YouSaid · the spoken record

Coomaraswamy

lines on the record: 98
first: 2006-07-24
most recent: 2011-07-12
sittings or episodes: 7
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“As a result, my Office is in the process of convening a research project on the root causes of children being associated with armed groups, and we hope to convene a meeting later this month of child protection experts to identify the crucial messages and gaps with regard to reintegrating children affected by conflict into their societies. The reintegration of children in situations of armed conflict is a long-term process. A recent seminal study by the Harvard School of Public Health, which followed former child combatants over a 10-year period, showed that the impact of the conflict continues even after 10 years, with many having psychosocial problems. That is particularly true of those who were made to commit very violent crimes and those who were subject to sexual violence.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“This debate on children and armed conflict thus allows us to move beyond the immediate agenda of the Security Council, to reflect on the bigger picture and the longer term issues concerning children and armed conflict. During the course of the year, Member States have expressed the view that my Office should look more deeply into the root causes of grave violations against children, especially the phenomenon of children associated with armed groups, and also look more closely at the problems of reintegration and sustainable development.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“In that context, I look forward to the discussions regarding the possibility of adopting a new resolution that would capture some of the concerns that have developed in the attempt to implement resolution 1612 08-42706 (2005). The new resolution must move the agenda forward by expanding the gateway to the annexes to include all other grave violations or at the very least, and especially after the adoption of resolution 1820 (2008), lay renewed emphasis on the question of sexual violence against children. Such a resolution should also consider the possibility of setting up a process that would eventually lead to taking targeted measures against persistent violators.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“I also requested the Council to consider moving the agenda forward and to expand the scope of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to cover all situations of concern and all grave Violations against children, especially the crime of sexual violence, which, like the recruitment of child soldiers, is always deliberate, targeted and a direct consequence of criminal intent, and which received the special attention of the Council recently in resolution 1820 (2008). I reiterate those messages again today and hope that the Council, in its wisdom, will move towards greater protection for children in conflict zones.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“Earlier this year, we had an opportunity to undertake such an open debate around the annual report (S/2007/757) of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. During that debate, I stressed the concerns of the report, reiterating the position that the Security Council is the United Nations body of action on issues of peace and security and that it should take steps to begin to consider targeted and concrete measures against the 16 persistent violators who have been on the shame list of the Secretary- General's report for four consecutive years.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“Ms. Coomaraswamy: I welcome you here to New York and to this Chamber, Mr. President. I also welcome the opportunity to participate in this open debate on the theme of children and armed conflict. I thank the delegation of Viet Nam and Mr. Le Luong Minh for their foresightedness in choosing this topic and for working with dedication on this issue of importance to all of us. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his presence here today and for his constant support of this mandate. I would also like to thank the Chair of the Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and all its members for their tireless efforts in bringing this issue to bear in the work of the Council. For the many children who have benefited from its robust action, I would like to further thank the Council on their behalf.”
2008-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5936 (2008) · source
“I would like to thank the Council and my fellow partners for taking this historic journey together, towards peace and justice for children.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“In recognizing that the protection of children in armed conflict is an important peace and security issue which requires effective and decisive action, the Council has moved the agenda forward, understanding that there can never be peace in the world unless we take care of our children. One of the hallmarks of this agenda has been that, at the most critical moments, the imperative to protect children has overridden political considerations. The Council and its Working Group are encouraged to continue to give high priority to children above all else. No one who has looked into the eyes of a child soldier can be at peace unless we rid this world of this scourge. No one who has held the hand of a young girl who has suffered multiple rapes can ever forget the duty to work for the protection of the vulnerable.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“The Council has already, on previous occasions, expressed its intention to take concrete and targeted measures against those parties. It is most important that the Council make good on its promise in order to ensure the credibility of this exercise. The targeted measures could include the imposition of travel restrictions on leaders and their exclusion from any governance structures and amnesty provisions, the imposition of arms embargoes, a ban on military assistance and restrictions on the flow of financial resources to the parties concerned. I urge the Council to begin to set up a mechanism to review and oversee the imposition of targeted measures against these violators to end the trend towards impunity in all situations. The Security Council is playing a historic role when it deals with this theme and this mandate.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“Nonetheless, for the reasons I have mentioned, the Council may wish to take an incremental approach and initially consider systematic sexual violence against children as an additional gateway to the annexes. In this respect, the inclusion of grave sexual violence would represent an important step in the monitoring process, particularly in terms of holding violators accountable for this egregious crime against children. 08-2361] It is now time that the Security Council move from words towards effective action. There are 16 persistent violators who have been on the annexed lists for five years in a row. Although certain parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sri Lanka and Myanmar are making efforts, several others remain in contempt of the Council and its resolutions.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“We cannot tolerate such action in any context, but when it involves children it is especially abhorrent. The recruitment and use of child soldiers has been the main concern of the Council and the gateway to the lists annexed to the annual reports of the Secretary-General to date. We feel this was a great step forward for the Council; the parties that continue to engage in this serious crime must be put on notice that targeted measures will be undertaken against persistent violators. However, there are five other grave violations, and child victims of those grave violations and abuses deserve the attention and protection of the international community. It is our belief that the gateway to the annexed list of parties should include all the grave violations.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“Sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, against children is a devastating consequence of conflict in many parts of the world. Sexual violence against children by State and non-State parties to conflict is prohibited by international law. We have received information that in the Great Lakes region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, there are appalling levels of sexual and gender-based violence. Impunity for such acts is widespread. It is imperative that the perpetrators of acts of rape and other kinds of sexual violence, which have a long-term, devastating impact on the victims, be prosecuted in accordance with the gravity of such crimes. Like the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence is always deliberate, targeted and a direct consequence of criminal intent.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“The detention of children for alleged association with armed groups, in violation of international standards, is increasingly worrisome. Many detained children are subjected to ill treatment, torture and forceful interrogation methods and are deprived of food and education. These children also lack recourse to prompt and appropriate legal assistance and usually are not separated from adults. 08-2361] The use of indiscriminate weapons, such as cluster munitions, during attacks in areas of civilian concentration has a severe impact on those populations, especially children, even long after the conflict may have ended. I am heartened to learn that a major international conference on a binding international instrument prohibiting cluster munitions will take place this spring in Dublin.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“We urge that measures be taken to secure schools as zones of peace, through commitments by parties to ensure the child's right to education. In regional conflicts, such as those in the Great Lakes and Horn regions of Africa, the cross-border recruitment of children from camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees is surging. Research shows us that security in camps is one of the major factors in the recruitment of children: the greater the security, the less the recruitment. This has important implications for humanitarian agencies running refugee and IDP camps as well as for our peacekeeping operations. The cross-border movement of child soldiers and their recruiters is also posing a great many problems for agencies working with these extremely vulnerable populations.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“We have witnessed child victims at both ends of such acts: children have been used as suicide bombers in certain instances, while many children have been killed by suicide bombings. Counter-terrorism strategies also cause concern as we move away from police methods to large-scale military action, with collateral damage that sometimes includes the killing and maiming of children. Systematic and deliberate attacks on schoolchildren, teachers and school buildings have escalated in certain situations. In Afghanistan, such attacks are targeted against girls' schools in an effort to intimidate and to prevent girls from gaining access to education. This seems to follow a particular pattern and to contain an ideological dimension that is disturbing.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“I would also like to draw the attention of the Council to several urgent challenges that will require our close examination as a basis for continued global efforts for war-affected children. In order to achieve the protection of children affected by conflict, we need to expand our recognition of the changing characteristics of conflict. Today there are grey zones of conflict that blur traditional lines between armed conflict and criminal violence, often involving transnational crime, non-traditional warfare and trafficking. Terrorism and counter-terrorism measures pose their own special problems for the protection of children today, as we have witnessed recently in Baghdad. The use of suicide bombing is entirely unacceptable; nothing can justify it.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“I am happy to see the presence of the representatives of many Member States in this Chamber today, and I thank them for their commitment on this issue. It is also imperative to note that, in certain situations of concern, the inability of the United Nations monitoring and reporting regime to engage in dialogue with non-State actors has impeded progress on securing the release and rehabilitation of children associated with such groups. I urge the Council to call on relevant Member States to facilitate dialogue with non-State armed groups for the purpose of developing action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children and to address all other grave violations and abuses committed against children.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“I am also pleased to note that the Government of Colombia has agreed to implement the monitoring and reporting mechanism pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), and I look forward to working closely with that Government. In spite of the impressive progress, I regret to report that the overall situation of children affected by conflict remains grave and entirely unacceptable. There are still many challenges, and my Office, along with fellow partners - especially UNICEF, peacekeeping operations and political missions - continues the important work begun by the Council, by enhancing our collective efforts for the protection of children affected by conflict. Indeed, although I am addressing the Council, the protection of children is an issue that necessitates concerted efforts by all Member States.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“The Forces nouvelles and four armed militias have successfully implemented their action plans and have ceased all recruitment of children, and that continues to be 3 verified by the United Nations country team - hence their de-listing. The dialogue in C6te d'Ivoire has resulted in the release of approximately 3,000 children to UNICEF and child protection agencies. That success should reinforce the resolve of the Council, as its engagement is making a real difference in the lives of these children. Progress on action plans to end the recruitment of children by armed forces and groups has also been made in the Central African Republic, Myanmar, the Sudan, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Chad.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“The trial of former head of State Charles Taylor of Liberia by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the sentencing by the Special Court of three members of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and the Civil Defence Forces militia for the recruitment and use of child soldiers - all of that sends an important message that such crimes against children will not be tolerated and that those who engage in such practices will be brought to justice. We are also increasingly witnessing the implementation of key commitments by parties through action plans, and that in turn is beginning to yield concrete results in terms of protection for children on the ground. A noteworthy achievement has been realized with the parties to the conflict in Cote d'Ivoire, where, for the first time, we have had a de-listing of parties from the annexes.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“That action followed strong recommendations by the Working Group to take appropriate legal measures against members of armed groups accused of grave crimes against children. This marks a turning point which shows us that through our collective efforts we can transform protective standards into compliance and mere condemnation into accountability. Important precedents have also been set to end impunity for crimes against children. We look forward to the trial proceedings by the International Criminal Court for militia leader Thomas Lubanga, who is facing charges of having recruited child soldiers in the north-eastern Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; similar indictments are in place for two other Ituri militia leaders.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“I would also like to stress that the hallmark of the monitoring and reporting exercise, as well as of this annual reporting to the Security Council, has been a 08-23611 constructive dialogue at all levels with the Member States concerned for the benefit of the war-affected children. Over the past year, much has been accomplished on this ambitious agenda for children. The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict has met on six occasions, and there have been positive developments as a result of its recommendations and actions. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after an initial delay, the Government brought to trial former Mai-Mai Commander Kyungu Mutanga, also known as Gedeon, for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the recruitment of 300 children in Katanga Province from 2003 to 2006.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“The seventh annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict reviews developments in 18 situations of concern, recording systematically the following six grave violations: killing or maiming of children, recruiting or using child soldiers, attacks against schools and hospitals, rape and other grave sexual violence against children, the abduction of children, and the denial of humanitarian access to children. Altogether, 58 offending parties have been specifically named and listed; they are drawn from 13 situations of concern. All 58 offending parties are responsible for the recruitment and use of child soldiers. In addition, many of them are also responsible for committing other grave abuses, as recorded in the lists. I am pleased to state that this report has been a United Nations system-wide collaborative effort.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“Ms. Coomaraswamy: Mr. President, I thank you for convening this open debate of the Security Council at the ministerial level, a meeting devoted to taking action to ensure the protection of children exposed to armed conflict. The level of the debate and your presence here today, Mr. President, testifies to your strong commitment on this critical issue. I am grateful to the Security Council, its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and particularly the leadership that France has been providing in the Working Group on the agenda for the protection of children affected by armed conflict. It is with hope tempered by caution that I present to the Council this report of great significance.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source
“It is their life story that tells us that, if we are committed to the protection of children in those conflict zones, we can help them to rebuild their lives and to become outstanding citizens. The human spirit, especially in children, is resilient. It is important that we build on that resilience and give them all the necessary support and protection.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“For our work to be successful, it is essential that the longer-term reintegration needs of child soldiers and other children affected by war be given as much importance as the punishment of perpetrators. The effectiveness and sustainability of demobilization and reintegration programmes run by national Governments, United Nations agencies, and international and local non-governmental organizations will finally determine whether children scarred by war will reap the benefits of a peaceful future. At lunchtime today, our office will host an event. We will bring together children of war who have seized the opportunities available to them and who have made a great success of their lives. They will speak to the United Nations community of their experiences. Theirs is the story of hope and the triumph of the human will.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“It is equally important that States and non-State actors respect those laws of war, and it is important that the Security Council send a clear message that deviations from those principles will be condemned. Another issue that concerns us is the migration of child soldiers and the recycling of those children within conflict zones. In many countries, after demobilization, many child soldiers are remobilized and, with the help of other parties and sometimes mercenaries, often end up in neighbouring countries. We know of cases of children who have been demobilized in Sierra Leone and then resurfaced in Cote d'Ivoire, and of similar movements of demobilized children in the Great Lakes region of Africa.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“06-63086 As we watch the events unfold around the world, there are new substantive issues that are also emerging that have grave implications for the protection of children in situations of armed conflict. Increasingly in warfare around the world, the distinction between civilians and combatants is not respected. In the recent conflict in Lebanon, more children were killed than combatants. It is important that the Security Council and Member States reiterate their commitment to actively upholding international humanitarian law. Those laws and standards have been negotiated over two centuries. The principles of protecting civilians, of proportionality, of keeping military assets away from civilian centres and of respecting safe zones, such as schools and hospitals, have been the hallmarks of that international consensus.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“However, there are five other grave violations which also deserve our attention. In particular, we would like to draw the attention of the Council to the increasing number of reports of sexual violence as an instrument of war. It is our belief that the gateway to the annexed list of parties should include all the grave violations. We are especially eager to reflect grave sexual violence more fully in the annexed lists, as that crime is of special gravity and the number of children experiencing grave sexual abuse as a weapon of war grows year by year. We urge the Council to consider that measure as an important step forward in the monitoring process in the coming years.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“It is our belief, jointly shared with UNICEF and other partners, that we must expand the focus to all situations of armed conflict so that there is equal treatment of children, regardless of where they live. That is important for the process to be seen as legitimate and fair, as well as in the interest of the children concerned. We urge the Security Council Working Group to move the agenda forward, in consultation with the countries concerned. The recruitment and use of child soldiers have been the main concern of the Council and the gateway to the annexed lists of the annual Secretary-General's report. We feel that this was a great step forward for the Council, and parties that continue to engage in that serious crime must be put on notice that targeted measures will be undertaken against persistent violators.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Though a great deal has been done in formulating standards and receiving commitments, the actual implementation on the ground is far from satisfactory. The issue needs to be properly mainstreamed Within the United Nations system, in line with the recommendations of the independent review of the monitoring and reporting mechanism. Furthermore, parties should be made aware of the consequences if they do not live up to their commitments. We therefore note with appreciation the recommendations of the Security Council Working Group and hope to monitor closely the follow-up action of the parties concerned. So far, the process of scrutiny and monitoring has been selective and focused on only a few countries.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“We hope to consolidate those gains by ensuring that we move beyond good intentions to actually facilitating the formulation of action plans and the timely release of children so that they may be reintegrated into their respective societies. We are also happy to report that the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories have extended invitations to me to visit their countries in order to enter into a constructive dialogue regarding issues relating to children and armed conflict. I hope to conclude those visits in the first half of 2007. Despite those progressive developments, many challenges remain and more action has to be taken to protect the interests of children trapped in situations of armed conflict.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Many of the peace agreements signed over the last few years, including in Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi and the Sudan, have included child protection provisions and a framework for child demobilization. We hope that such provisions will be standard paragraphs in all peace agreements in situations where children have been combatants. In that regard, I would like to raise my sincere hope to see concerted attention to the immediate release of children associated with fighting forces in the peace talks currently under way in Nepal. After the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), parties approached UNICEF and our office to enter into action plans to demobilize child soldiers. Commitments have been made by parties in Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, Myanmar and Uganda.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Furthermore, the Working Group, in cooperation with concerned Member States, has undertaken a series of very useful recommendations on country situation reports on children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan. I would like to stress that the hallmark of the monitoring and reporting exercise mandated by resolution 1612 (2005), as well as the annual reporting to the Council, has been a constructive dialogue at all levels with the Member States concerned for the benefit of war-affected children. In addition to the monitoring process under resolution 1612 (2005), other successes have been recorded in conflict situations.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“The United Nations country teams in Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Sudan, Sri Lanka and Nepal have come together in very short order to produce reports of quality which have served as a starting point to the Security Council 3 Working Group's action on behalf of children in those key situations of concern. The Council's Working Group, under the capable chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of France, has worked at an impressive pace to outline a programme of action for 2006. It has also defined a working "tool kit" of possible actions the Council can take to protect children from the most grave abuses perpetrated against them.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“That seminal resolution provided the Council with a more effective framework for its work. The Working Group meets every two months to consider reports on situations of concern and to take concrete steps in the interests of war-affected children. (spoke in English) Indeed, I am happy to report a number of successes since the Secretary-General submitted his report last year. As is attested in the Secretary- General's sixth annual report, the United Nations system in country situations of concern has increased the flow of timely, accurate, objective and reliable information to the Council.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Ms. Coomaraswamy: I have the honour to present the sixth annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (S/2006/826), in the presence of Secretary-General Kofi Annan. One of his most enduring legacies will be the measures that have been taken in the past 10 years to protect children in armed conflict. We are grateful for his leadership, his vision and his encouragement. (spoke in French) Over the past several years, the Security Council has taken unprecedented steps to help children affected by armed conflict and has stepped up its efforts to protect the most vulnerable. Resolution 1612 (2005), which was adopted in July 2005, was an important development, in that it established the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“In conclusion, this month also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Graca Machel report on children and armed conflict, which gave birth to a new consciousness in the United Nations about the plight of children affected by armed conflict. In that sense, I find it useful to go back to the words of Graca Machel herself to remind us of the reason we are meeting today. She said: "We cannot waste our precious children. Not another one, not another day. It is long past time for us to act on their behalf - the impact of conflict on children is everyone's responsibility and it must be everyone's concern."”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“I stand by my United Nations agency colleagues in the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank, as well as our non-governmental organization partners, in advocating that, to be truly adequate in responding to the needs of children affected by conflict, band-aid solutions are not sufficient and long-term development responses that will result in the meaningful reintegration of those children, including access to education and alternative livelihoods, should be developed. Those should be the foundations of concerted international action and a sustained commitment to the provision of resources and technical assistance for those children.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“Many partners and stakeholders are cooperating with each other to make Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) a success for children. My Office takes this opportunity to thank all of them for their diligence and their commitment. Now that this first phase of implementation is coming to an end, it is time for the United Nations system and the Security Council to look beyond the limited scope of the first phase and to broaden the geographical scope of the monitoring and reporting mechanism to all situations of concern in which grave Violations are perpetrated against children in armed conflict. In addition, the international community must begin to look at long-term solutions for children affected by armed conflict.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“The initial phase of the setting- up of a monitoring and reporting mechanism is now over. It is now time for the Council to take effective action against repeat offenders. As today is an important milestone for resolution 1612 (2005), the response of the Council to its first substantive report on children and armed conflict presents a key opportunity to set in place measures to spare more children the fate of Abou. The world is watching and the children are watching. We must not fail them. The United Nations system and its partners have risen to the challenge of responding fully and capably in this first phase of the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005). We have been encouraged by the response of actors at the local, national, regional and international levels.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“In an interview with United Nations staff, Abou explained, "I left because what I really know how to do well is fight and be a soldier, but there is peace in Sierra Leone". The story illustrates a terrible tragedy of the trauma of children and the communities that they have been forced to brutalize; of the tremendous challenges to the successful healing and reintegration of children in the aftermath of conflict; and of the recycling of children into conflicts that shift across borders. Unfortunately, there are too many Abous out there, and we are compelled to protect them. 3 In that vein, we await the Security Council Working Group's deliberations and recommendations to the Security Council on the report of the situation of children affected by armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“He was demobilized by the United Nations when he was only 15, receiving amnesty for atrocities committed during the conflict in Sierra Leone. And although his community accepted Abou back, it was clear that many in the community were still afraid of the boy, and he was quite isolated. Six months after being reunited with his family, Abou disappeared. Three years later, Abou was among the children disarmed and demobilized in C6te d'Ivoire. He told a story of leaving his community in Sierra Leone because he was "haunted by bad spirits" and of being re-recruited to fight for Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) in Liberia. He later went as a mercenary to C6te d'Ivoire, together with other LURD fighters.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“Over 250,000 children continue to be exploited as child soldiers by armed forces and groups around the world. Tens of thousands of girls are being subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence. Abductions of children are becoming more systematic and widespread. Since 2003, over 14 million children have been forcibly displaced within and outside their home countries, and between 8,000 and 10,000 children are killed or maimed each year by landmines. I would like to share with the Council the story of Abou, a boy from Sierra Leone, abducted by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) from his school in Kenema. He was only 11 years old at the time. Four years later, Abou had become a killer, a known and feared commander of the RUF rebels and one of the youngest.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“The community of non-governmental organizations is very engaged in supporting the monitoring and reporting agenda, and civil society representatives in affected countries are gearing up to strengthen their interface on monitoring and reporting. Finally, we are encouraged that other destinations for action - the Human Rights Commission and the International Criminal Court - 06-44052 are addressing the issue of violations of children's rights in conflict in an effective manner. However, although the groundswell of support for that resolution and the monitoring and reporting exercise in particular have been strong, and the situation for children in Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has improved markedly, children continue to suffer.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and its bimonthly meeting schedule ensure that the issue of children and peace and security is actively seized by the Council throughout the year. In the past year, much has been accomplished on that ambitious agenda for children. The Security Council Working Group has met on four occasions and has set its programme of work for the year. The United Nations system - including UNICEF, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights- and its partners have worked diligently, on a tight deadline, to bring that mechanism to fruition in pilot countries, and the first report, on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. was submitted to the Security Council Working Group in June of this year.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“It is a testament to the fact that the Security Council is committed to going beyond words to specific action in endorsing a monitoring and reporting mechanism. That mechanism, clearly designating a system for reporting on grave Violations against children from the field level through to the Secretary- General's Office, has been set up in order to address the situations of children in conflict-affected areas more diligently. Through the resolution, the Security Council also expresses its intention to combat impunity through possible targeted measures against repeat violators of children's rights. The Security Council has also called for specific action plans to stop the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, giving parties a framework to ensure compliance.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source
“Ms. Coomaraswamy: I would like to begin by congratulating the Security Council on its bold initiative - resolution 1612 (2005) - which seeks to protect children in armed conflict. I would like to express my particular gratitude to the French 06-44052 Chairperson, Mr. Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, for his active and groundbreaking leadership on that issue. As we watch events unfold in the Middle East, we are reminded that children often bear the brunt of physical and psychological trauma caused by armed conflict. It is the desire to protect children that united the world one year ago when the Security Council passed that landmark resolution. Resolution 1612 (2005) is novel in a number of ways that give it prominence.”
2006-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5494 (2006) · source