SECURITY COUNCIL EXPANDS CRITERIA OF VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN DURING CONFLICT

The Security Council today called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to expand his list of parties who recruit child soldiers to include those who kill, maim, rape or commit other forms of sexual violence against children in wartime.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1882, the Council strongly condemned such violations of international law committed against children and called on those parties on the Secretary-General's so-called 'list of shame' to prepare "concrete time-bound action plans to halt those violations and abuses."

In addition, the 15-member body "calls upon concerned Member States to take decisive and immediate action against persistent perpetrators of violations and abuses committed against children in situations of armed conflict," and to bring them to justice.

"This is a major step forward in the fight against impunity for crimes against children and a recognition of the reality of conflict today, where girls and boys are increasingly targeted and victimized, killed and raped, as well as recruited into armed groups," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, welcoming the adoption of the "landmark" text.

An important aspect of the expanded listing criteria is the Council's empowerment of the UN on the ground to enter into dialogue with armed forces and groups on action plans to halt these violations and to bring perpetrators to account.

The Council first established a mechanism for monitoring, reporting on and punishing those responsible for the recruitment of child soldiers in resolution 1612, adopted in 2005. According to that text, institutions at the country-level gather evidence and forward the information to the Secretary-General, who then reports to the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Ms. Coomaraswamy noted that the Council's focus on recruitment and use and the accompanying threat of targeted measures against persistent violators has resulted in the release of scores of children in conflicts around the world, most recently in the Philippines and in the Central African Republic (CAR).

"We hope that this expansion will result in equally effective measures with regard to the killing and maiming of children and sexual violence," she added.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, the Special Representative noted that today's action shows that "the UN system works best when it comes to children."

She also welcomed the Child Protection Policy, adopted by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in June, which responds to the call for greater mainstreaming of child protection across the UN system. It includes the presence of child protection advisers in the field, training and advocacy, and a lead role for peace operations in monitoring for resolution 1612.

"DPKO is now quite sensitive to this issue and hopefully this will have its results in the field in the years to come," said Ms. Coomaraswamy.

GEORGIA: PERSONNEL FROM DEFUNCT UN MISSION TO LEAVE NEXT WEEK

Military observers and police of what was the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) will leave Abkhazia at the end of next week, as the operation proceeds with its liquidation, the world body announced today.

For nearly 16 years, UNOMIG was entrusted with overseeing the ceasefire accord between the Government and Abkhaz separatists in the country's north-western region.

It had no jurisdiction in nearby South Ossetia, the scene of fighting last August which pitted Georgia against separatists and their Russian allies.

UNOMIG ceased its functions on 16 June after Russia vetoed a technical roll-over by the Security Council of the mission's mandate.

David Harland, a senior official with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), met with Abkhaz officials yesterday on the closure. He noted that the Mission had very constructive relations both with the local authorities and the public.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Harland echoed recent comments by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in hoping that the UN would have an opportunity to keep offering assistance and support for the population through different humanitarian programmes.

As of 30 April this year, UNOMIG comprised almost 130 military observers and 16 police personnel, and was led by the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Johan Verbeke.
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INTERNATIONAL DAY SPOTLIGHTS NEED FOR MORE WOMEN IN UN PEACEKEEPING

INTERNATIONAL DAY SPOTLIGHTS NEED FOR MORE WOMEN IN UN PEACEKEEPING
New York, May 29 2009 11:00AM
The United Nations is marking the annual International Day of Peacekeepers by honouring the brave troops, police and civilians who serve in some of the most difficult places around the world, and by stressing the unique role played by women and the need to deploy more of them.

This year's commemoration comes at a time when the services of UN peacekeepers are in greater demand than ever. Deployment is at a record high, with more than 113,000 peacekeepers serving in 18 operations on four continents.

Yet, "there are still far too few women peacekeepers," as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted in his <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12240.doc.htm">message for the Day, pointing out that women make up only 8 per cent of the UN police and 2 per cent of its military personnel.

"With women joining national militaries and police in greater numbers, it is critical that Member States contribute even more female personnel to the United Nations," he stated, highlighting the "power of women" to strengthen UN peacekeeping while helping women and girls themselves to transform their destinies – and societies – for the better.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has urged troop- and police-contributing countries to deploy more women. India was among the first to answer the call in 2007 with the deployment of a 125-member all-female police contingent to Liberia.

The world body is also working to increase the number of women in senior positions at Headquarters and in field missions.

"We have done a lot but we need to do a great deal more," Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Alain Le Roy stated.

"Peacekeeping has become more multifaceted. We assist in providing security, reforming State institutions and supporting political transitions. Our women peacekeepers make a critical contribution in all of these areas and their work encourages others to participate in local peace processes," said Mr. Le Roy.

General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto, in his message for the Day, stressed that peacekeepers do not just carry out their mandated tasks. "They create a lasting legacy by exemplifying how military and police can engage in humanitarian work while interacting respectfully with civil society.

"UN operations do more than just silence the guns," he said. "Increasingly, they help to foster a culture of sustainable peace in countries devastated by conflict, some that have lasted for decades."

From New York to Naqoura, Darfur to Dili, the Day is being marked globally with a range of events, including ceremonies to honour those who paid the ultimate price in the service of peace. In 2008, 132 peacekeepers – including 10 women – lost their lives, whether through attacks, illnesses or accidents – the highest one-year total in the history of the Organization.

Designated by the General Assembly in 2002, the International Day is observed on 29 May, the date in 1948 when the first UN peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine.
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PEACEKEEPING, UNDER SEVERE STRAIN, TO UNDERGO THOROUGH REVIEW – UN OFFICIAL

PEACEKEEPING, UNDER SEVERE STRAIN, TO UNDERGO THOROUGH REVIEW – UN OFFICIAL

New York, Feb 23 2009 8:00PM

United Nations peacekeeping operations, faced with unprecedented demands and extreme constraints, will undergo a thorough review in the coming year, the chief of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) said today.

"2009 will be a crucial year for peacekeeping," Under-Secretary-General Alain Le Roy told the General Assembly's Special Committee on Peacekeeping, in his first appearance before that body since he replaced Jean-Marie Guéhenno, who had held the top post from 2000 until last August.

Mr. Le Roy said that operations were not only stretched in terms of the size and number of missions – totalling 18 and deploying some 112,000 blue helmets – but also in terms of the challenges posed by complex mandates and difficult logistical and security environments.

"A number of our missions face risks that are so significant that I cannot discount the potential for mission failure, with all the consequences that would entail for the United Nations," he warned.

Among the most challenging factors, he said, was the requirement to use force to protect civilians in areas beset by continuing conflict such as Darfur and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

"This situation begs an analysis of mandates and the capabilities needed to implement them," the official said, offering as an example the difficult contradictions the DRC Mission (MONUC) faced when it was mandated to both protect civilians and support the national armed forces in their operations – which themselves posed a threat to civilians.

For such complex mandates, the resources needed had become increasingly hard to mobilize, he said, citing the continued lack of air transport in Darfur over a year after the deployment of the mission, and the shortage of troops in many missions.

Mr. LeRoy was confident, however, that the necessary analysis could be done and the challenges could be met, because of the dire need for peacekeeping and the ability of DPKO to perform the restructuring needed.

After all, the previous phases of restructuring DPKO, and the division of labour between it and the recently-created Department of Field Support (DFS), has already been accomplished 18 months into the process, though work remained to be done "to achieve the full benefits of the approved reform measures."

The Brahimi, Peace Operations 2010 and DPKO/DFS restructuring processes, underway for nearly a decade, had strengthened the UN's capacity to plan manage and sustain UN peacekeeping operations.

Through further analysis and evolution, "we must look to the horizon, but we must also continue to implement mandates and build on the significant strengthening of our capacity…," Mr. LeRoy said.
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