A/HRC/18/38 mechanisms, including the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council, the treaty bodies and the special procedures. In the same vein, recommendations relating to children and armed conflict by United Nations human rights mechanisms are important advocacy tools in the work of the Special Representative. 7. The field presences of OHCHR and its deployment of human rights monitors to peacekeeping operations and country missions also continue to make an important contribution to the monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children during armed conflict. 8. The Special Representative attaches great importance to the reporting process to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the implementation of the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. During the period under review, the Office of the Special Representative provided information relevant to the issue of children and armed conflict to the Committee on the implementation of the Optional Protocol. In particular, the Office provided information on the issue of children and armed conflict ahead of the Committee’s country reviews for Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Sudan. Such information included key recommendations by the Secretary-General and the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. The Office is pleased that its concerns were reflected in the Committee’s concluding observations and intends to use the relevant observations of the Committee for its advocacy purposes. The Office will continue to support the work of the Committee and, in this regard, encourages State parties to the Convention to implement the recommendations of the Committee and to submit timely reports under the Optional Protocol to the Committee. 9. The Office of the Special Representative has also submitted inputs to the universal periodic review on Iraq, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia and the Sudan, and intends to submit information on Thailand for consideration by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review during its upcoming sessions. The Special Representative is very pleased that the reviews of these countries by States included recommendations relating to children affected by armed conflict. 10. The Special Representative reiterates the recommendation made in her previous report (A/HRC/15/58), in which she encouraged the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review to take into account the concluding observations made by the Committee on the Rights of the Child on reports submitted by State parties when reviewing a State submission under the universal period review process. State parties are encouraged to prioritize the implementation of relevant recommendations of the Working Group, with the assistance of the international community as needed. 11. The Special Representative reiterates her call to all special procedures mandate holders to continue to take into account during their missions the challenges faced by children, as well as in their reports and recommendations, insofar as they are relevant to their respective mandates, and to bring those concerns to her attention. The Special Representative is particularly encouraged by the work of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education and his proactive advocacy for education for children in conflict-affected countries. The Special Representative also wishes to thank the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons for his contribution to a working paper by the Office of the Special Representative on the rights and guarantees of children displaced by armed conflict. 12. Furthermore, when considering or adopting resolutions on country-specific situations or thematic issues, the Human Rights Council is encouraged to include recommendations therein on or references to protection of children affected by armed conflict. A number of Council resolutions during the period under review made such 4 GE.11-15092