Mandat | Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict

The mandates of the Special Représentante

At the UN, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict is the leading advocate for the protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict.

The mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict was established by the General Assembly (resolution A/RES/51/77) following the publication, in 1996, of of Graça Machel’s report entitled “Impact of armed conflicts on children”, in which she highlighted the disproportionate effects of war on children and indicated that they were the main victims of armed conflicts.

 

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict’s mission is to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict, to raise awareness, to encourage the collection of information on the tragic fate of children in times of war and to promote international cooperation in order to improve the protection of these children. children It presents an annual report to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council It raises awareness of the problems faced by children in times of war in political bodies, such as the UN Security Council and relevant governments, to ensure that key decision-makers are aware of them. the need for urgent action and in order to generate political and diplomatic mobilization.

Since 1999, the UN Security Council has been systematically mobilizing in this area, unequivocally making the situation of children affected by armed conflict an issue concerning peace and security.

In this regard, the Security Council has developed a robust framework and provided the Office of the Special Representative with tools to respond to violations perpetrated against children.

 

Six serious violations affecting children in times of conflict identified :

The Security Council adopted resolutions in which it requested the UN:

• collect and verify information on where and how children are affected by armed conflict;
• to include this information in the annual report on children and armed conflict that the Secretary-General presents to the Security Council;
• to name parties to the conflict who commit violations that constitute grounds for inclusion on the sanctions list;
• open dialogue with governments and armed groups on the sanctions list to develop action plans to end and prevent violations committed against children.

What is an action plan?

An action plan is a written and signed commitment between the United Nations and the parties to the conflict listed in the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict.

Each action plan defines concrete measures with deadlines which aim to put an end to violations committed against children, to ensure the release of children and their return to their families but also to put in place legislation, tools and mechanisms aimed at preventing violations and bringing perpetrators to justice. answer for their actions.

Thus, an agreement to end the recruitment and use of children by government forces may include the following measures:

• Issue instructions prohibiting the recruitment and use of children (military command)
• Criminalize the recruitment and use of children
• Integrate age verification mechanisms into recruitment procedures
• Release all children identified in the ranks of security forces
• Ensure the reintegration of children into civilian life