OSRSG CAAC/020811-16
PRESS STATEMENT
Security Council allows for sanctions against violators of children in Somalia
New York, 2 August 2011 – SRSG Coomaraswamy welcomes the recent decision by the Security Council (S/RES/2002) to allow for sanctions against individuals and entities that violate the rights of children in Somalia a country that is experiencing both war and famine.
“Starting from now, in Somalia, if you kill, maim, recruit, use or sexually violate children, or if you attack their schools and hospitals, you can be sanctioned. This is one step closer to ending impunity of the worst violators of children in war.”
The sanctions can include arms embargos, travel bans and asset freezing.
“I call on all child protection partners, including UNPOS, to redouble their efforts to gather reliable information on grave violations against children, in close partnership with the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea,” the SRSG stated.
The inclusion of grave violations against children in the sanctions regime for Somalia and Eritrea follows the Security Council’s decision to apply sanctions to violators of child rights in the DRC (Security Council resolution 1698 (2006). This development represents a significant step forward in the Security Council’s efforts to enhance accountability for child rights violations.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/childreninwar
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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
+1 917 346 3404
larose@un.org
Muriel Gschwend
Associate Communications Officer
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
+917 367 35 62
gschwend@un.org
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