Children and Armed Conflict - UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
29 April 2009
Statement by Mr. David Windsor
Acting Deputy Permanent Representative
of Australia to the United Nations
(as delivered)
Australia is grateful for this opportunity to restate its commitment to strong and effective measures to protect and rehabilitate children from harm and exploitation in situations of armed conflict.
Australia worked to ensure the renewal of mandate for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict during the 63rd session of the General Assembly. We commend Ms Coomaraswamy’s progress on mainstreaming this issue. Australia recognises the importance of effective disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes and, to this end, in September 2008 endorsed the Paris Principles on children associated with armed forces or armed groups and committed funding to UNICEF for its work on child soldiers, particularly in Sri Lanka.
Australia welcomes recent progress in implementing Security Council Resolution 1612 and operationalising the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism: we are pleased that the mechanism has now been adopted in all situations listed in the Secretary-General’s latest report. This achievement will be further advanced by ensuring that all parties develop concrete, time-bound action plans that meet international standards. We commend the recent real progress in halting the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
But more remains to be done. Australia is particularly concerned about ongoing reports of forced recruitment and use of child soldiers by the LTTE in Sri Lanka and of the continued recruitment and use of child soldiers by the national forces and other parties in Myanmar. The current situation in Sri Lanka only serves to underscore the serious impact that conflict has on children. We owe it to all children in situations of armed conflict to strengthen the current monitoring and reporting process.
Australia reiterates that there should be no hierarchy of treatment amongst the six grave violations. Australia is very concerned at the large number of reported sexual violations contained in the Secretary-General’s report. We are particularly concerned at the significant number of reported cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Clearly, rape and other forms of sexual violence are endemic in many conflict situations worldwide. The threat this poses to peace and security was recognised by this Council when it adopted resolution 1820 on sexual violence during armed conflict. The Council should consider the feasibility of a new resolution to expand the monitoring and reporting mechanism’s scope to, at a minimum, include rape and other forms of sexual violence as a trigger for listing.
We recognise that the mechanism should only be expanded if it enhances the protection of children in armed conflict and the effectiveness of resolution 1612. A well supported and adequately resourced Working Group is crucial to the mechanism’s effectiveness. This will not only ensure the Working Group is placed to respond to any new situations that may be placed on its agenda but also assist its ability to respond promptly to rapidly evolving situations of urgent concern.
International efforts to address the problem of children in armed conflict must be accompanied by effective action at the national level. Concerned states, including Myanmar, should allow United Nations’ access to listed non-state parties for the purpose of discussing possible child protection measures. Effective domestic legislation, including criminalising rape and other sexual crimes, is of paramount importance. We encourage the adoption of national action plans on sexual violence by concerned parties and commend the efforts of parties in Cote d’Ivoire in this regard. On the broader issue of violence against children, I am pleased to announce that today the Australian Government released “Time for Action”, a major report prepared by the Australian National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The Australian Government has simultaneously announced its intention to move immediately to progress 18 of the 20 priority recommendations of this report. The Government will further consider the other two recommendations within the context of developing a national plan to reduce violence against women and their children.
Australia encourages the Working Group to utilise the full range of tools available to it in responding to situations of concern. Recognising the valuable and constructive results of the Special Representative’s field visits, including her recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there may be real merit in the Working Group visiting situations where persistent violations occur or where there has been no reaction to the Working Group’s recommendations. Persistent violators should not go unpunished. National and international accountability is at the heart of resolution 1612 and will have a significant deterrent effect.
The commitment of all member states is required to realise the full potential of resolution 1612 and to further the fight against impunity. We must work together to fight the scourge of violence against children in all forms. Australia remains firmly dedicated to this goal.