Statement by Chair of Security Council Working Group

 

on Children and Armed Conflict

 

At its forty-second meeting, on 6 December 2013, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict agreed, in connection with the examination of the first report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Yemen dated 28 June 2013 (S/2013/383), to address the following message to all parties to the armed conflict in Yemen mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General through a public statement by its Chair:

(a)   Welcoming the ongoing progress of the political transition in Yemen, and encouraging the continued implementation of the Transition Agreement in full respect of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people in Yemen, including children’s rights, in accordance with Yemen’s international obligations;

(b)   Encouraging the full inclusion of children’s issues and needs in the context of the National Dialogue Conference launched on 18 March 2013;

(c)   Condemning all violations and abuses committed against children, and urging all parties to the armed conflict in Yemen to immediately cease all violations of applicable international law involving the recruitment and use of children; killing and maiming; rape and other forms of sexual violence; abductions; attacks on schools and hospitals, including their personnel; and denial of humanitarian access;

(d)   Expressing strong concern at the high number of child casualties resulting from mines, unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war, and urging all parties to the armed conflict to take steps to reduce these child casualties, including by prioritizing mine action to implement mine clearance, risk education and risk reduction activities;

(e)   Also expressing strong concern at the risk of children being killed by suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices, and calling upon all parties to armed conflict and stakeholders to prevent such attacks and take steps to reduce their impact on children;

(f)   Expressing concern at child casualties resulting from air dropped bombs and drone strikes, and urging that steps be taken to prevent such casualties;

(g)   Also expressing concern at the ongoing recruitment and use of children by all parties to armed conflict, and urging them to immediately release all children from their ranks;

(h)   Noting with concern ongoing attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as acts of intimidation and threats against teachers and students, and calling upon all parties to armed conflict to immediately cease actions that impede children’s safe access to education and health services, including ceasing all attacks on schools and hospitals in violation of applicable international law;

(i)   Noting the security challenges facing the United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting, and in this regard, urging armed groups to allow United Nations personnel safe and unhindered access to territories under their control for monitoring and reporting purposes;

(j)   Commending the progress made by the Government of Yemen in developing and agreeing upon an action plan to halt and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the Government forces of Yemen, in line with Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011), encouraging the Government to sign the action plan, welcoming its ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and encouraging it to implement the Paris Commitments to protect children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups, which it endorsed in December 2012;

(k)   Noting with appreciation the contact between the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and Al Houthi and the engagement of the Al Houthi leadership and the United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting in efforts to develop an action plan to end the recruitment and use of children, in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011).

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For information media • not an official record