Action Plans with Armed Forces and Armed Groups
Parties to the conflict listed in the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict are requested by the Security Council to develop action plans to address grave violations against children.
These written and signed commitments are a step toward bringing perpetrators into compliance with international law, and a tool to protect children from current and future abuses. They lay out concrete and time-bound activities a party must take to be de-listed.
Activities included in action plans
An agreement to end the recruitment and use of children for example includes the following elements:
- issuing a military order to stop and prevent child recruitment;
- providing regular and unimpeded access to military camps and bases for child protection actors;
- developing child specific release and reintegration programmes;
- strengthening birth registration systems and national awareness raising campaign to prevent recruitment of children:
- prosecuting those violating the rights of children.
A party to conflict shall be eligible for de-listing upon United Nations verification if all activities have been successfully implemented.
Signed action plans
To date, 17 listed parties have signed action plans, including 5 Government forces and 12 non-State armed groups. Of those 17, only 5 parties fully complied with the action plan and were subsequently de-listed.
| Afghanistan | ANSF (30 Jan 2011) |
| Central African Rep. | APRD (Oct 2011); CPJP (Nov 2011) |
| Chad | ANT (15 June 2011) |
| Cote d’Ivoire | FAFN (Nov 2005); FLGO (Sept 2006); MILOCI (Sept 2006); APWé (Sept 2006); UPRGO (Sept 2006) |
| Nepal | UCPN-M (Dec 2009) |
| Philippines | MILF (July 2009) |
| Sri Lanka | TMVP (2008) |
| Sudan | SLA Minnawi (June 2007); SPLA (Nov 2009); SLA/Free Will (June 2010); SLA/Abu Gasim (2010) |
| Uganda | UPDF (aug 2007) |
Dialogue with the aim of protection children
The United Nations engages in child protection dialogue with armed forces or armed groups for the purpose of developing and implementing time-bound action plans. Entering into dialogue to achieve agreements on action plans does not constitute recognition of an armed force or group.
