements where overlap is apparent. For example, many of the violations noted in the Secretary-General's report are of relevance to civilians more broadly and not just to children.

We also suggest that attention be devoted to the fostering and development of the local capacity of States and civil society organizations, so as to prevent violations and abuses of children within a given country. Such efforts will enhance preventive action and will reduce the need to resort to intergovernmental action at the regional or international level.

As the mechanism of monitoring and reporting is intended to be a trigger to action, genuine commitments by national Governments and by the Security Council must be made to enact targeted and concrete measures of response. The Security Council must be responsive to the monitoring and reporting process, beginning with the inclusion of child protection advisers in the mandates of peacekeeping operations. Canada also supports the recommendation of the Secretary-General for targeted measures against non-compliant parties or where insufficient progress has been made by parties identified in the report. But we suggest that this be coupled with the establishment, as soon as possible, of base indicators and standards. In addition, the Security Council will need to commit to ensuring that an adequate monitoring and enforcement mechanism is put in place for such targeted sanctions.

On a different but related point, the insecurity of children and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in conflict areas have been proven to be inextricably linked. We strongly believe that the protection of children should be a priority in small arms programmes and action plans, and that that would increase the security of children affected by conflict. We suggest that this is especially so within disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes. Action on the Secretary-General's recommendations for the incorporation of best practices in DDR programmes for children is long overdue.

The application of children-specific DDR programming in recent campaigns is evidence that lessons learned regarding children are indeed being incorporated into the planning of new programmes. But gaps still remain in adequately addressing the issues of girl combatants and girls and boys in their roles as non-combatant labourers. We suggest that Member States should continue to support research, evaluation and improvement of DDR programmes for children, including culturally sensitive post-traumatic stress treatment options, with particular attention being paid to the disadvantaged position of girls in relation to access to DDR programmes.

Let me conclude by saying that this issue of children affected by armed conflict must remain an international priority. It is the focus of regular Security Council debates and resolutions, as well as being on the agenda of numerous intergovernmental organizations, including the Human Security Network. The challenge, though, as always, is to move from concerned rhetoric to concrete application. It is a challenge we must meet if we are to fulfil our responsibilities to those who are most vulnerable and to whom we owe the highest duty of care.

The President

I thank the representative of Canada for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country, Benin.

The next speaker is the representative of Liechtenstein, to whom I give the floor.

Mr. Wenaweser (Liechtenstein)

The report before us (S/2005/72) shows that the existence of international norms and standards and the prevention and protection measures undertaken so far have not been sufficient to stop the atrocities committed against children in situations of conflict. The list of armed groups that recruit child soldiers has not become smaller since last year. On the contrary, new groups have emerged that use children in one way or another in their combat operations. This confirms findings of other recent studies that the use of child soldiers has become commonplace in modern warfare, in keeping with the changed nature of armed conflict and the increasing use of small arms and light weapons. Engaging in dialogue with those groups is necessary and may also have led to improvements in some situations, but it is clearly not enough in itself.

More pressure has to be exerted on parties to conflict in order to make them realize that the costs of using child soldiers outweigh the benefits. Introducing a reporting, monitoring and compliance mechanism, combined with effective follow-up, is certainly an important step an "era of application", as called for by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. While the recommended measures -- such as travel bans, freezing of assets, exclusion from amnesty provisions and governance structures and imposing of arms embargoes -- will be effective in some situations, they do not necessarily have the intended impact in others. It is therefore crucial that measures be tailored to their respective targets in all situations. We also have to think about how to achieve immediate improvements on the ground, as Security Council sanctions tend to take effect in the long run rather than immediately.

We welcome the listing of armed groups that recruit child soldiers or commit other war crimes against children and wish to stress that the inclusion of actors in situations that are not on the agenda of the Council is necessary for the credibility of the Council's work.

Putting an end to impunity for crimes against children and prosecuting the perpetrators are among the most important measures to be taken. Where national judiciaries that have the primary responsibility in this respect are not in a position to carry out that task for reasons of inability or unwillingness, the offenders have to be held accountable at the international level. The International Criminal Court is now carrying out an investigation into war crimes in northern Uganda, where thousands of children were abducted, forced to fight and kill and used as servants, and where they became victims of sexual crimes. We hope that that investigation creates a precedent for holding accountable perpetrators responsible for war crimes against children, and we believe that this will serve as effective deterrent for future violations.

We wish to highlight the urgent need to include the conduct of international peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel in the monitoring process. The report of the Secretary-General mentions that the allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by peacekeeping personnel appear to be more serious and more widespread than previously known. Perpetrators of such crimes must be brought to justice and effective means to prevent further misconduct have to be found -- both for the security of children and other possible victims and for the standing and credibility of the United Nations.

We must not forget to talk about the indirect impact of conflict and war on children. As was pointed out in a panel discussion organized by UNICEF last week, the breakdown of conflict economies -- with investment collapses and the loss of livelihoods and employment, combined with a stoppage of education and health services -- has severe long-term negative effects on children. It deprives them of their childhood, while the lost years of nutrition, education and socialization reduce their prospects for the future. Experts argue for continued development assistance in times of conflict as well, in order to maintain livelihoods and public services. We should keep that in mind when we talk about humanitarian assistance and development aid, particularly now that we are engaged in discussions on how to improve international development cooperation on the basis of the Millennium Project report.

The President

I thank the representative of Liechtenstein for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country, Benin.

I now call on the representative of India.

Mr. Gopinathan (India)

It is an honour for us to see you, Sir, presiding over the Council's deliberations today. We would like to congratulate Benin once again on its assuming the presidency of the Council for this month.

In the interest of keeping within the time limit, I shall limit my oral remarks, but the full text will be circulated to delegations.

We welcome this opportunity to participate in the Council's consideration of the issue of children and armed conflict. Children have become increasingly involved in conflicts, both as targets of violence and as combatants. During the past few years, more than 500,000 children, recruited in 87 countries, with approximately 300,000 actively participating in combat, have been involved in conflict in some form. Most often, it is not possible to make a distinction between a forced and a voluntary child soldier. The more vulnerable people are, the easier the process of recruitment becomes. Whereas some children join armed groups for food or in order to survive or to avenge atrocities in their communities, others are physically abducted by armed groups for war. Enticed by promises of food, shelter and security and sometimes plied with drugs, child soldiers are at times led to commit atrocities against other armed groups and civilian populations, sometimes even against their own communities.

We thank the Secretary-General for his report on children and armed conflict (S/2005/72). The report makes a significant attempt to address an important issue. Before I comment on some specific aspects of the report, a few general points made in the past by India on this issue need reiteration.

The first point relates to salience. How useful is it to have a thematic debate in the Security Council on subjects such as the present one? It is true that a large number of children are victims of armed conflicts, but it is also true that malaria and AIDS kill more children than conflicts do. However, we do not deal separately in the Council with children and malaria or children and AIDS, or request reports from the Secretary-General on those subjects. A sense of balance and perspective should be retained in order to make sure that too narrow a focus does not blot out the larger picture of what has sometimes been called the soft challenges to international peace and security.

The report has identified the Security Council as by far the most important international "destination for action". The report has also offered targeted sanctions as the universal remedy in cases of insufficient or no progress. However, the Council can impose sanctions under Article 41 of the Charter only if it has established, under Article 39, that there is a sufficient danger to international peace and security to justify them. Only States are parties to conventions; non-State actors are not bound by them. More important, most armed groups obey no laws, national or international. In some cases of internal conflict, non-State actors or rival political groupings may make offers to adhere to such instruments precisely to gain legitimacy or a political locus standi. Further, can a violation by a State of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child be construed as a threat to international peace and security?

The fifth report of the Secretary-General shows that, in the years since this issue has drawn the attention of Member States, the overall progress made in addressing the circumstances of children in situations of armed conflict has not been particularly satisfactory, although there have been pockets of success. It can be seen from this report and from previous reports submitted to the Security Council that success has been achieved where the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has himself engaged in or has been involved in obtaining a commitment for the release and demobilization of child soldiers.

Of the four key components that encompass the Secretary-General's concept of the "era of application", the element of establishing a monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism is, in our view, the least practical. The nature of situations of conflict -- particularly in Africa -- is such that the models of monitoring, reporting and compliance provided by the Secretary-General are impractical and would therefore be ineffective.

A body of standards for monitoring, including instruments that do not command universal adherence or acceptance, cannot be imposed on Member States. A Member State that is otherwise committed to the norms and commitments on the promotion and protection of the rights of children would be right to maintain that it would not be bound by any instrument to which it is not a party.

The use of children in armed conflict has been aggravated by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons worldwide. These weapons are inexpensive, durable, small, lightweight, easy to maintain and small enough for children to handle. Illegal arms trafficking and poor monitoring of the legal trade make it easy for children to gain access to such weapons. We are disappointed to note that the report does not call for the adoption of more legally binding commitments by Member States, such as those on the marking and tracing of small arms and light weapons and on preventing the sale of such arms to non-State actors or groups.

It cannot be denied that, in many conflict situations, the most vulnerable members of the population -- particularly women and children -- are targeted with impunity. While no leniency should be shown for crimes perpetrated on innocent children, we need to see in perspective the fact that many children responsible for reprehensible crimes have often been manipulated by unscrupulous adults to take part in armed conflicts.

We support the principle, enunciated in paragraph 108 of the report, that any action by United Nations entities and international non-governmental organizations at the country level should be designed to support and complement the protection and rehabilitation roles of national authorities and should never supplant them. However, we believe that that principle remains valid not only in the context of taking necessary action based on monitoring reports, but also in designing the monitoring and reporting mechanisms themselves.

While we appreciate the substantive work undertaken to present the report, we would draw attention to a fundamental and critical issue that, although it is at the heart of this debate, has not, in our view, received adequate consideration, thereby undermining the proposals that have been made in this report. We believe that the situation of children and armed conflict has not seen appreciable amelioration because, in such situations, sometimes one and sometimes both parties are non-State actors. States can be expected -- and can be counted upon -- to abide by the obligations assumed by them under international legal instruments to which they are parties. The Secretary-General's monitoring proposals are applicable primarily to States. The Secretary-General's report has not made any suggestions on how non-State actors are to be held accountable. Until that aspect is addressed, the proposals that Member States consider will have limited value, as all parties to an armed conflict -- not only States -- need to have accountability.

The concerns raised here are aimed at finding an effective means of dealing with an important problem. Any breakdown of peace and security, and the conflicts that ensue, have a tragic impact on children. However, we feel that we ought to make decisions and act in ways that will lead to effective results. We should bear in mind the need to obtain the most efficient and optimal results, as the resources dedicated to any of these mandates are finite and inelastic, especially in an era of zero nominal growth in most United Nations budget lines. We should strive for increasing efficiency, cost-effectiveness and impact as we deal with this important question of protecting children from the impact of armed conflict.

The President

I thank the representative of India for the kind words he addressed to me and to my country, Benin.

I now call on the representative of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Goonatilleke (Sri Lanka)

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