COUNCIL, VOICING CONCERN AT IMPACT OF ARMED CONFLICT ON CHILDREN, EXPRESSES INTENTION TO CONSIDER 'TAKING APPROPRIATE STEPS'

Press Release
SC/6908

COUNCIL, VOICING CONCERN AT IMPACT OF ARMED CONFLICT ON CHILDREN, EXPRESSES INTENTION TO CONSIDER 'TAKING APPROPRIATE STEPS'

The Security Council this afternoon expressed its grave concern at the linkages between the illicit trade in natural resources and armed conflict, as well as linkages between the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and armed conflict, which could prolong armed conflict and intensify its impact on children. It expressed its intention to consider taking appropriate steps, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1314 (2000), the Council underlined the importance of giving consideration to the special needs and vulnerabilities of girls affected by armed conflict, including those heading households, orphaned, sexually exploited and used as combatants. The Council urged that their human rights, protection and welfare be incorporated in the development of policies and programmes, including those for prevention, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. It reaffirmed its readiness to continue to include child protection advisers in future peacekeeping operations.

The Council further urged all parties to armed conflict to respect international law regarding the rights and protection of children in armed conflict. It urged Member States in a position to do so to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

The Council also urged Member States and parties to armed conflict to provide protection and assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, the vast majority of whom were women and children. The Council also urged all parties to armed conflict to abide by the concrete commitments made to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

By the terms of the resolution, the Council urged Member States and relevant parts of the United Nations system to strengthen the capacities of national institutions and local civil society for ensuring the sustainability of local initiatives for the protection of children. It called upon all parties to armed conflict to ensure the full, safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all children affected by such conflict.

By the same terms, the Council requested parties to armed conflict to include provisions for the protection of children, including disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of child combatants, in peace negotiations and in peace agreements, and the involvement of children in those processes. It called on Member States, relevant parts of the United Nations system, and civil society to encourage the involvement of young persons in programmes for peace consolidation and peace-building.

It also indicated its willingness, when imposing measures under Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations, to consider assessing the potential unintended consequences of sanctions on children and to take appropriate steps to minimize such consequences. [Article 41 states that "The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures ... ."]

The Council further requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Council on the implementation of the current resolution and of resolution 1261 (1999) by 31 July 2001.

The meeting began at 12:25 p.m, and was adjourned at 12:28 p.m.

Text of Resolution

The full text of resolution 1314 (2000) reads, as follows:

"The Security Council,

"Recalling its resolution 1261 (1999) of 28 August 1999,

Further recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999) of 17 September 1999, 1296 (2000) of 19 April 2000, 1306 (2000) of 5 July 2000 and the statements of its President of 29 June 1998 (S/PRST/1998/18), 12 February 1999 (S/PRST/1999/6), 8 July 1999 (S/PRST/1999/21), 30 November 1999 (S/PRST/1999/34) and 20 July 2000 (S/PRST/25),

"Welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly on 25 May 2000 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict,

"Bearing in mind the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security,

"Underlining the need for all parties concerned to comply with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and with the rules and principles of international law, in particular international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law, and to implement fully the relevant decisions of the Security Council, and recalling the relevant provisions on the protection of children contained in International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 on the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,

"Noting the regional initiatives on war-affected children, including within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the West African Conference on War-Affected Children held in Accra, Ghana, in April 2000, and the forthcoming International Conference on War-Affected Children to be held in Winnipeg, Canada from 10 to 17 September 2000,

"Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 19 July 2000 on the implementation of resolution 1261 (1999) on Children and Armed Conflict (S/2000/712),

"1. Reaffirms its strong condemnation of the deliberate targeting of children in situations of armed conflict and the harmful and widespread impact of armed conflict on children, and the long-term consequences this has for durable peace, security and development;

"2. Emphasizes the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity and to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and, in this regard, stresses the need to exclude these, where feasible, from amnesty provisions and relevant legislation;

"3. Urges all parties to armed conflict to respect fully international law applicable to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the obligations applicable to them under the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 and the Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and to bear in mind the relevant provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;

"4. Urges Member States, in a position to do so to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict;

"5. Expresses support for the ongoing work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, other parts of the United Nations system and other relevant international organizations dealing with children affected by armed conflict;

"6. Urges Member States and parties to armed conflict to provide protection and assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, as appropriate, the vast majority of whom are women and children;

"7. Calls upon all parties to armed conflict to ensure the full, safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all children affected by armed conflict;

"8. Expresses its grave concern at the linkages between the illicit trade in natural resources and armed conflict, as well as the linkages between the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and armed conflict, which can prolong armed conflict and intensify its impact on children, and, in this regard, expresses its intention to consider taking appropriate steps, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;

"9. Notes that the deliberate targeting of civilian populations or other protected persons, including children, and the committing of systematic, flagrant and widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including that relating to children, in situations of armed conflict may constitute a threat to international peace and security, and, in this regard, reaffirms its readiness to consider such situations and, where necessary, to adopt appropriate steps;

"10. Urges all parties to abide by the concrete commitments they have made to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict as well as relevant United Nations bodies to ensure the protection of children in situations of armed conflict;

"11. Requests parties to armed conflict to include, where appropriate, provisions for the protection of children, including the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of child combatants, in peace negotiations and in peace agreements and the involvement of children, where possible, in these processes;

"12. Reaffirms its readiness to continue to include, where appropriate, child protection advisers in future peacekeeping operations;

"13. Underlines the importance of giving consideration to the special needs and particular vulnerabilities of girls affected by armed conflict, including, inter alia, those heading households, orphaned, sexually exploited and used as combatants, and urges that their human rights, protection and welfare be incorporated in the development of policies and programmes, including those for prevention, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration;

"14. Reiterates the importance of ensuring that children continue to have access to basic services during the conflict and post-conflict periods, including, inter alia, education and health care;

"15. Indicates its willingness, when imposing measures under Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations, to consider assessing the potential unintended consequences of sanctions on children and to take appropriate steps to minimize such consequences;

16. "Welcomes recent initiatives by regional and subregional organizations and arrangements for the protection of children affected by armed conflict, and urges them to:

"(a) Consider establishing within their secretariats, child protection units for the development and implementation of policies, activities and advocacy for the benefit of children affected by armed conflict, including children in the design and implementation of such policies and programmes where possible;

"(b) Consider including child protection staff in their peace and field operations and providing training to members of their peace and field operations on the rights and protection of women and children;

"(c) Undertake initiatives to curb the cross-border activities deleterious to children in times of armed conflict, such as the cross-border recruitment and abduction of children, the illicit movement of small arms and the illicit trade in natural resources;

"(d) Allocate resources, as applicable, during policy and programme development for the benefit of children affected by armed conflict; "(e) Integrate a gender perspective into all policies, programmes and projects;

"(f) Consider declaring regional initiatives towards full implementation of the prohibition of the use of child soldiers in violation of international law;

"17. Encourages Member States, relevant parts of the United Nations system and regional organizations and arrangements to undertake efforts to obtain the release of children abducted during armed conflict and their family reunification;

"18. Urges Member States and relevant parts of the United Nations system to strengthen the capacities of national institutions and local civil society for ensuring the sustainability of local initiatives for the protection of children;

"19. Calls on Member States, relevant parts of the United Nations system, and civil society to encourage the involvement of young persons in programmes for peace consolidation and peace-building;

"20. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue to include in his written reports to the Council on matters of which the Council is seized, as appropriate, observations relating to the protection of children in armed conflict;

"21. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Security Council on the implementation of this resolution and of resolution 1261 (1999) by 31 July 2001;

"22. Decides to remain actively seized of this matter."

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