Joint press release by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF Sudan and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan

Geneva/Khartoum– Today in Geneva, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) signed an Action Plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in conflict.

The chairman of the SPLM-N, Malik Agar, signed the Action Plan in a ceremony taking place at the United Nations’ Palais des Nations in Geneva.

“SPLM-N is firmly committed to the protection of children in conflict and today’s signing is a continuity of that commitment”, declared Malik Agar, following the signing ceremony.

“We welcome the SPLM-N’s commitment to better protect children by ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children. The United Nations in Sudan reiterates that it stands ready to support the full implementation of this Action Plan,” declared the co-chairs of the United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting, Marta Ruedas, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and Abdullah A. Fadil, UNICEF Representative. Abdullah A. Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Sudan, signed the Action Plan and represented the United Nations in Sudan.

The Action Plan includes a series of measures to end and prevent the recruitment, use and association of all children under 18 with the SPLM-N. The SPLM-N committed to ensure the release of children present in their ranks and to take the necessary measures to halt child recruitment and use, including through the issuance and dissemination of military orders and the appointment of a high-level officer to act as focal point to coordinate and collaborate with the United Nations to ensure the full implementation of this Action Plan. They also pledged to facilitate the reintegration of the children in their communities.

“I am encouraged by the signing of this Action Plan by the SPLM-N today, the second Action Plan signed for Sudan in less than a year,” said Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict who witnessed the signature. This Action Plan is a promise for a more protected future for children growing up in difficult conditions. I look forward to its full implementation and reiterate my full support to the SPLM-N to reach this objective.”

Upon successful completion of all measures agreed to in the Action Plan by the SPLM-N and verification by the United Nations, the non-State armed group will be eligible to be delisted from the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict.

For additional information, please contact:

Alison Parker, Chief of Communication, United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), Sudan, +249- 912-179-116, aparker@unicef.org

Khaled Moualem, Communications Specialist, United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, Sudan, +249-187-121-102, khaled.moualem@one.un.org

Stephanie Tremblay, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, +1-212-963-8285 (office), +1-917-288-5791 (mobile), tremblay@un.org

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