A/HRC/31/19 targeted, in particular, children pursuing their right to an education. The distribution of violent images and videos on social media placed the plight of children caught in the midst of these conflicts at the forefront of the world’s collective consciousness. 5. While extreme violence is not a new phenomenon, with similar acts committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and the atrocities perpetrated in Liberia and Sierra Leone still in recent memory, the increasing cross-border aspect of the violence has created additional challenges for those trying to formulate well-calibrated responses. Unfortunately, in a number of situations, the regional or international response to the threats have posed additional child protection challenges. 6. The rise in extreme violence has been a significant factor in the increase in incidents of abduction in recent years. In that regard, the information gathered through the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict informed and helped to galvanize international action on abductions during the reporting period. This resulted in the Security Council adding abduction as a trigger for listing in the annual report of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict (see resolution 2225 (2015), para. 3). 7. Conflict continues to cause displacement as civilians seek safety and refuge. The Special Representative noted, in her 2014 report to the Human Rights Council, that the number of displaced persons globally was the highest since the Second World War, including millions of children (see A/HRC/28/54, para. 6). That situation has not improved, as the number of protracted and new conflicts continues to grow. In June 2015, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicated that there were more internally displaced persons and refugees than ever before. This has led to vulnerable persons, including many children, losing their lives while taking perilous journeys to perceived safety. 8. Notwithstanding the challenges outlined above, the present report highlights important new initiatives taken by the Special Representative and other child protection actors to improve the well-being of children living through conflict. Encouragingly, progress has been achieved: thousands of children have been released by parties to conflict, commitments have been issued by non-State armed groups and progress has been made in implementing actions plans with Governments to end and prevent grave violations against children. 9. Addressing grave violations of children’s rights is imperative and all parties to conflict who commit crimes must be held to account. In 2014, progress at the national and international levels was made in ensuring appropriate judicial responses to address grave violations against children during conflict. However, the wave of violence, in particular by extremist groups, that has affected children has compounded the challenge of addressing accountability comprehensively owing to the breakdown of law and order in areas under the control of non-State armed groups. A. Extreme violence and its impact on children 10. The Special Representative notes that the Human Rights Council has extensively considered the issue of extreme violence and the protection of human rights in relation to counter-terrorism, both in the context of country-specific situations and in general debates. In her advocacy efforts during the reporting period, the Special Representative emphasized that respect for human rights was a prerequisite for any effective response to extreme violence, in line with the conclusions of the Human Rights Council’s panel discussion on 4