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.

UNICEF CHIEF HIGHLIGHTS JORDAN’S EFFORTS TO TACKLE VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS

UNICEF CHIEF HIGHLIGHTS JORDAN'S EFFORTS TO TACKLE VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS
New York, Mar 4 2009 1:00PM

The head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has highlighted Jordan's efforts to tackle violence against children in schools, a problem affecting over half of the country's young people.

"A recent study shows that more than one half of children in Jordan experience physical violence in school, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman noted during her two-day visit to the country, which wrapped up yesterday.

"Violence against children in schools is unacceptable and should not be tolerated," she added.

UNICEF is partnering with the Ministry of Education and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to tackle the issue of violence in schools through the Ma'an (Together) initiative.

The Family Protection department within the police is also responding to the problem of violence against children with a programme of early detection in public hospitals, a telephone help-line and a referral system through the Ministry of Social Development.

In addition, a wide-scale better parenting campaign is being conducted nationwide through the use of imams in mosques that targets mainly fathers and teaches them the principles of child care, respect, protection, and non-discrimination between girls and boys.

"The use of religious leaders and their moral authority in teaching principles of child rights to parents and families is an efficient way to reach out to the wider community. It is a powerful advocacy channel," said Ms. Veneman.

Since the programme began in 2000, UNICEF has trained 600 imams in skills to train parents on proper child-rearing practices. Over 130,000 families have been trained on parenting skills.

During her trip, the first stop on a mission that will also take her to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, Ms. Veneman visited several schools, including one that takes part in the Madrasati (My School) initiative, which brings together the public and private sectors, as well as parents and the community in a collective effort to improve public school facilities and the standard of education throughout the country.

She also visited schools that have integrated Iraqi children currently in Jordan. According to the Ministry of Education, there are 26,800 Iraqi children in school across Jordan, which has hosted Palestinian refugees since 1948.

Ms. Veneman also met with Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah, who is UNICEF's Eminent Advocate for Children, and a number of other officials.
________________