•  united nations
• Wednesday, July 13, 2011
• Inter Press Service

During an open debate on Children and Armed Conflict, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1998, that includes a new provision: attacks on schools and hospitals as criteria for listing parties to conflict in the Secretary- General's annual report.

'I welcome this advance,' Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said. 'Places of learning and places of healing should never be places of war. Schools and hospitals should be zones of peace respected by all parties to conflict.'

The Council, under the German presidency, stated that protecting children in armed conflict is a peace and security issue, and that the international community will not tolerate grave violations of this principle.

According to Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, out of the 22 situations covered in the report, 15 show evidence of attacks on schools and hospitals. More than 28 million children not in school live in countries affected by armed conflicts.

'Half of all children who do not go to primary school in the world live in conflict areas. Teachers and students are also killed and maimed in targeted attacks,' Coomaraswamy said.

'To deprive children of an education is to destroy their future. A future destroyed, a future without hope will only sow the seeds of further conflict,' she added.

Along with schools, hospitals are also a common target, leaving injured children without access to treatment.

However, the eight resolutions passed since 1998 show that progress has been made. 'We have achieved so much since resolution 1612,' Coomaraswamy said.

Among all the successes, she highlighted a couple: in February this year, the Afghan Government signed an action plan for the prevention of underage recruitment into the Afghan security forces, including the police. In Nepal, 2973 minors were discharged last year.

Last year only, 10.000 children were released from armed forces and groups and are now on the course of reintegration to their communities.

'Yet, great challenges remain. Persistent violators of children are on the Secretary-General’s list with little actions taken against them,' Coomaraswamy declared.

As a way to deal with the perpetrators of these crimes, the report includes the list of parties that recruit or use, kill or maim, and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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