Annual Report to the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict

New York, 21 May 2010- The Annual Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict (A/64/742–S/2010/181) has been issued yesterday afternoon. The report gives an overview of the situation of children affected by conflict and action taken for their protection over the reporting period. In mid-June the report will be discussed in the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

For the first time the Annual Report includes a list of the most persistent violators for recruiting and using children—those who have been in the annexes of in the Secretary-General’s report for at least five years. Another breakthrough, empowered by the adoption of SC Resolution 1882 in 2009, is the listing of state and non-state parties to conflict who have killed and maimed and raped and used sexual violence against children. (See lists below)

New to the annexes of the report on violations against children for recruitment are, the Afghan National Police, the Convention des Patriotes pour la Justice et la Paix in the Central African Republic and Hizbul Islam in Somalia.

Progress has been made by the signing of action plans that end the recruitment and use of child soldiers, as well as securing their release from armed forces with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist.

At the time of the writing of the report, the United Nations verified the release of 1,843 people recruited as minors from the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist and today we can confirm that all minors have been released.

Burundi has been removed from the Annexes to the report following UN verification that all children associated with the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL) have been reunified with their families. It has also been confirmed that the FNL has ceased recruitment.

The report lists several recommendations including to the Security Council for consideration including more vigorous measures against those groups and individuals who persistently commit grave violations against children.

“Combat is no place for children. We still live in a world with those who would use children as spies, soldiers, and human shields. The shifting nature of conflict has put many children on the front lines. Too often children become collateral damage during military operations. Every year the release of this report should give us pause. Let us remember that we must protect the most innocent and most vulnerable.” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Coomaraswamy.

Most Persistent Violators of children in conflict:

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG);

Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN);

Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC)/including fast-track integrated units of the Congrès national pour la defense du peuple (CNDP) formerly led by Laurent Nkunda and Bosco Ntaganda;

Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR);

Front nationaliste et integrationaliste (FNI);

Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP);

Karenni Army (KA);

Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA);

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA);

Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including among others PARECO;

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF);

New People’s Army (NPA);

Pro-government militias in Darfur;

Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA);

Tatmadaw Kyi;

Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG)

Killing and maiming:

Al-Shabaab

Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

Rape and sexual violence:

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC)/including fast-track integrated units of the Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP), formerly led by Laurent Nkunda and currently by Bosco Ntaganda

Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)

Forces de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI)

Front nationaliste et integrationaliste (FNI)

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including among others PARECO

Click here to view the report

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For further information, please contact:

Timothy La Rose, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict – +1917-346-3404- larose@un.org

Website: http://www.un.org/children/conflict

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/childreninwar