New York – Efforts to prevent grave violations against boys and girls affected by conflict must go hand in hand with our work to protect them, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict said as she presented her annual report to the UN General Assembly.
“My office has launched a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation and awareness on issues of children and armed conflict in view of moving towards an era of prevention,” Virginia Gamba told the General Assembly’s third committee. “Establishing prevention plans with Governments, regional and sub-regional organizations on all listable grave violations against children is one of the priorities my Office focused on to prevent children from being the first victims of violence.”
The Special Representative added that she has already reached out to relevant Member States such as the Central African Republic, Colombia, Myanmar, South Sudan and Sudan to develop such prevention national plans.
During her presentation, the Special Representative expressed concerns about emerging trends documented in her report, including the widespread detention of children for their alleged association with armed groups and the prevalence of cross-border violations against children.
“We must assume our common responsibility to find durable and just solutions for all girls and boys affected by war, including those of foreign nationality,” declared Ms. Gamba.
She also renewed her call to the international community to make the best use of entry points to strengthen child protection, adding that her office has initiated work to collect and disseminate best practices and lessons learned, including the development of practical guidance on the integration of child protection issues in peace processes.
Finally, the Special Representative highlighted the importance of reintegration for former child soldiers and asked for support as she works to bring together all relevant actors to improve the availability of sustainable, long-term reintegration, notably through the creation of a “Coalition for Reintegration”.