A/HRC/9/3 page 7 meaningful dialogue on protection with parties to conflict. Such dialogue has begun to yield concrete commitments by parties to conflict, which are being translated into tangible protection for children on the ground. In her previous report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Representative outlined the steps taken by the parties to conflict in Côte d’Ivoire, in collaboration with the United Nations and its child protection partners, to implement plans of action to end the association of children with their fighting forces. The momentum culminating from dialogue since 2003 brought about a significant achievement in 2007. The Forces de défense et de sécurité des Forces nouvelles and the four pro-Government armed militia groups have ceased recruitment and taken concerted measures to identify and release all remaining children from their ranks. As a result, all five parties have been removed from the annexes to the seventh annual report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly and the Security Council (A/62/609-S/2007/757), although their compliance with the plans of action will continue to be monitored. 17. There has also been progress on plans of action with armed forces and groups in the Central African Republic, Myanmar, the Sudan, Sri Lanka and Uganda. In Chad, the Government signed an agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to demobilize child soldiers from its armed forces. Further, it is important to report that the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave child rights violations pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) was established in all situations of armed conflict in the annexes to the sixth report of the Secretary-General to the Assembly and the Council (A/61/529-S/2006/826). The groundwork necessary to establish the monitoring and reporting mechanism in Afghanistan and the Central African Republic, which are “new” country situations in the annexes to the most recent annual report of the Secretary-General, is being conducted by the Office of the Special Representative, UNICEF and the relevant United Nations peacekeeping missions and country teams. It must be stressed that an effective monitoring, reporting and compliance regime depends largely on the collaboration of a number of critical stakeholders, particularly Member States, United Nations system partners, non-governmental organizations and local civil society. The United Nations human rights system is an important player in this regard. 18. The country-specific reports on children and armed conflict3 resulting from the monitoring and reporting mechanism have provided systematic, timely, accurate and objective information on the six grave violations against children in armed conflict, including the identification of offending parties for examination by the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. The strength of the information and designation of offending parties through these reports has proved to have a deterrent effect and has allowed the Working Group to maintain political pressure and take action on parties to conflict found to be persistent violators of child rights. In the same vein, relevant information contained in these country-specific reports, in addition to recommendations and conclusions by the Working Group, may be considered by the Committee on the Rights of the Child when reviewing reports by States parties under the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, as well as in the consideration of reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 3 See S/2007/259, S/2007/260, S/2007/391, S/2007/400, S/2007/520, S/2007/515, S/2007/666, S/2007/686 and S/2007/758.