A/HRC/40/49 to ensure that the United Nations had immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access, in particular to Rakhine State, in order to document grave violations against children committed in the context of the widespread violence that has taken place there against the Rohingya population. She also held discussions with four armed groups that are part of the national ceasefire agreement. They agreed to continue to engage with the United Nations for the purpose of ending and preventing the recruitment and use and killing and maiming of children. 46. In September 2018, the Special Representative travelled to South Sudan to engage with the Government and its security forces on the large numbers of grave violations committed against children and to advocate for the strengthening of reintegration efforts. While she welcomed the release of almost 1,000 children from armed groups in 2018, in the context of the integration of armed groups into the national security forces, she urged the Government to take immediate and concrete actions to end grave violations against children and recalled the importance of ensuring accountability. She advocated with Government authorities for the expansion of the existing action plan, signed in 2012 and recommitted to in 2014, into a comprehensive action plan that would address all the grave violations for which the Government is currently listed. The Government agreed to work in the coming months with the United Nations on the development of such an action plan. The Special Representative also met with civil society representatives, religious leaders and the United Nations team in the country. In Yambio she met with affected children who had recently been released. 47. In October 2018, the Special Representative travelled to Addis Ababa. She engaged with the leadership of the United Nations Office to the African Union and with the African Union child protection adviser on enhancing strategic cooperation on child protection between her Office and the African Union. 48. In November 2018, the Special Representative chaired the opening event of Geneva Peace Week to explore how the children and armed conflict mandate can contribute to preventing grave violations and building peace. C. Working with regional and subregional organizations 49. As announced in last year’s report, developing and further advancing her existing cooperation with the African Union, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a key priority for the Special Representative during the reporting period. She also held initial discussions with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Economic Community of Central African States. African Union 50. During the reporting period, the Special Representative continued to cooperate closely with the African Union. She welcomes the appointment of a child protection adviser by the African Union in February 2018 and her Office has cooperated with the adviser to define areas of priority and further cooperation. The Special Representative also continued to regularly engage with the African Union Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York. Her Office participated in the ninth high-level retreat of the African Union on the promotion of peace, security and stability from 25 to 26 October 2018 in Accra. The retreat focused on the conflict prevention and peace-making efforts of the African Union. The Office of the Special Representative provided initial inputs for the development of an African Union-United Nations framework on human rights, which is currently under elaboration by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Special Representative will continue working to ensure that child protection considerations are reflected in the framework. European Union 51. In October 2018, the Special Representative briefed the Working Party on Human Rights, ambassadors from the Political and Security Committee and the European External Action Service on the children and armed conflict mandate and current issues and 13