Security Council meeting 5834-Resu.1

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Rwanda, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the consideration of the item, without the right to vote, in accordance with the 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, as I indicated during this morning's meeting, to 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 the texts in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber.

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

Mrs. Aitimova (Kazakhstan)

At the outset, I would like to express our gratitude to you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate on the agenda item entitled "Children and armed conflict". Today's consideration of this issue is not especially new, but it confirms the readiness of all Member States to continue work in that direction in accordance with resolution 1612 (2005) and the Secretary-General's report (S/2007/757).

We would also like to commend Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and her Office, as well as UNICEF, for their efforts to overcome this modern challenge to humankind. Our delegation fully shares the view that the protection of children in armed conflict should be considered as a significant aspect of the strategy to prevent and resolve armed conflict.

The report of the Secretary-General highlights the progress made in the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005) and its monitoring and reporting mechanism, including compliance with regard to ending the recruitment and use of children by armed groups in a number of countries. In that context, it seems encouraging to note that since the last report the number of child soldiers has decreased from 300,000 to 250,000. However, as duly mentioned in the Secretary-General's report, much work remains to be done by the international community. In particular, the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts is still continuing in 13 countries. Children are forced to take part in combat operations and in killing people. Often, they are themselves also sexually abused, kidnapped or killed.

It is appalling to realize that for decades in conflict zones children have been involved in confrontations between different militant groups, lacking access to all the elements of normal life that most children around the world enjoy. Whole generations of such children have faced nothing but violence, hostility, abuse, poverty and illiteracy.

In order to put an end to the suffering and the abuse of children, we have to focus our attention on minimizing the negative consequences of being a child in a zone of conflict, including by countering the six grave violations identified by the Security Council. We believe that the crucial task for all Member States should be to take effective measures to bring to account those who perpetrate grave violations against children. To achieve those goals, there is a real legal basis for further action in the form of criminal prosecution and punishment. An effective mechanism should be established to ensure compliance with the main provisions of the conventions and protocols pertaining to the child.

I would like to emphasize that Kazakhstan ratified the relevant Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child five years ago. In doing so, we reaffirmed our strong commitment to international efforts to protect the rights of children affected by armed conflict worldwide.

We entirely support the proposal to adopt targeted measures against groups and persons who involve children in armed conflicts. We also support the Security Council's referral of such cases to the International Criminal Court for investigation and prosecution. In that connection, we believe that further toughening punishment measures and increasing awareness about particular cases at the local, regional and global levels would have a significant effect.

Due to the vulnerability of children and the possibility that they will be re-recruited in the aftermath of conflicts, more support is also needed as regards the reintegration and rehabilitation of children who have been associated with armed groups and involved in war zones.

We also believe that a great deal must be done to avoid setting the precedent of prosecuting children for crimes committed as soldiers, as they must be considered to be victims of the actions of adults and must be provided with social protection in the framework of juvenile justice.

The future of our children who are involved in armed conflicts against their will cannot be ignored; it mostly depends on how we react and address these challenges today. The issue of protecting children in armed conflicts should be one of the main priorities on the agenda of the Security Council, and we are confident that the current discussions will greatly contribute to that process. Let us truly move from words to effective actions.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Mr. Hill (Australia)

I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to participate in this debate. Australia places the highest priority on protecting children, and we remain extremely concerned about the plight of those affected by armed conflicts.

We welcome the significant steps that have been taken to address this issue and commend the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict for her leadership and her dedication to the issue at hand.

The United Nations system must continue to draw upon its full range of expertise and coordinate its efforts to address the issue of children and armed conflict. We recognize the important role of UNICEF in child protection. We also commend Mr. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, independent expert for the Secretary-General's study on violence against children, for his work on that crucial child protection issue.

We are particularly pleased that significant progress has been made to operationalize the monitoring and reporting mechanism mandated in resolution 1612 (2005) on children and armed conflict and that the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict has continued its consideration of country reports in this regard.

We commend the real progress made in Côte d'Ivoire in halting the recruitment of child soldiers and in making progress on the Ouagadougou Agreement. However, we need to maintain attention and seek further progress in all situations of children affected by armed conflicts, including those in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

Children in situations of armed conflict, including those displaced by conflict, are vulnerable not only to recruitment as child soldiers, but also to other grave violations, including killing and maiming, rape and other grave sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access. All those violations are egregious, and no hierarchy can be ascribed to the abuses suffered by children in times of conflict. We would, however, encourage the triggering of the monitoring and reporting mechanism when any of those violations occur, especially for situations of rape and other acts of sexual violence.

We encourage the Council to continue to call on parties listed in the annexes of the reports of the Secretary-General to prepare time-bound action plans to stop the recruitment of children into armed forces and other violations against children. Many of those who commit violations against children in situations of armed conflict do so persistently, and have been cited repeatedly in the reports of the Secretary-General. We therefore encourage the Council to continue to consider targeted measures that may be taken against those persistent violators of children's rights.

The efforts of all key stakeholders remain essential in combating violations against children in times of conflict and ensuring adherence to relevant international law. In addition to ensuring that measures are taken at the international, regional and national levels to combat such crimes, Governments must also ensure that the perpetrators of those crimes are brought to justice. We echo the Secretary-General in highlighting the important role of the International Criminal Court in investigating and prosecuting violations against children in armed conflict that fall within its jurisdiction.

We encourage those Member States that have not done so to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court without delay.

If we, as an international community, are to create an environment in which children not only survive, but thrive -- a goal of a world fit for children, which was reaffirmed at the Commemorative High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly in December 2007 -- then we must reaffirm our commitment to protecting all children, particularly those affected by armed conflict, from harm and exploitation and to ensure that those who would abuse them are brought to account. Australia remains firmly dedicated to that end.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of the Netherlands.

Mr. Majoor (Netherlands)

The Netherlands fully aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Slovenia on behalf of the European Union. I would like to thank the Security Council presidency, Panama, for organizing this open debate on the important subject of children and armed conflict.

With the integrity of our children, the integrity of this Organization and everything it stands for is at stake. In children we see our future, and in their suffering during armed conflict we see the dark side of mankind. To our shame, children continue to be the primary victims of grave human rights violations in dozens of conflicts around the world. The latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2007/757) is a sad testimony to that reality. The Netherlands strongly supports the valuable work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Coomaraswamy, and that of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

We need concerted efforts at all levels. That requires political will. The Netherlands funds a number of projects targeting children in armed conflicts. We are supporting a multi-year UNICEF project in Uganda that aims to provide vocational training in camps for children caught up in the conflict. The Netherlands contributes a total of 1.3 million to that project. We are also a major bilateral donor of the World Bank Multi-country Demobilization and Reintegration Programme in the Great Lakes region, through which many child soldiers have been demobilized and reintegrated.

Abuse truly stops only when perpetrators have been brought to justice. Anything short of that means a continuation of the violation of the victims' integrity. That is why ending impunity is a critical element in ending violations and abuses against children. Member States concerned should take effective action to bring to justice individuals responsible for violations of children's rights. Those who recruit or use child soldiers; those who rape or commit other grave sexual violence against children -- they all should all be held to account.

We therefore stress the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other tribunals in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes that fall within their jurisdiction. When national systems of justice fail, either because of unwillingness or inability to genuinely prosecute such violations against children in armed conflict, the situation should be referred to the ICC. The recent arrest by the ICC of Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, former commander of the Fronts des Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a notable example. It shows how the ICC and the Congolese national authorities indeed cooperate in the fight against impunity for such crimes.

Progress has been made. The issue of children and armed conflict is higher on the agenda than it has been in the past. We commend the progress achieved by the Security Council, but there is a need for further commitment and action. For example, the current scope of the monitoring and reporting mechanism should be reviewed. Child soldiers are the focus of much international concern, and rightly so, but they constitute a relatively small share of affected children. The Security Council should give equal consideration to all categories of grave violations against children in armed conflict and should include in the annexes to the Secretary-General's reports a comprehensive listing of parties to armed conflict responsible for any of these grave violations. An initial expansion of the trigger mechanisms could include the crime of rape and other grave sexual violence against children. There are several reasons for this. Like the recruitment and use of child soldiers, rape and other sexual violence are intentional acts committed by individual perpetrators. Parties to armed conflict can take action to hold such perpetrators accountable for their actions. Progress in ending such violations can be measured, allowing for de-listing: an incentive for change. But more important, we cannot remain silent in the face of such hideous acts. What more reason do we need?

We may be encouraged by our efforts so far, but we should remain outraged at the continuing violence against children in armed conflict. There is no room for complacency or even a business-as-usual approach. We urge the Security Council to continue to address this issue and to fill existing protection gaps. If the political will to do so is to be found anywhere, it should be here at the core of the United Nations, in the Security Council.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of the Philippines.

Mr. Gatan (Philippines)

My delegation welcomes today's debate on the issue of children and armed conflict and joins the rest of the international community in seeking ways to prevent and eliminate the exploitation and devastation of the lives of children when they are involved in armed conflict.

My delegation also welcomes the Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict (S/2007/757), which attempts to provide information on various situations where children's lives are adversely affected because of conflict and strife. We condemn violations against the rights of children and express our readiness to contribute to solutions that will appropriately and effectively address the problem.

The Philippines would like to reiterate that it is our Government's policy to consider children as zones of peace, as stated in section 22, article X, of Republic Act No. 7610, otherwise known as "An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination", and also intended to protect children against dangers arising from armed conflict. For this reason, measures have been adopted to protect children from harm and to ensure their safety and well-being. Children rescued from conflict are accorded special treatment by Government forces.

A memorandum of agreement on the handling and treatment of children involved in armed conflict was signed in 2000 to further ensure that the rights of children are protected, and, in 2001, the President issued Executive Order No. 56, entitled "Adopting the Comprehensive Program Framework for Children Involved in Armed Conflict". This directs national Government agencies and local government units to implement its provisions. Also, by virtue of that executive order, an Inter-agency Committee on Children in Armed Conflict was created; it is functioning today as the key body that coordinates the efforts of the Philippine Government in making sure that children are not affected by or involved in armed conflict and that, if they are so involved because of their use by non-State actors, they are properly rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

The Inter-agency Committee has focused on three areas, namely improved monitoring and reporting of cases of children in armed conflict, improved institutional coordination, and the effective rehabilitation of children affected by armed conflict and their reintegration into the community. Following recent consultations among the relevant government agencies and non-governmental partners during a strategic planning exercise conducted in June 2007, the Committee has been able to identify the current challenges faced in addressing the issue of children in armed conflict as well as the necessary next steps towards resolving it.

The Philippines recognizes the need for enhanced monitoring and reporting. It is envisioned that an operational database monitoring system on children in armed conflict, shared among the front-line agencies -- namely the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process, the Commission for Indigenous Peoples, the Department of Education and the military -- should be made functional and should be primarily maintained by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. In support of the provisions of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the Government is now developing a procedure for data collection which will include information pertaining to the six violations against children enumerated in that resolution.

The Philippines recognizes that institutional coordination among the front-line agencies, as well as with the community when it encounters incidences of children in armed conflict, is essential in order to effectively address the issue of children in armed conflict and to ensure that the rights of such children are upheld. We are already implementing a comprehensive communications plan on the protection of children, designed for concerned sectors, namely the Government, the private sector, civil society and even non-State armed groups, and intended to draw support and synchronize efforts to protect the children.

On the matter of rehabilitation and reintegration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to provide victims with residential care services and other social services such as financial assistance, legal assistance, counselling, skills training, values formation and spiritual enrichment, livelihood services, home life services and educational services. The Government is creating an even more comprehensive and holistic rehabilitation and reintegration programme in conflict areas with provision for the constant monitoring and evaluation that are necessary for perfecting the programme.

My delegation takes note of the specific reference in the report of the Secretary-General to the Philippines and acknowledges that there is indeed room for improvement in the documentation of violations of children's rights. This has already been recognized as a concern, and efforts are under way to strengthen coordination among the agencies that come into direct contact with children in armed conflict.

My Government looks forward to the visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. It looks forward also to a positive outcome of her visit. We will extend our full cooperation to her so that her findings and recommendations can contribute to the achievement of the aim of the Philippine Government to address gaps, if any, in providing protection on a nationwide scale to children affected by armed conflict. It is also our fervent wish that the visit will lead to a recognition that my country's adequate policy measures could lead to the early deletion of the Philippines from the list of annex II countries.

The Philippines has been more than willing to cooperate on the issue before us today. We would like to call upon the Working Group of the Security Council to be more transparent in its working methods. An open work environment would surely lead to enhanced cooperation and a speedier resolution of this issue, which harms our world's most valuable asset -- our children.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Georgia.

Mr. Alasania (Georgia)

At the outset, Mr. President, allow me to express my appreciation to the members of the Security Council for providing us with the opportunity to address this high forum.

The delegation of Georgia fully associates itself with the statement made by the Slovenian presidency of the European Union.

Protection of children affected by armed conflicts has been one of the main priorities of the United Nations community. During the past decade, the international community has tried to place the issue firmly on its agenda. Since 1998, when the first Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict began his work and the Security Council held its first meeting on this issue, the matter has gained greater visibility.

Over the past several years, the Security Council has made good efforts in order to assist children affected by armed conflict and thereby to protect the most vulnerable, particularly through the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), which provided the basis for the establishment of the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict.

We welcome the latest report of the Secretary-General on the issue of children and armed conflict (S/2007/757), and we fully share his observation that, despite some progress with respect to the protection of children in several areas, new areas of concern require immediate attention by the international community. Georgia welcomes the Secretary-General's recommendation that the mandates of all future peacekeeping and relevant political missions should include child protection advisers. Such a change will increase the effectiveness of monitoring and provide timely and accurate information with respect to the protection of children affected by conflicts.

We agree with Council members who have previously spoken that the Council must move forward and start responding to the challenges upon us. We firmly believe that every form or category of the grave violations against children must be given equal priority.

For 15 years, my country has been dealing with the consequences of ethnic conflicts, which have yielded tragic results. Besides causing a generation of youth to lose their lives during the civil war, those conflicts have produced a generation that was forced by ethnic cleansing into exile. The Government of Georgia is making its best efforts to support refugee and internally displaced children, who have been deprived of their most fundamental right to return to their places of origin. Among other support, those children need special care to cope with their post-war psychological traumas. Although central authorities, in cooperation with international donor organizations, are able to provide special rehabilitation, education and leisure programmes to some of these children, the vast majority are still beyond the reach of such programmes.

We would like to draw the Council's attention to the intolerable situation of children living in the areas of protracted conflicts within the territory of Georgia. It is heartbreaking to see how children of all ethnic origins are becoming victims of physical and psychological violence on a daily basis. Lack of a secure environment in these areas prevents children from having a chance to become integrated members of civil society.

Here, let me note in particular the situation of Georgian-speaking children in Abkhazia, Georgia. They are deprived of one of their most fundamental rights, namely to study in their mother tongue, since the de facto regime has prohibited Georgian as a language of instruction in schools in the Gali district, which is populated mostly by Georgians.

The Secretary-General's latest report on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia (S/2007/588) suggests that the language of instruction in Gali district schools remains a concern. It is highly unlikely that anyone opposing education of children in their mother tongue is thinking of reconciliation. The prohibition of education in the Georgian language in breakaway regions is intended to increasingly separate the generations brought up apart. Unfortunately, all this is a continuation of the policy of systematic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia, Georgia. It is ironic that oppression on the basis of language continues to take place in 2008 -- the year the United Nations declared to be the International Year of Languages.

Another matter of concern to us is the problem of mines left after past military operations. Just recently, in one village in Abkhazia, Georgia a boy was killed by an anti-personnel mine that he had found on the bank of a river.

The international community must make better efforts to assist those children who have been deprived of normal life conditions. The need for action is obvious because the impact of conflict and violence on children will have consequences for the formation of their values, identity and beliefs.

The circle of violence and hatred can only be stopped through joint international efforts. In this regard, the Government of Georgia has provided channels for international organizations to be involved in the most critical confidence-building measure -- bringing children from both sides of a war-torn society together, helping them to restore their faith in peaceful coexistence with each other.

Mr. President, I want to thank you again for giving me this opportunity to address you today on this matter that is very important for all of us.

The President

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

Mr. Muñoz (Chile)

I would like to thank Panama and you, Sir, for inviting us to debate this topic that involves acts of utmost gravity against unprotected children in flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law.

As a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and to Convention No. 182 of the International Labour Organization, on the prohibition of the worst forms of child labour, Chile wishes to reiterate its commitment to the initiatives designed to eliminate all forms of violence against children. We therefore strongly support multilateral actions to reduce and eradicate this scourge, and we urge the Council to use its authority to identify and punish those responsible for the atrocities documented in the recent report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (S/2007/757) and its respective recommendations.

In this context, we acknowledge the work done by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, and note with special interest the recommendations contained in her report on the subject (A/62/228), particularly those relating to the application of the 2007 Paris Principles, which represent significant progress regarding prevention and reinsertion and the special needs of the girl child in armed conflicts.

Although the international community recognizes that children are precious subjects of law, their rights are contrarily ignored, daily, in situations of armed conflict between or within States, conflicts of low intensity or armed violence in the civilian sphere. We therefore support the work done by, among others, the Working Group of the Security Council established pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005), as well as the work of UNICEF and civil society, which contribute to the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism in the framework of this resolution.

However, the persistence of these grave acts and the impunity noted by this Council impel us to make greater efforts with respect to the implementation of this mechanism. Chile therefore believes that the Council should enhance the protection of children by allowing the expansion of the monitoring mechanism contemplated in resolution 1612 (2005), so that it can be triggered in cases of rape and other grave sexual violations, which do not constitute collateral damage and which should be urgently eradicated, as has been widely recognized by the international community.

Likewise, we call for the adoption of the recommendations made to the Council and to Member States in the Secretary-General's recent report, particularly the recommendation that the mandates of all future peacekeeping missions and relevant political missions should, where appropriate, include the presence of child protection advisers.

A decade after the publication of Graça Machel's historic report on the impact of armed conflict on children, Chile reaffirms its commitment to contribute actively to the elimination of all forms of violence affecting the world's children, from armed conflicts to urban violence. Inspired by the aphorism coined by our Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral, "The future of children is always today; tomorrow will be too late", we strongly support all initiatives aimed at fulfilling international commitments in this area.

The President

I now call on the representative of Brazil.

Mrs. Viotti (Brazil)

It is a pleasure for the delegation of Brazil to participate in this very important debate under the Panamanian presidency. The presence of the Vice-President and Minister for Foreign Affairs at this morning's part of our meeting reflects Panama's commitment to the United Nations and also highlights the importance of the issue of children for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. (spoke in English)

I wish to thank Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy for her excellent work as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

I would like to refer to the latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2007/757), which presents a comprehensive picture of the situation of children affected by armed conflict around the world. The report confirms that, although some progress has been made, the situation of children in armed conflicts remains a source of grave concern for the international community.

Creating a world fit for children is tantamount to guaranteeing the future of all humankind. In recent years, United Nations efforts to focus international attention on child-specific issues in the context of armed conflicts have been expanding in order to respond to the demand for action, given the seriousness of the issue and the growing number of conflicts affecting children in various parts of the world.

We expect the Security Council to perform its work in close coordination with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. An effective response to the issue of children affected by armed conflict only stands to benefit from being placed squarely within the context of the more general problem of children in need.

Ending all forms of violations against the rights of the child affected by armed conflict is our common goal. It is unacceptable that armed conflicts continue to subject children to all forms of violence, including not only the recruitment and use of children, but also killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions, and attacks against schools and hospitals. A strong commitment by Governments and the full cooperation of all relevant United Nations entities are essential elements in order to reverse that situation.

The work of the United Nations on children and armed conflict should be guided by the existing international framework, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child and all relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict is of particular importance in guiding the work of the United Nations.

My delegation agrees with the recommendation, contained in the Secretary-General's report, that Member States should take effective action to bring to justice perpetrators of violence against children through national justice systems. While we are encouraged by efforts of Governments in that regard, we also strongly support the strengthening of the International Criminal Court and the full implementation of its decisions in cases of violations against children in armed conflict falling within its jurisdiction.

Brazil is particularly concerned about the continuation of gender-based violence affecting girls, in particular sexual violence, which leaves a long-term, devastating impact on children and their families. Another aspect to be considered is the efforts to reintegrate former child soldiers in countries emerging from conflict and to protect such children in specific situations in which they are vulnerable, such as exposure to cluster munitions and landmines. My delegation considers that the Peacebuilding Commission has an important role to play in this area and that it should include the discussion of concrete measures for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of children as part of its long-term recovery and development programmes.

The complexity of the question of children affected by armed conflict demands that all relevant entities of the United Nations, in close cooperation with Member States and non-governmental organizations, adequately address its many components, including the social and economic components, particularly with regard to demobilization and reintegration. Such broad and comprehensive coordination is essential to maximize the effect of the Council's actions in its efforts to make the best possible use of the monitoring and reporting mechanism established under resolution 1612 (2005).

In addition to the involvement of UNICEF and other relevant agencies, funds and programmes, I would like to mention the need to fully integrate into this process the newly established post of Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children. As mandated in General Assembly resolution 62/141, the new Special Representative and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict will cooperate and coordinate their activities, taking into account the complementarity of their respective mandates.

Brazil is fully committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child in general and is determined to contribute to maximizing the effectiveness of the United Nations system in responding to the issue of children affected by armed conflict. If we are to secure a better world for future generations, we cannot fail to protect the rights of children affected by armed conflict. By doing so, we will be helping to ensure that today's victim does not become tomorrow's aggressor. We believe that the United Nations plays an essential role in preventing childhood from being victimized amid warfare and in guaranteeing a future in which children can be bearers of hope and confidence as they emerge from conflict situations.

The President

I now call on the representative of the Republic of Korea.

Mr. Kim Hyun Chong (Republic of Korea)

First, allow me to commend the work of the Security Council and its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to end violations against children and to guarantee the exercise of their rights. My delegation would also like to commend Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Representative, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, for their dedication in addressing the plight of children in armed conflict.

The Republic of Korea appreciates the report of the Secretary-General (S/2007/757) as well as the presentation by Ms. Coomaraswamy on recent developments. We appreciate the achievements accomplished so far, yet continue to have grave concerns about the challenges that we still face. Achievements have been accomplished in areas such as the establishment of the monitoring and reporting mechanism in 11 countries since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).

We are particularly pleased to note a number of significant developments related to ending impunity for crimes against children, particularly the recruitment of children in armed conflicts. These include, inter alia, the confirmation of charges by the International Criminal Court against the leader of an armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the arrest warrants issued by the Court for senior members of the Lord's Resistance Army.

Despite this progress, we remain greatly concerned about the continuing plight of children affected by armed conflict. Child recruitment is still an issue of grave concern. As the Security Council continues to call upon parties engaged in armed conflict to take firm and timely action to stop the enlistment of children, it must also address the lack of security in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons, which are known hotbeds for recruitment.

My delegation contends that dealing with persistent violators is an urgent issue that must be addressed. Through the Secretary-General's reports, 16 persistent perpetrators have been identified. What will the Security Council do with these offenders? The Security Council should take effective targeted measures against such perpetrators, including a ban on the export or supply of arms, a ban on military assistance, travel restrictions, freezing of assets and a restriction on the flow of financial resources. Otherwise, they will continue to violate and undermine the credibility of the Security Council.

The delegation of the Republic of Korea, like those of many other Member States, is disturbed by the deplorable situation of sexual violence and abuse against children in armed conflict. As the Secretary-General's report highlighted, children are targeted with various forms of sexual and gender-based violence during armed conflict, including rape. As many as 60 per cent of the victims of sexual violence in areas of conflict are children. Furthermore, in some trouble spots, sexual violence and rape have been deliberately employed for political and military purposes. Unless the Security Council and the international community respond strongly to these violations, such disturbing cases will continue.

In this context, we urge the Security Council to consider widening the scope of the monitoring and reporting mechanism. We agree with the recommendation in the Secretary-General's report that equal weight be given to all categories of grave violations. These include not only the recruitment and use of children but also the other five grave violations: the killing and maiming of children, rape and sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to children.

The Republic of Korea supports an incremental approach, extending the mechanism to include sexual violence as a trigger for listing a party in the annexes to the reports of the Secretary-General and establishing a monitoring and reporting mechanism in the country concerned. We urge the Security Council to take this issue seriously and to work on a draft resolution in that direction.

Ending impunity is a critical element for halting violations of all kinds. Impunity for parties engaged in armed conflict, as well as for individual perpetrators, should cease. In order for this to come about, the Security Council should refer those accused of systematic and persistent violations against children to the International Criminal Court.

Lastly, the delegation of the Republic of Korea would like to emphasize the need to strengthen the role of major actors and the coordination among them. The Special Representative should be given all the necessary support, assistance and cooperation in implementing her mandate. The role of the Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict should be further bolstered to address measures such as recommending targeted action to the Security Council and monitoring its implementation.

The additional actors involved in addressing the issue of children in armed conflict are the peacekeeping operations and the political missions, specifically their child protection advisers. My delegation believes that their role is crucial not only for the effective implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism, but also for the effective prevention of violations and for more comprehensive protection of children. In this regard, the Security Council and the Secretary-General should send a stern message to the head of each mission to assume strong leadership.

Overall, national Governments should, in the end, take responsibility in protecting their children. In this regard, technical and financial assistance should be provided for capacity-building, and Governments should fully cooperate with the Security Council in preparing and implementing these actions, including the establishment of a justice mechanism.

Coordination and coherence are another important element. In order to effectively address the complex issue of children in armed conflict, both ending violations and the recovery and reintegration process need full coordination by all relevant bodies, including the Security Council, the Office of the Secretary-General, the peacekeeping operations, political missions, humanitarian agencies such as UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs). At the field level, the participation and contribution of NGOs are especially critical. Therefore, more closely coordinated involvement of NGOs in implementing the monitoring and reporting mechanism is needed.

We hope that today's open discussion on children in armed conflict will pave the way for meaningful deliberation in the Security Council. We look forward to a strong presidential statement which will lead to a new resolution in the near future.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Uruguay.

Mr. Rosselli (Uruguay)

My delegation is pleased to address the Council today under your presidency, the presidency of a very able representative of our brother country, Panama. We also welcome the presence here today of the Vice-President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, Mr. Samuel Lewis-Navarro. This demonstrates Panama's commitment to the activities of the United Nations and in particular, those of the Security Council.

My delegation has high regard for the open debates of the Security Council. We feel this is a way for those of us who are not members to draw closer to this very important central organ of the United Nations. My delegation has stated previously that, unfortunately, meetings of this kind often coincide with very important activities requiring the presence my colleagues, the Permanent Representatives of Council members.

Looking around the Chamber now, see that, except for the Permanent Representative of Indonesia and you, Mr. President, there are no other Permanent Representatives of Council members here. Nor are there any Deputy Permanent Representatives. It is a shame that the Security Council should hold such meetings when members are so busy that they cannot be here to hear their peers. I, too, have a number of other activities on my agenda and so I will be asking my colleague, Uruguay's expert on the Third Committee, to present my country's statement. I bid you good afternoon, Sir.

Mrs. Pi (Uruguay)

The delegation of Uruguay welcomes this open debate on children in armed conflict and welcomes all the efforts of the international community in this regard. My delegation particularly appreciates the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, a mandate that Uruguay fully supports.

We take this opportunity again to thank Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy for her work and her commitment to broad-based and effective protection of children in a situation of particular vulnerability. Her substantive reports, undertaken in the context of broad consultation, not only allow us to appreciate the achievements, but also clearly show how much work remains to be done.

The figures cited in recent reports on the impact of armed conflict are particularly worrisome, and no region in the world is immune. We are stunned by the number of children killed in war zones; injured or suffer permanently disabling injuries; recruited as soldiers, in blatant violation of international human rights instruments and humanitarian law; and the thousands of children, girls in particular, who are subject to sexual exploitation. We are concerned by the ongoing illegal recruitment of children in conflict zones, many of whom are kidnapped from refugee camps; by the various forms of sexual violence suffered by children, with devastating and permanent repercussions for the victims; by the cases of children who are detained in contravention of international norms; by systematic and deliberate attacks on educational institutions; and by the impunity still enjoyed by the perpetrators of crimes against children.

Uruguay welcomes the fact that the issue of children affected by armed conflict is receiving increasing attention on the international agenda, as reflected in the many international instruments to which my country is a party. Much remains to be done, however. The subject is on the General Assembly's agenda, and every year my country plays a very active role in that regard with a view to strengthening and increasing the involvement and responsibility of a body of universal composition in a subject that falls within its purview and is of concern to us all.

Uruguay nonetheless recognizes the role that has been played by the Security Council, where progress has moved from talk to implementation through the adoption of numerous resolutions, the most recent of which created the monitoring and reporting mechanism with a view to ensuring that sound information is available and concrete action taken to end the illegal recruitment and exploitation of children in conflict zones.

Some two years after the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), establishing the monitoring and reporting mechanism, it is now time to assess not only its implementation, but also its format. We are thus concerned that, despite the reports received identifying six types of serious violations against children, the mechanism is applicable only to the recruitment and illegal use of child soldiers. We feel that that approach should be broadened, since no violation is more serious than another and all should be considered on an equal footing.

We appreciate the inclusive and broad-based nature of the mechanism, which works with the involvement of all parties to a conflict -- Governments, non-governmental armed forces, the United Nations system and civil society, including non-governmental organizations. We believe that only through joint and coordinated endeavours, the strengthening of the rules of international law and the utilization of available judicial mechanisms -- the International Criminal Court in particular -- will it be possible to develop and implement plans of action allowing us to put an end to the serious violations that children continue to endure in armed conflict.

We welcome the joint work done by civil society with the United Nations system as a whole, including the peacekeeping missions, in building lasting child protection mechanisms. We believe that the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in peacekeeping missions, as well as the inclusion by UNICEF of child protection advisers in such missions -- in which Uruguay has been deeply involved -- should be stepped up and receive sufficient human, financial and technical support.

My delegation feels that greater attention should be paid to the rehabilitation of children linked to armed groups or that have been the victims of other serious violations of their rights, particularly in cases of sexual abuse or exploitation. We agree with the Special Representative that the efforts made in the initial planning and implementation of peacekeeping operations should take into account the need to protect and rehabilitate children, and that such action should be community-based so as to facilitate the sustainable and successful reintegration of children.

Child protection is a commitment on the part of us all. We hope in that regard that all States, together with the United Nations system and organized civil society, including children themselves, can undertake joint action that will allow us to achieve a world of peace for all in which we can truly protect the rights and well-being of children.

The President

I call on the representative of Argentina.

Mr. Argüello (Argentina)

Argentina would like to start by thanking the Panamanian presidency of the Security Council for the month of February for organizing this debate, which ratifies the political decision of this Council to put an end to the suffering of children affected by armed conflict.

We would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Ann Veneman, for their comprehensive presentations on this complex issue, as well as Ms. Jo Becker from Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict and the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers for the information she has shared with us.

More than two years since the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), we welcome the progress made in the protection of children affected by armed conflict through the joint action of States and the mechanisms created by the United Nations system, with the invaluable contribution of civil society. We must commend the actions taken by some national Governments to put an end to crimes committed against children in armed conflict and to bring perpetrators to justice. We must also highlight the activities of civil society in gathering information on the situation of children in territories affected by armed conflict and in denouncing the abuses to which children are subject. It is indispensable to guarantee their safety, as well as that of the victims and their families, when denouncing such acts in order to guarantee the proper functioning of the justice system and avoid impunity.

Argentina places the highest importance in the promotion and protection of the rights of girls and boys, both in its national plans and strategies centred on the family as the basic unit of society, as well as through its ongoing support for and participation in all international initiatives aimed at ensuring the opportunity for all children to enjoy a childhood effectively free from violence.

In that regard, we note that, in spite of the progress made, it is necessary to strengthen the measures for the protection of children affected by armed conflict in the framework of an integral approach that cannot be limited to the security aspects and must include political, juridical and socio-economic measures.

Regarding the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005) of the Security Council and the functioning of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, Argentina believes that progress is needed with regard to the following.

First, the Security Council must reiterate the clear message to all responsible parties that the international community will not tolerate any further violation of the rights of children in conflict. We are persuaded that the presidential statement to be adopted by the Council at the end of this debate will serve that purpose.

Secondly, it is necessary to deepen the political and financial commitment of Member States in support of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and to keep it operational in all situations of armed conflict.

Thirdly, it is imperative to achieve the full implementation of all monitoring and reporting mechanisms on children affected by armed conflict of the Working Group, as provided for in resolution 1612 (2005).

Fourthly, the Security Council must incorporate into the mandate of the Working Group those situations where may arise any of the six categories of grave violations: the recruitment and use of child soldiers, rape and other grave sexual violence, the killing and maiming of children, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access to children.

Fifthly, we have confirmed the valuable contribution that the presence of child protection advisers can make in terms of obtaining timely and precise information that allows for the prompt undertaking of promotion activities and a rapid response to diverse situations in order to protect children affected by armed conflict, as well as contributing to their prevention. Thus, it is necessary to consider their incorporation into the mandates of all relevant future peacekeeping missions and political missions.

Sixthly, it is necessary to strengthen disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes so that victims have a real opportunity to rejoin society with sufficient funding and practical efficient mechanisms that produce sustainable results in the long term.

Combating impunity and finding justice are at the heart of any effective response to prevent and end violations of human rights in any situation. In that regard, we believe it is essential to explore all means of bringing perpetrators to justice. That includes the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in appropriate cases.

Violations of the rights of children in situations of conflict not only affect peace and security, they also have dire consequences for the present and future development of affected societies. The heightened vulnerability of those children makes them easy targets when it comes to increasing the number combatants, as well as regards forced labour and sexual exploitation. The exploitation of children, either in an armed conflict or in any other situation is unspeakable, inexcusable and an affront that goes to the very heart of the common values that all our societies share.

Argentina therefore reiterates its ongoing commitment to the protection of children from all forms of violence. We also reiterate our readiness to continue to cooperate with the Working Group chaired by the delegation of France, as we did from 2005 to 2006 as an elected member of the Council and as we reiterated recently through the submission of our 2007 national report and our support for the adoption of concrete steps towards improving the life of children who are being affected daily by the consequences of conflict.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Guatemala.

Mr. Briz Gutiérrez (Guatemala)

Allow me to thank the Vice-President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama for his presence at our meeting this morning, to which we have come to debate this issue. We also welcome the presence of several ministers of State, as well as the briefings by Ms. Coomaraswamy and Ms. Veneman, the valuable contribution of Ms. Jo Becker of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict and the information provided by the organization Security Council Report.

A little over 10 years ago, Graça Machel's report (A/51/306) highlighted to the Organization the horrors suffered by children affected by armed conflict. That led to the holding of the Security Council's first open debate on children and armed conflict. In June 2008, 10 years will have passed since that event. We regret how many young lives have been lost or tragically and violently affected, especially as regards girls. Unfortunately, since then we have also witnessed the changes that have taken place in war tactics and the nature of conflicts, wherein civilian populations have increasingly become the targets of violence and unspeakable atrocities, leading to a new spiral of violence and further threats to children.

In spite of so many atrocities, which have all caused irreversible damage to children, Guatemala recognizes that some progress was made in that time. For example, this subject has been regularly discussed in 11 open debates, and resolutions have been adopted that refer specifically to the situation of children in armed conflict -- including resolution 1612 (2005), which set out the conceptual framework to strengthen the protection of children who are victims of armed conflict and to combat the recruitment and use of children as soldiers by armed forces or groups of any sort. It is clear that of the six grave violations identified throughout the years, the recruitment and use of children has garnered the greatest attention. In addition, more recently, child protection advisers have been included in peacekeeping and special political operations. It is now up to us to continue to move ahead to address the very widespread phenomenon of gender-based violence, including the systematic rape of girls, sexual slavery and the brutal violence to which they are subjected and their ensuing stigmatization by their communities.

We must also not fail to increasingly address other forms of violence that also affect children: mutilation, murder, kidnapping and attacks against school and hospitals. Such violence forces children to flee their families and communities, forcing them to become refugees in neighbouring towns and countries. Without a doubt, that makes them even more vulnerable. Worse yet is a phenomenon that has been documented in several conflicts, namely, the denial of the very humanitarian assistance that goes some way towards ameliorating the problems of children affected by armed conflict.

The responsibility to protect children in armed conflict is incumbent upon us all. However, there is no doubt that this is the primary responsibility of States. Civil society can be a country's best ally -- gathering information on examples or cases of violence against children and sharing that information with the relevant Government officials responsible for corroborating it and taking the appropriate steps. The role of civil society can also be very important as regards working with Governments to implement a monitoring and reporting mechanism, mediation efforts to secure the release of children in the hands or combatants and rescuing children from military organizations. Civil society also has a role to play in the rehabilitation and social reintegration of children and in designing and implementing reconciliation processes aimed at repairing the social fabric.

If they do not receive appropriate assistance, as adults, children who have grown up in a climate of violence, have suffered from violence or have been forced to engage in it are likely to repeat that behaviour. In that connection, we should also recall the importance of fully adhering to and implementing international principles, norms and procedures of restorative justice and social rehabilitation when it comes to addressing cases of children accused of committing crimes in association with armed groups or forces.

That reference to justice leads me to the annexes published by the Secretary-General in his reports, which identify groups that recruit children and on which, year after year, several groups are listed that we already know to be habitual violators of the rights of children. In that connection, there is a need to put an end to impunity. Guatemala concurs with the Secretary-General that those groups should be subjected to much more robust and effective targeted sanctions. There should also be closer controls over the sale and availability of weapons and over capital flows intended for weapons. Eliminating such groups should be a resolute and urgent priority for the Security Council.

Given the sensitive nature of the issue before us today, it is important that any information coming into the United Nations system, the Office of the Special Representative, the Security Council and any other body of the Organization should be objective, reliable and from responsible interlocutors. From the community level to national and international institutions, communication, cooperation, coordination, information exchange and verification, and transparency among all parties and actors should be carried out in line with the relevant mandates and working methods.

In conclusion, Guatemala recognizes and is grateful for the valuable contributions made by the Paris Principles and Guidelines on children associated with armed forces or armed groups. They provide us with a comprehensive picture of the experiences and lessons learned in the course of the past 10 years. We also appreciate the so-called toolkit developed by the Council's Working Group. We believe its work should be decisively utilized.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

Mr. Gillerman (Israel)

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your very able stewardship of the Council this month and thank you for convening this important meeting. My delegation also wishes to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Coomaraswamy, the UNICEF Executive Director, Ms. Veneman, and the representative of the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict for their statements and their important work on behalf of children everywhere.

In addition, my delegation commends the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts, under the able stewardship of France, for its work on the promotion and protection of children affected by armed conflict.

At the outset, allow me a personal note. When I presented my credentials to Secretary-General Kofi Annan just over five years ago, on 6 January 2003, I said to him that I was doing so on behalf of a nation, a people and a child. When I said the word "child", I saw him tense, and then I said that the nation was the State of Israel, which I love very much, the people are the Jewish people, who I am very proud to represent, and the child was my four-year-old grandchild, Ron, who at the time was attending a kindergarten in Tel Aviv. Every time I went to pick him up from the kindergarten, my heart broke at the sight of the armed guard standing outside those innocent kids' kindergarten to protect them from terror. I told the Secretary-General that Israel was the only democracy in the world where nurseries, kindergartens and schools are protected by armed guards, and I voiced my hope and prayer that by the end of my tenure here, no child in the world would have to be guarded by armed guards. Unfortunately, today, more than five years later, my grandson is nine years old and attending a school in Israel that is still guarded by armed guards.

Over the past two decades, more than 2 million children have been killed in conflicts, with another 6 million maimed or permanently injured. More than a quarter of a million youths have been exploited as child soldiers, and, needless to say, most are recruited at such a young age that they are robbed of their schooling and youth. Thousands of girls have been subject to sexual exploitation, prostitution, rape -- which is even used as a weapon of war -- and sexual and gender-based violence.

Accordingly, Israel assigns great importance to the protection of children, particularly from violence and armed conflict. Israel has been a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child since 1991 and to its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. Last year, Israel was pleased to welcome the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Coomaraswamy, for a visit and to cooperate with and support her as she sought to better understand the impact of conflict on all the children of our region.

In that regard, my delegation takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, (S/2007/757) and wishes to briefly highlight and expand on some of the issues it references.

Armed conflict levies a heavy toll on all civilian populations, and no effort must be spared to ensure the protection of civilians, particularly children, whose inherent vulnerabilities make them dependent on others for safety. The spread of terrorism around the globe means that civilians today are especially and increasingly placed in danger, from both indiscriminate and targeted terrorist attacks.

There can be no doubt that terrorism comes at civilians' expense. Even worse, children have often become the object of such terrorist interest for purposes of recruitment, incitement to violence, human shielding and even targeted attacks. While terrorism is a global concern, the situation in our region provides a stark snapshot of some of the most daunting challenges the international community faces in the protection of children.

Extremist ideology is the handmaiden of youth violence. Young people are extremely impressionable, susceptible to brainwashing and indoctrination by icons of popularity. Often enough, official textbooks used in schools teach children hatred and incite them to violence. Indeed, indoctrination is just as dangerous as the acts of violence and terrorism themselves, as they pervert the value and worth of education, poison the social bloodstream and create an infrastructure for continued terrorism and extremism.

As one example, a recent episode of the Hamas television show "Tomorrow's Pioneers" featured a malevolent rabbit that eats Jews. Numerous other television programmes, all viewed by thousands upon thousands of Palestinian children, are known to praise jihad and violence and indoctrinate that young viewership.

Palestinian terrorists use similar tactics to actively recruit children to carry out terrorist operations. Then there are the cases of parents, mothers and fathers, who strap suicide belts on their own children and send them off to carry out terrorist attacks and those who dance on the rooftops celebrating the carnage they caused by firing Qassam rockets and injuring Israeli children. Those grotesque images shake us all to the very core, but they are also a very real aspect of the way that children are threatened and harmed by Palestinian terrorism.

Moreover, the use of civilian areas to carry out acts of terrorism is being seen with alarming frequency. On 29 October 2007, Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired mortars from the yard of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) elementary school in Beit Hanoun. That cynical abuse of the school and violation of a United Nations installation for terrorist purposes was rightfully condemned by the Secretary-General. Regrettably, the incident is absent from the aforementioned report.

Similarly, while the report provides statistical data on the number of Israeli children physically injured by Qassam rockets, the report fails to reflect on the long-term damage, such as psychological conditions and stress disorders that are the direct consequence of the rocket barrages fired by Palestinian terrorists.

That indiscriminate rocket firing poses a particular danger to children. A case in point is the city of Sderot, where up to 94 per cent of children suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, including sleep and concentration problems and even bed-wetting. The psychological effects are no less damaging than physical wounds and should not be casually dismissed. Indeed, the frequency of rocket attacks has increased alarmingly in recent months, where, on average, one rocket is fired at Israel every three hours.

The rockets, sadly, inflict devastating physical suffering as well. Over the past weekend, two brothers were seriously wounded when a Qassam rocket slammed into their hometown of Sderot. On Sunday evening, doctors were forced to amputate part of the left leg of one of the boys, eight-year-old Osher Tuito. In Hebrew, by the way, "Osher" means joy and happiness. His 19-year-old brother Rami was also badly injured from the terrorist attack. Osher, who dreamed of becoming a soccer player, does not yet know that he has lost one of his legs.

Israelis were reminded of the never-ending and inescapable pain of Palestinian terrorism when the Tuito family received a letter yesterday from the Cohen family, whose children, Tehila and Yisrael, ages seven and eight, also had their legs amputated after being severely injured in a terrorist attack a few years ago. In their letter, the Cohen children wrote to the Tuitos:

"What can we say to you as Osher lies in the hospital bed without knowing what the future holds? It is heartbreaking. Such a small child. And the biggest question is -- will he ever be able to ride a bike again or kick a soccer ball? You deserve the security of living in your own home and your own town, living with the other citizens who live there".

That is a touching statement of courage and solidarity in the face of terrorism, but it is also a harrowing reminder of how Palestinian terrorism continues to destroy and shatter innocent lives.

Surely, there is no monopoly on suffering. All children -- Palestinian and Israeli -- suffer from and are victims of this Palestinian terror. Terrorism is a gross threat to the ability of our children to live in peace and safety in the region. Hence, terrorism, in all its varieties and forms, is always unacceptable and can never be justified -- because it is the children who ultimately suffer, each and every one of them. The child victims of terrorism, both Israeli and Palestinian, are real. Each one has a name and a family; each one has his or her own dreams and aspirations. And each victim has now had those dreams and hopes shattered by the cruelty and inhumanity of terrorism.

Lastly, my delegation wishes to place on record its concern regarding some of the methodologies utilized in compiling the report. Specifically, our concerns relate to sections where ambiguities in the report may allow for misinterpretation. Moreover, the tendency to rely on unsubstantiated reports, third-party testimony and hearsay harms the report's credibility and effectiveness. We stress that accurate reporting is in the interest of regional peace and security and that all efforts should be made to utilize credible testimonials and evidence. My delegation is engaged in active dialogue and cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and we hope to see these concerns reflected in future reports.

As Israel engages with the moderate Palestinian Authority leadership and works shoulder to shoulder to achieve peace and security for all citizens of our region, we are aware of the impact that conflict has had on our children. It is in this interest, therefore, that Israel hopes to prepare its children for peace, to maintain a commitment to dialogue and moderation and to eradicate extremism, racism and hate. Only upon those foundations will we truly be able to build a better world today for our children and grandchildren of tomorrow.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Mr. McNee (Canada)

I would like to thank the delegation of Panama for convening today's important meeting. We would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, for her impressive and compelling statement today and for the excellent work she has done since taking office two years ago. We would also like to thank Ms. Ann Veneman, the Executive Director of UNICEF, whose statement today illustrates the importance of UNICEF for the issue of children and armed conflict. We also welcome to this debate Ms. Jo Becker from Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, an organization whose rigorous and important work is supported by Canada.

Today's debate is an opportunity once again to bring to the attention of the Council the severity of acts of violence against children in violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. The Security Council has a central role to play in protecting children who suffer from the horrific effects of armed conflict and in holding accountable those responsible for the continuing atrocities committed against them. The Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict is an important tool to understand how violations against children constitute a threat to international peace and security. The report (S/2007/757) outlines clear recommendations for future action.

Canada strongly supports and wishes to speak to three areas in particular: first, the need for the Security Council to give equal attention to children affected by armed conflict, whether in situations on the agenda of the Council or not; secondly, the necessity to give equal weight to all categories of grave violations described in the report, beyond simply the recruitment and use of children; and finally, the need to implement the monitoring and reporting mechanism within the framework of resolution 1612 (2005) in all situations of concern.

In July 2005, the Council adopted resolution 1612 (2005), which has proven to be an effective tool for putting pressure on those who commit violations against children. Canada commends the work of the Security Council Working Group created by resolution 1612 (2005) and the strong support provided by the Secretariat to the Working Group. It is also important to underline the tremendous work in the field that has been accomplished by UNICEF and by the various non-governmental organizations and civil society actors that contribute to the 1612 (2005) monitoring and reporting mechanism. The work of all United Nations personnel in the field, whether in peace missions or in United Nations country teams, is instrumental in making child protection a reality on the ground. Without this joint effort, the impact of resolution 1612 (2005) would fail to reach the children in need.

Addressing the situation of children and armed conflict can be difficult. The Secretary-General's report shows this all too well. The protection framework created by resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005) is a complex web of instruments that can lead to concrete actions to end violations, but only with the cooperation of Member States. Those who criticize the complexity of these instruments should not forget the important successes that have been achieved. For example, the de-listing of parties to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire is a significant achievement of the resolution 1612 (2005) framework and offers lessons for future success. We also note with satisfaction some progress in various situations outlined in the report of the Secretary-General which are clearly linked to the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005).

While Canada is generally satisfied with the current state of implementation of resolution 1612 (2005), there remain clear gaps. Several parties that persistently commit grave violations against children in conflict situations remain untouched by the resolution. This cannot continue. In order to end this culture of impunity, it is essential that the Council apply targeted measures against these violators and work on their referral to the relevant tribunals. In this regard, Canada is pleased by the charges, trials and sentences over the past year by the International Criminal Court and the Special Court for Sierra Leone for crimes against children. We urge the Working Group to continue its efforts and we urge the Council to use this route while also pursuing targeted measures through the specific country mandates.

Mr. McNee (Canada)

We think the time is right for the Council to strengthen its protection framework for children, particularly by allowing the existing resolution 1612 (2005) monitoring and reporting mechanism to be triggered by all violations against children described by the Secretary-General in his report. Specifically, rape and other grave sexual violations must be addressed. While we welcome the cooperation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005), the appalling situation in that country demonstrates why this type of violation has been deemed a threat to international peace and security.

Moreover, Canada believes that the Council should adopt a new resolution to expand monitoring and reporting, including strengthening the relevant work of the Security Council Working Group, in order to eradicate these heinous crimes committed against children. These measures should be undertaken as soon as possible.

At the end of the day, what matters is real and visible protection for children. Furthermore, that consideration underpins our support for strengthening the framework of protection provided for in resolution 1612 (2005). In particular, we must eliminate sexual violence in conflicts and make progress towards the fulfilment of an ideal: freeing children from the shackles of war. We all know that, if we are to improve their living conditions, all efforts count, in all fields and in all places, from war zones to the halls of academia to United Nations conference rooms in New York.

Finally, Canada believes that the Security Council is on the right track in addressing this issue, thanks in particular to France's leadership of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts. We are convinced that the Council will continue to do its part, including through its excellent work in this area.

The President

I now call on the representative of Austria.

Mr. Pfanzelter (Austria)

Austria fully aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Slovenia on behalf of the European Union. We would like to make some additional comments.

We highly commend the Panamanian presidency for holding this open debate on children and armed conflict. We are also grateful to the Secretary-General for his report (S/2007/757) and welcome his recommendations.

As all speakers have stated, children are among the most vulnerable groups in our societies. They are the easiest prey for ruthless perpetrators; they are also the key to the future of our societies. The way in which children are treated in conflicts has fundamental implications for society and for our self-conception as human beings. We must therefore put an end to the acts of those groups and individuals who systematically and deliberately target and abuse children in situations of armed conflict.

We highly appreciate the outstanding work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy. Her efforts have made a real difference for children on the ground. We also support the important UNICEF initiatives to, inter alia, follow up on the Paris Principles and Commitments. The crucial role of non-governmental organizations must also be highlighted. They are on the front lines in supporting children and make a very special contribution to the success of the monitoring and reporting mechanism.

We now have a comprehensive set of instruments, including Security Council resolutions, prohibiting and criminalizing the recruitment and use of child soldiers as well as other abuses of children in armed conflict. The Security Council has been actively engaged in addressing violations against children, in particular through the establishment of the monitoring and reporting mechanism pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005) and the creation of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts, which, under France's leadership, has greatly enhanced the Council's efforts.

However, despite all our efforts, there still is a long list of perpetrators who for years have continued to systematically commit serious violations against children and have gone unpunished. That situation demands further action by the Security Council. Unfortunately, some of the existing mechanisms and tools of the Council and of the Working Group have been underutilized. We support the Secretary-General's call for making full use of the available range of measures in these cases, including the imposition of targeted measures and the referral of violations against children in armed conflict to the International Criminal Court for investigation and prosecution. We also call on Member States to strengthen the rule of law and to fully utilize judicial mechanisms to bring to justice perpetrators of violations against children.

We support the Secretary-General's recommendation that equal weight be given to all categories of grave violations against children. A phased approach could be taken to make that recommendation a reality. As a first step, the crime of rape and grave sexual violence against children could be added as an alternative gateway to trigger the monitoring and reporting mechanism. Like the recruitment of child soldiers, these crimes are intentional acts. Parties to armed conflict can reasonably be expected to take action against perpetrators. Progress in the implementation of action plans can be measured.

We are deeply shocked by the appalling level of sexual and gender-based violence against children, as documented in the Secretary-General's report. As has been pointed out by all previous speakers, these acts are horrendous crimes, and those responsible for committing them must be brought to justice. For that reason, Austria has increased its support for campaigns against sexual violence and assistance programmes for victims of such violence, in particular in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Children and armed conflict has been an issue of critical importance and great concern for Austria for many years. We have made the protection of children in armed conflict a priority in our foreign and development policy and will continue to do so in the future.

The President

I now call on the Permanent Observer of Palestine.

Mr. Mansour (Palestine)

I congratulate you, Sir, and your country, Panama, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month and express our confidence in your ability to wisely guide the work of the Council. I also reiterate our thanks to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for its able leadership of the Council in January. In addition, I thank Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Ms. Ann Veneman and Ms. Jo Becker for their statements.

Armed conflicts continue to claim the lives of innocent children around the world. Our world is not one fit for all children, particularly those in situations of armed conflict, who are surrounded by dangers that force them to live in constant fear for their lives and leave them needy and vulnerable. Their childhoods are marred by violence, physical and psychological harm; displacement; imprisonment; exploitation, including recruitment as soldiers and sexual exploitation; hunger; poverty; lack of education; and devastation of their families and communities.

For children in situations of armed conflict, including foreign occupation, all aspects of life are detrimentally impacted and the meaning of childhood is lost. As stated in the important Graça Machel study "Impact of armed conflict on children",

"War violates every right of a child -- the right to life, the right to be with family and community, the right to health, the right to ... development ... and the right to be nurtured and protected".

Moreover, the damage caused to children today has negative short and long-term consequences for children, women, families and societies as a whole, inevitably impacting future prospects for peace and development in our world. We know that to be true. Yet, regrettably, children continue to be the victims of appalling human rights violations and crimes, despite the international community's Declaration, more than five years ago, that

"Children must be protected from the horrors of armed conflict. Children under foreign occupation must also be protected, in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law". (General Assembly resolution S-27/2, para. 7 (7), annex)

We must act now, in reaffirmation of this commitment, to protect children and to ensure their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other relevant international legal instruments.

The wide gap between such international legal standards and their actual implementation for safeguarding children's rights must be closed. Ending impunity for violations against children is paramount, and we agree in this regard with the recommendations in the 10-year strategic review of the Machel report, including the application of targeted measures such as sanctions against those persistently committing grave violations against children in armed conflict.

Decades of human rights violations and hardships have indelibly marked Palestine's children and refugees and those under occupation, resulting in what the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Coomaraswamy, described in a report following her visit to the occupied Palestinian territory in April 2007, as "a palpable sense of loss and a feeling of hopelessness that places the children of the West Bank and Gaza apart from all other situations the SRSG has visited to date".

Palestinian children continue to be killed and wounded in Israeli military assaults and to be traumatized by the vicious cycle of violence, with nearly 1,000 children killed since September 2000 and more than 3,500 injured, many of them permanently disabled.

Children continue to be used as human shields by the occupying forces, and their schools continue to be targeted by attacks. More than 400 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years old, also continue to be imprisoned by Israel under inhumane conditions and subject to physical and mental ill-treatment, including torture and threats of sexual violence. Palestinian children also continue to suffer displacement and its many associated consequences, including induced poverty, as a result of the occupying Power's wanton destruction of homes and refugee shelters and unlawful construction of the wall and settlements.

Palestinian children also continue to suffer gravely from the deliberate denial of humanitarian access by the occupying Power. Israel's collective punishment of the Palestinian people has disastrously impacted the humanitarian situation of children, with the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip most severe. There, Israel's obstruction of access for humanitarian supplies and personnel is violating children's rights to food, health care, education and, in some cases, the right to life itself.

It has been reported that already more than 67 children have died due to blockage of access to proper medical care, including prevention of treatment outside the Gaza Strip and a shortage of 150 critical medications. In conjunction with this, widespread hunger in Gaza, where mothers and fathers cannot even feed their children without food aid, and the severe shortages of fresh drinking water have caused a dramatic decline in health, with rampant child malnutrition, anaemia, and stunted growth. Medical research estimates that at least 70 per cent of children in Gaza are anaemic and that, consequently, these children lack immunity even to common childhood diseases, not to mention other, more virulent diseases. In such a situation, even a simple outbreak of influenza could cause severe illness or widespread death among children. Such a catastrophe must be averted by immediate humanitarian and political intervention.

While it is our deepest hope that current peace efforts will lead to a just and lasting settlement that will bring to Palestinian children the freedom, security and well-being of peace in their independent State, living side by side with Israeli children in peace and security, reiterate that the rights of children living in such situations of armed conflict, including foreign occupation, and response to their needs cannot be postponed or withheld. For all of these children, there must be collective efforts to ensure their protection and their rights as well as the necessary assistance and rehabilitation to give them hope and allow them to become productive members of their societies, contributing to the advancement of their nations.

In this regard, we agree with the recommendation in the report of the Secretary-General that child protection advisers should be posted in the occupied Palestinian territory, among other places, to enhance human rights monitoring and appropriate responses to children's issues.

Moreover, we stress the central role of the United Nation in assisting and protecting children, particularly through the important work of UNICEF and, in the case of Palestinian children, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East as well, and the many other United Nations agencies working with other international humanitarian organizations to help children around the world. Such efforts, combined with the important advocacy work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, will keep attention on the plight of children in armed conflict, a plight that the Security Council must also address as it endeavours to address armed conflicts in their entirety for the promotion of peace and security for all in our world.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Nepal.

Mr. Acharya (Nepal)

First of all, Mr. President, I wish to thank you very much for organizing this open debate on the important issue of children and armed conflict.

On behalf of the delegation of Nepal, I would like to welcome the report of the Secretary General of 21 December 2007 (S/2007/757), including the comments on progress in the implementation of various Council resolutions on the subject. We especially appreciate the presentations on the subject by the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Ann Veneman.

My delegation feels that the Council, through its resolutions, including resolution 1612 (2005), has contributed immensely to improving the plight of children in armed conflicts in various parts of the world. Since the question of children in armed conflict is undoubtedly one that cuts across a number of complex social, cultural, economic and legal issues, it requires simultaneous actions on multiple fronts.

Recruitment of children in armed conflicts continues to be the issue of overarching concern. Needless to say, a successful reintegration of children recruited in armed conflicts is a key to finding a lasting solution in any situation involving children and armed conflict.

As mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General, the sexual abuse and exploitation of children during armed conflicts is an issue of a serious concern. Impunity on such heinous crimes should not be tolerated. We welcome the recommendation that the Council give the same importance to all categories of grave violations, including rape and sexual violence as well as abductions of children in all situations, as it does to the recruitment of children in armed groups.

Allow me to make a few points with regard to the section in the report on children affected by armed conflict in Nepal. Nepal has attached high priority to protecting and promoting the rights of the children who have been victims of armed conflict.

In accordance with the provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the process of verification of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) combatants now living in cantonments has been completed and children under the age of 18 have been identified. At the moment, we are working with the United Nations Mission in Nepal, UNICEF and relevant United Nations agencies in developing modalities with regard to releasing and rehabilitating the minors from the cantonments, as provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. In that regard, we particularly welcome the recommendation that the United Nations agencies, donors and partners should provide adequate support to national Governments in the rehabilitation and reintegration of children affected by armed conflicts.

We are confident that the election to the Constituent Assembly, to be held on 10 April, will pave the way for a better future for children affected by the decade-long conflict in Nepal. The Government of Nepal is committed to preventing children and youth from being part of any violent activities and is also determined to end impunity for crimes committed against them under any pretext. We believe that the establishment of the truth and reconciliation commission, which is under active consideration, will also address that issue. As a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol, Nepal is committed to taking measures to enact and implement the provisions of those instruments.

I wish to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict for the important work it has one under the chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of France. The Government of Nepal is committed to implementing various recommendations of the Working Group adopted on 12 June last year, especially in the context of the ongoing peace process. Let me also take this opportunity to inform the Council that the Government of Nepal looks forward to seriously engaging in discussions during the proposed visit to Nepal later this month of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, on various protection measures for children affected by the conflict.

In closing, let me reiterate that Nepal is steadfast in fulfilling its responsibilities in providing effective protection and promoting the rights of children affected by armed conflict, and in that regard is ready to extend full cooperation to the monitoring and reporting mechanism established under Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).

The President

I call on the representative of Uganda.

Mr. Lukwiya (Uganda)

I would like to thank the Security Council for allowing my delegation to participate in this debate on the important issue of children and armed conflict. My delegation has carefully studied and noted the seventh report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, contained in document S/2007/757.

My delegation wishes to address itself specifically to paragraphs 133, 134 and 135 of the report, as well as to annex II of the report, in which, once again, references are made to the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), as well as to the now-defunct local defence units, as parties that have also been responsible for committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.

It has been reported that, due to the lack of effective monitoring at the local level, children have continued to join the armed forces. We would like to state that Uganda has evolved a very effective mechanism to monitor recruitment into the armed forces. The mechanism starts at the village level, with the village chairman or head testifying to the character, education and age of the potential recruit. A medical examination is undertaken by a fully qualified medical officer at the recruitment centre to verify both the age and the medical condition of the applicant. Any recruit found to be below the age of 18 years and medically unfit is discharged. He or she is not allowed into the forces. We are, however, cognizant of the fact that no mechanism or system can be perfect. Uganda is, however, determined to ensure that the system works and does not allow children to join the armed forces, contrary to the law and constitution of the land.

It has been stated that, during the reporting period, 16 cases of recruitment and use of children aged between 14 and 17 were detected. As a percentage of the total force throughout the country, that is a very small fraction, considering that some cases do slip through the system. However, all efforts are made to avoid that happening at all. Uganda handles such cases appropriately through immediate demobilization and sanctions against those individuals that assisted in the violation. Demobilization and reintegration in such circumstances are immediate. In that endeavour, we work with UNICEF and civil society organizations. The Government has built a large boarding primary school in Gulu to facilitate the process. It affords demobilized children an orderly return to normal civilian life.

It has never been the official policy of the military to occupy schools or any other educational or social institutions. However, in a few isolated cases, the conflict situation has led the army to occupy some school structures abandoned by the general population and students. Schools were constructed near camps for the internally displaced to service children in the vicinity. Structures of the former Baralegi primary school in Okwang sub-county are currently occupied by the army, as stated in the report. However, at the time of initial occupation, it had been abandoned and was in a state of disrepair; now, with the return of peace to the area, many people are moving back. There is a population that needs to have the school. Due to the serious damage that they underwent, it is no longer possible to use the same structures. New structures have been constructed and others are under construction. Those form the new school. The community is therefore not deprived of educational services, as the report seems to suggest.

With regard to the agreed action plan for the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers, which was finalized in August 2007, I would like to inform the Council that, on 2 November 2007, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, as well as the Chairman of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, were furnished with a matrix from my Government showing its achievements as of August 2007, together with the agreed terms of reference for the Uganda task force for monitoring and reporting, which is headed by UNICEF. In doing so, we believed that we, as a Government, were exercising maximum cooperation with the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, as well as with all partners in the cause. We are therefore disappointed as a Government to learn that our dedication to the implementation of the same action plan is being put into question.

The report alleges that there are children within the ranks of the local defence units. Uganda wishes to state that those units have been disbanded. Some of the personnel have been integrated into the national army and the police. Recruits were diligently vetted for qualifications, which included, among other things, successful completion of four years of secondary school education, a minimum age of 18 years, and medical fitness. That is not a claim, as the Secretary-General's report states in paragraph 133; it is a statement of fact. It therefore follows that all cases reported about the presence of children in local defence units are non-existent, since the institution has been dissolved. It no longer exists. Furthermore, as a non-existent entity, it should no longer be listed under annex II.

Rape is a capital offence under both military and civil Ugandan law. It is punishable by death if guilt is proven. Moreover, reported cases of rape are always investigated and tried accordingly. The UPDF Act prescribes the death sentence for rape if the accused is found guilty by an appropriate military tribunal. Individual soldiers who have raped and been tried and found guilty have had to face the death penalty.

Regarding rape and sexual offences committed by people in internally displaced persons camps, we wish to state that those are civilian cases, which should be tried by civilian courts. In some cases, no conclusive action has been taken for the following reasons: first, problems regarding investigative institutional capacity as a result of the 20 years of insurgency, which has disrupted institutions, including the police and the judiciary; secondly, unwillingness of witnesses to speak out due to cultural inhibitions and fear of retribution from fellow internally displaced persons, given the severity of the punishment for the offender; thirdly, failure of victims to cooperate with police investigators due to fear of social stigma.

It is also alleged in the report that "children who had escaped from [the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)] were used for gathering intelligence before being released in February 2007" (S/2007/757, para. 133). Uganda wishes to state that whenever children are rescued from the LRA, the Government forces undertake a normal debriefing exercise. The exercise is meant first and foremost to help establish the children's areas of origin, education levels and age. That assists the army officers in referring the children to the relevant locations and organizations for psycho-social rehabilitation. In some cases, however, those children have information of military value, including the location of LRA arms caches. In such situations, they can help the army recover hidden arms, thus reducing the capacity of the LRA to wage war. They are immediately released upon the completion of any arms recovery exercise. It is not the policy of the Government or the UPDF to use children to gather intelligence. What happens in that case is the careful extraction by the UPDF of any actionable intelligence information that the children have at the time of reporting or rescue. They are not used to gather intelligence, as reported in the report of the Secretary-General.

It is also our view that Uganda should be de-linked from the LRA, as the LRA is no longer operating in Uganda. The international community, and the Security Council in particular, should exert maximum pressure on the LRA to release all women and children within its ranks and in captivity.

Allow me to conclude by stating the view of the Government of Uganda that the UPDF entry should be removed from annex II of the report, given the circumstances under which it was put there and the measures we have taken to ensure that underage people are not recruited into our armed forces. We find it a little irritating for Uganda to be called upon year after year to explain a situation that is no longer the case, as if we were a guilty party. If this unjustified trend continues, we know that it will only harm our cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. We would not like that to happen.

The President

I give the floor to the representative of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Kariyawasam (Sri Lanka)

Mr. President, allow me to first congratulate you on your able stewardship of the Security Council this month. At the outset, allow me to convey my sincere appreciation to you and the members of the Council for convening this meeting, which provides an opportunity to focus our attention on the use of children in armed conflict.

This debate takes place in tandem with the 10-year review of the Graça Machel report, which brought this issue to the fore. It is therefore time to take stock of action taken thus far by the international community to address the detestable practice of the use of children for violent purposes in conflict situations. We recognize the role of the Secretary-General and the contribution of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, to this cause, which we believe can be more focused and results-oriented.

As Sri Lanka celebrates the 60th anniversary of our independence this month, we take pride in the remarkable strides we have made in the social sector, especially in health care and education. For the past 60 years, Sri Lanka has invested heavily in children. Free compulsory primary education leading towards free university education, and free health care have been the hallmarks of our efforts. We are determined that our children continue to reap the benefits of those measures. We do not want our children to succumb to the diabolical efforts of non-State actors who use our innocent children for violent purposes.

Recognizing the need to safeguard our children from non-State actors who recruit children as agents of violence and terrorism, the Government has unveiled specific measures to strengthen the existing regime of protection of children and child welfare in its blueprint for peace and development for the country.

We are conscious that the primary responsibility for the protection of children and promotion of their welfare lies with the State, and that it is imperative for the State to ensure that children are not in danger and to prevent them from being used as accessories for violence. Therefore, just as we reject terrorism, we also continue to reject the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict as unjustifiable under all circumstances. We seek the support of the international community to eradicate this menace and urge stronger international measures against those who perpetrate such crimes.

In that context, the Government of Sri Lanka reiterates its long-held policy of zero tolerance towards the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The Government believes strongly in addressing issues of children and armed conflict pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005). In that context, we reiterate our view that the Security Council must consider this issue on the basis of supporting the establishment of security and consolidating peace in conflict-afflicted societies, to enable States to protect their children from non-State actors who violate children with impunity.

The report of the Secretary-General, referring to the situation in Sri Lanka, calls upon the listed offenders in annex II of the report to mend their despicable behaviour and calls upon the Security Council to consider deterrent action against repeated violators. Specifically identifying the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as responsible for numerous repeated grave abuses, the Secretary-General has listed