A/HRC/28/54 Lower House of the Afghan Parliament and is expected to be approved by the Senate and endorsed by the President. 65. In November 2014, a Malian NGO filed a total of 104 criminal complaints on behalf of women and girls who were victims of conflict-related sexual violence committed by armed groups in 2012 and 2013. That was the first time that conflict-related sexual violence cases have been submitted for legal proceedings in Malian courts. 66. In South Sudan, the Lower House of Parliament endorsed a draft law criminalizing under-age recruitment by national forces. The law is expected to be passed by the Upper House and ratified by the President. Moreover, the Legal Advisor to the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs proposed amendments to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army Act (2009) to include punitive measures for perpetrators of grave violations against children. The proposals have since been delivered to the Ministry of Justice for further amendment and drafting of a bill to be presented before the Legislative Assembly. 67. In Yemen, an amended draft child rights laws has been proposed, which includes stricter penalties for those who recruit and use children and sets the minimum age for voluntary recruitment at 18. The amended draft child rights law is pending before the interministerial committee of the Cabinet. The interministerial committee will be reactivated following the formation of the new Cabinet in November 2014. XII. Observations and recommendations 68. The Special Representative commends the Human Rights Council for its work in relation to persons deprived of their liberty as well as on juvenile justice, and encourages the Council to continue to give due consideration to the rights of children affected by armed conflict in that regard, including in its resolutions on countryspecific situations and thematic issues and in the mandates of special procedures and commissions of inquiry. 69. The Special Representative commends the inclusion of accountability for grave violations against children in armed conflict in the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s consideration of States parties’ reports, and encourages the Committee to continue to integrate the monitoring of the six grave violations against children affected by armed conflict. 70. The Special Representative notes with appreciation the attention paid by the special procedures mandate holders and commissions of inquiry to including childprotection concerns in their work. She encourages them to continue to include the plight of children affected by armed conflict in their monitoring, reports and recommendations, and to bring those concerns to her attention. 71. The Special Representative welcomes national and international progress in achieving accountability on the part of perpetrators for grave violations against children. Governments are encouraged to strengthen their support to justice systems by allocating sufficient resources and capacity for investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate crimes against children in conflict. 72. The Special Representative calls upon States to consider alternatives to prosecution and detention of children for their alleged or actual association with armed groups or as part of counter-terrorism measures, and to ensure, at a minimum, that trials and procedures are consistent with international juvenile justice standards and the principle of prioritizing the best interests of the child. 73. The indoctrination of children by extremist groups poses new challenges with regard to their protection and psychosocial rehabilitation and reintegration. The Special Representative encourages the Human Rights Council to make use of its 17