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for 350,000 children in primary grades and preschool level in public schools. In addition,
2,200 schoolteachers received orientation in the basics of psychosocial counselling and 400
received an enhanced training as future disseminators of these skills. UNICEF also launched a
back-to-school campaign, which was crucial in making the necessary links between relief and
recovery. UNICEF finalized a comprehensive damage and needs assessment of public schools,
in addition to the mobilization of the private-sector initiative to “adopt” public schools most in
need and to provide continuous assistance beyond the initial recovery period. As a result of the
assessments, UNICEF engaged in refurnishing and rehabilitating damaged schools. Finally,
there also is a promotion of “twinning” between private and public schools to facilitate
best practice exchanges. (Information relating to child health activities is detailed in
paragraph 10 above.)
IV. WEAPONS
A. Initiatives on cluster munitions
36. UNMAS, as the designated focal point for mine action within the United Nations system,
provided information on several activities. UNMAS has facilitated the development of a
United Nations position on the impact and use of cluster munitions through its chairmanship of
the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA), consisting of
14 United Nations entities. Since 2002 when the Second Review Conference of States Parties to
the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) established a group of governmental
experts to address the issue of explosive remnants of war (ERW), UNMAS has sought to raise
international awareness of the problems posed by cluster munitions. In 2004, a Working Group
on Cluster Munitions, chaired by UNMAS, was established under the auspices of the IACG-MA
to develop a common United Nations position and a joint approach to this issue, including with
regard to the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions on civilian populations. OHCHR is a
member of the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action - Geneva
Sub-Group. OHCHR provided briefings to the members of the Sub-Group on the findings of
the Commission of Inquiry Report and the follow-up to its recommendations, with a view to
drawing the attention of the Sub-Group to the human rights implications of the use of cluster
munitions.
37. International attention resulting from the indiscriminate use of cluster munitions in
Lebanon provided new momentum in 2006 and the principals of IACG-MA adopted a common
position in November 2006 for submission to the Secretary-General. In his message on
7 November 2006 to the Third Review Conference of States Parties to the CCW, the
Secretary-General called on States parties to freeze the transfer of those cluster munitions that
are known to be inaccurate and unreliable, and to dispose of them. He also challenged
States parties to establish technical requirements for new weapons systems so that the risk they
pose to civilian populations can be reduced. At the conclusion of the Third Review Conference,
States parties did not agree to initiate negotiations on a legally binding instrument on cluster
munitions but they did establish an open-ended group of governmental experts to address the
humanitarian impact of cluster munitions and to elaborate recommendations for future actions
within the CCW.
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