A/HRC/19/2 45. Notes with appreciation the steps taken with regard to Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011), and the efforts of the SecretaryGeneral to implement the monitoring and reporting mechanism, including in collecting and providing timely, objective, accurate and reliable information on children and armed conflict in accordance with those resolutions, with the participation of and in cooperation with Governments and relevant United Nations and civil society actors, including at the country level, and recognizes in this respect the work of the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; 46. Takes note of the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (the Paris Principles), and encourages States that have not endorsed the Paris Commitments to protect children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups (the Paris Commitments) to consider doing so, and to consider using the Paris Principles to inform their work in protecting children from the effects of armed conflicts, and requests the relevant entities of the United Nations system, within their mandates, and invites civil society, to assist Member States in this field; 47. Calls upon States: (a) When ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment of persons into their national armed forces from that set out in article 38, paragraph 3, of the Convention, bearing in mind that, under the Convention, persons under 18 years of age are entitled to special protection, and to adopt safeguards to ensure that such recruitment is not forced or coerced; (b) To take all feasible measures, in particular long-term educational and social and economic measures, to ensure the demobilization and effective disarmament of children used in armed conflicts, and to implement effective measures for their rehabilitation, physical and psychological recovery and reintegration into society, taking into account the rights and specific needs of girls affected by armed conflict, and paying special attention to their protection and welfare; (c) To ensure that children accused of committing crimes during conflict while associated with armed forces are also treated as victims and that, in cases where accountability of the child is sought, the decision takes into consideration the best interests of the child and his or her reintegration into society; (d) To take effective preventive measures against sexual exploitation and abuse by military and civilian peacekeepers, to ensure that investigations and prosecutions are carried out independently and in the best interests of the child, and to hold perpetrators to account; 48. Calls upon all States and other parties to armed conflict to respect fully international humanitarian law and, in this regard, calls upon States parties to respect fully the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and the Additional Protocols thereto of 8 June 1977; VI. Children and the administration of justice 49. Reaffirms all resolutions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council on juvenile justice, in particular Assembly resolution 65/213 of 21 December 2010 and Council resolution 18/12 of 29 September 2011; 50. Encourages States to develop and implement a comprehensive juvenile justice policy to protect and address the needs of children in contact with the law with a view to promoting, inter alia, crime prevention programmes, the use of alternative measures, such as diversion and restorative justice, and ensuring compliance with the GE.13-14768 113