UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, October 3, 2003- A screening of the award-winning documentary film "Child Soldiers", organized by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, in collaboration with HBO, will take place on Monday, 6 October 2003, at 6.30 p.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.

"Child Soldiers" is a powerful global exposé of children who have been through the trauma of soldiering as well as those actively fighting in various conflicts around the world. The film, produced by Ogilvie Productions, will debut on HBO2 on Wednesday, 8 October 2003.

Through a series of intimate encounters with children who have been through the hell of soldiering in Uganda, Sudan, Myanmar, Colombia and Sierra Leone, this documentary examines the complex issue of recruitment, the hazardous and often brutal life of child soldiers, and for those that survive the fighting – the daunting post-conflict challenges that lay before them.

The documentary tells the stories of children routinely forced into committing atrocities. These children are filmed again when they re-connect with family and community, some undergoing a simple but emotionally charged ceremony of tribal rites and human compassion.

Over five years in development, and a year in production, "Child Soldiers" took highly specialized filmmakers, equipped with lightweight digital cameras, into conflict zones across four continents. All faced considerable challenges – and danger – often operating alone in difficult locations.

Members of Permanent Missions, United Nations Secretariat staff, representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the media are invited to attend.