Statement by Chairman of Security Council Working Group

 

on Children and Armed Conflict

 

The following statement by the Chairman of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was issued in New York, 22 November:

At the twenty-seventh meeting of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, held on 9 November, the Working Group agreed, in connection with the consideration of the Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict in Nepal (document S/2010/183),and subject to and consistent with applicable international law and Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict, including Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009), to address a message to all stakeholders involved in the protection of children in Nepal, in particular the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and youth wings of the major political partiesthrough a public statement by its Chairman on behalf of the Working Group:

Welcoming:  a) the Action Plan that was signed by the Government, UCPN-M and the United Nations on 16 December 2009, in accordance with the Nepal peace agreement, the recommendation in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/259) and the conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (S/AC.51/2008/12);b) the official discharge of the disqualified Maoist personnel verified as minors, which resulted in the discharge of 2,973 children as of March 2010.  

Urging them:  a) to refrain from any newrecruitments or re-recruitment of childrenand to ensure that children are not exposed to or forced to participate in violent activities or forced into association with groups that engage in such activities;b)to immediately stop the closure and use of schools during strikes (“bandhs”), which curtail freedom of movement and restrict children’s access to education, including in the Terai;c) to give all necessary support to strengthen the monitoring and reporting of violations against children, in particular those committed in the Terai;d) to the UCPN-M, in particular, to cooperate closely with the United Nations and the Government of Nepal to ensure the full implementation of the Action Plan, as well as to ensure that Maoist army personnel disqualified as minors have unhindered access to the rehabilitation packages offered by the Government and supported by the United Nations; e) to stop the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to avoid the killing and maiming of children as a result of their use.

In line with the above-mentioned, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict stressed its intention to visit Nepal in the coming months to follow-up on the progress made in the protection of children, in particular on the status of the Action Plan, the remaining challenges and issues concerning the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism, and rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups and individuals recruited as minors; and to demonstrate commitment to children and communities affected by armed conflict.

In this connection, the Working Group is currently on mission to Nepal during the period 22-26 November.

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For information media • not an official record