Statement by Chair of Security Council Working Group

 

on Children and Armed Conflict

 

At its forty-third meeting, on 15 February 2014, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict agreed, in connection with the examination of the third report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Philippines (document S/2013/419), to address the following message to all parties to the armed conflict in the Philippines mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General through a public statement by its Chair:

(a)   Considering that the best way to protect children is through peace, and therefore welcoming a decline in the number of large-scale armed hostilities in the Philippines and the commitment of the Government to invest in responsive social programmes that address the root causes of armed conflict;

(b)   Strongly condemning all violations and abuses committed against children by all parties to the armed conflict mentioned in the above-referenced report, and expressing particular concern about the continued recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals in violation of applicable international law;

(c)   Calling upon all parties to the conflict in the Philippines to immediately end and prevent all violations and abuses committed against children, and demanding that all parties further implement previous conclusions of the Working Group (S/AC.51/2008/10 and S/AC.51/2010/5);

(d)   Recognizing that children’s vulnerability to violations and abuses committed by parties to the armed conflict might have increased in areas in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan, and urging relevant international governmental and non-governmental agencies working in affected areas to bear this risk in mind.

To the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front:

(a) Welcoming the developments in the peace process between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), including the signing on 25 January 2014 of the last of the four annexes to the Government of the Philippines-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro of 2012, and encouraging MILF to continue, in line with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), its consultations with the United Nations country task force on monitoring and reporting towards the integration of child protection provisions into the peace talks;

(b) Requesting MILF to immediately end and prevent all recruitment and use of children in line with the action plan between MILF and the United Nations in the Philippines signed on 1 August 2009, and the subsequent supplemental general order issued by the MILF leadership in 2010, and to immediately end all killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals in violation of applicable international law;

(c) Taking note of the signing of the extension of the action plan between MILF and the United Nations in the Philippines in April 2013, and urging MILF to continue collaborating with the United Nations with a view to implementing all provisions of the action plan and meeting as a matter of priority the concrete and time-bound operational benchmarks agreed upon in May 2013;

(d) Also urging MILF to implement its supplemental general order of 2010 and ensure that all necessary military personnel and local communities are aware of its provisions, including sanctions for breaching it, and encouraging MILF to demonstrate compliance by keeping the United Nations country task force on monitoring and reporting informed about progress in the implementation of the supplemental general order on a regular basis;

(e) Strongly urging MILF to establish a complaints mechanism through its command structure, instituting a system for reporting and addressing alleged violations and abuses committed against children by members of MILF.

To the leadership of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters:

(a) Expressing concern about reports of the recruitment and use of children in violation of applicable international law by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF);

(b) Urging BIFF to publicly express their commitment and take active steps to end all recruitment and use of children in violation of applicable international law and to prevent all violations and abuses committed against children, including by entering into dialogue with the United Nations.

To the leadership of the New People’s Army:

(a) Calling upon the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and its military wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), to end and prevent all recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals in violation of applicable international law;

(b) Urging NPA to publicly express its commitment to end and prevent all violations and abuses committed against children and to expeditiously develop action plans in line with Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and 2068 (2012).

To the leadership of the Abu Sayyaf Group:

(a) Calling upon the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) to end and prevent all recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals in violation of applicable international law, and expressing concern about reports of abductions of children, kidnapping for ransom and extortion activities that target children;

(b) Urging ASG to publicly express its commitment and take active steps to end and prevent all recruitment and use of children in violation of applicable international law and all other violations and abuses against children, including through the expeditious development and implementation of action plans in line with Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and 2068(2012).

* *** *

For information media • not an official record