New York, 31 July 2009 – Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, welcomes the signature of an action plan by The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The action plan sets concrete and time-bound steps to prevent the recruitment and use of children and to separate any children who may be found among its forces. It also ensures unimpeded access to monitoring teams and provides for children to be reintegrated into civilian life.
The action plan occurs within the framework of the monitoring and reporting mechanism established by Security Council Resolution 1612. The MILF initially committed to comply with the recommendations of the Security Council during the visit of the Special Representative to the Philippines in December 2008. The action plan was developed in collaboration with UNICEF and the UN country team.
“The signature of the action plan shows that the protection of children is a priority beyond any political or other agenda. It serves as proof positive of the impact of the Security Council’s involvement on this crucial issue”, said Radhika Coomaraswamy. “However, compliance will require close follow-up in collaboration with the country team and the continuous support of the international community for the sake of these children”, she concluded.
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For further information, please contact:
Ms. Laurence Gérard, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Phone: +1 212-963-0984 gerardl@un.org
Luca Solimeo, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Phone: +1 917-367-3563 solimeo@un.org
