FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York 15 January 2007 – The Secretary General's report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Nepal (S/2006/1007) has been issued in accordance with the provisions of resolution 1612 (2005).
The report, which covers the period from 1 August 2005 to 30 September 2006, provides information on compliance and progress in ending the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations being committed against children in situations affected by armed conflict in Nepal. It reflects incidents of violations both before and after the April 2006 ceasefire.
The report notes that although many of the reported violations occurred prior to the ceasefire between the State and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), there are still serious abuses being perpetrated against children. A serious concern since the April 2006 ceasefire is that recruitment and use, and abductions of children by CPN-M continue. The recent Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government and CPN-M, however, includes provisions which commit the parties to reintegrating children associated with armed groups into their families and marks the first time this issue has been addressed within the peace process.
The report contains a series of recommendations with a view to securing strengthened action for the protection of war-affected children in Nepal, including the need for dedicated child protection expertise in any future United Nations mission to Nepal.
This report will be examined by the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict at its February meeting.
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For further information, please contact: Laurence Gerard, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, New York. Phone: 1 212 963 0984. E-mail: gerardl@un.org. Website www.un.org/children/conflict
