A/HRC/31/19 rights training module, which will be mandatory for all United Nations staff. In particular, the Office of the Special Representative contributed to the online course on United Nations human rights responsibilities that was launched in November 2015. 52. In marking the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the fifteenth anniversary of the Optional Protocol to that Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the Special Representative commends the States who have recently ratified those instruments, thereby taking a step closer to the full realization of the rights of children in their respective countries. With South Sudan and Somalia becoming the 195th and 196th States to become parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Special Representative is hopeful that those new ratifications will be translated into concrete actions for the greater protection of millions of children affected by armed conflict. In addition, as of December 2015, with the ratification by Bahamas, Kiribati and Micronesia, there are now 162 State parties to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. As already noted, Myanmar also signed the Optional Protocol during the reporting period. The Special Representative reiterates her call for those States that have not yet done so to take steps towards ratification of the Optional Protocol. The challenges that children face in situations of conflict cannot be overemphasized and relevant United Nations entities will continue to advocate for a universal and effective implementation of the Convention and its optional protocols. With regard to the newest Optional Protocol, on a communications procedure, which enables children to bring complaints of serious violations of their rights to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Special Representative issued a joint statement together with other leading United Nations experts on children’s rights 5 calling on States to ratify the instrument without delay in order to increase the remedies available when children’s rights are abused.6 V. Working with regional organizations 53. The Special Representative continued her engagement with the African Union throughout the reporting period. Her Office supported the development of a workplan, which was approved in February 2015, to operationalize the declaration of intent signed in 2013. The workplan identifies core priorities to incorporate the issue of children and armed conflict into the work, policies and decision-making of the African Union, paying particular attention to capacity and knowledge management, support to State ratifications and compliance with African treaty bodies. It also includes provisions on planning and assisting African Union peace support operations. As noted above, the Special Representative also participated in the annual retreat of special envoys and mediators on the promotion of peace, security and stability held in Namibia in October 2015. 54. Following the signature of a cooperation agreement with the League of Arab States in September 2014, the constructive engagement between the Special Representative and the League continued throughout the reporting period. Joint letters from the Special Representative and the Secretary-General of the League were sent encouraging universal ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict by all members of the League. The Office of the 5 6 14 The Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral on Violence against Children and the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. http://ratifyop3crc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RatifyOP3_JointStatement_ First_Anniversary_2015_Final.pdf.