United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in a 34-page report, covering August 2014 and July 2015 recommended enhancing protection of children.
Leila Zerrougui’s report to be presented to the General Assembly during its upcoming 71st session called for the protection of children in line with international laws especially when combating extremist groups.
Her report gives ‘particular attention’ to child protection concerns in ceasefire and peace negotiations and gives ‘special attention’ to the needs of girls when reintegrating children who faced recruitment and use.
The Special Representative’s report also ‘notes with concern’ the deteriorating situations in a ‘number of countries’ involved in the ‘Children, Not Soldiers’ campaign especially South Sudan and Yemen.
She asks their leaders to ‘uphold earlier commitments’ to end recruitment and use of children and other grave violations.
The report calls for animated efforts from states that are the focus of the campaign to ensure that no government forces will be recruiting and using children in armed conflict after 2016.
The report pointed out that children were unequally affected and often direct targets of acts of violence intended to inflict maximum civilian casualties, terrorize entire communities and provoke worldwide outrage.
It adds that schools were ‘particularly targeted’ by extremist groups, while incidents of abduction also ‘rose significantly and that accountability for those who attack not only schools, but also hospitals was a ‘key aspect to prevention.’