A/HRC/34/44 10 of them had been sentenced to death on the same charges. While the authorities in Puntland had assured the United Nations that those under the age of 18 would not be executed, there has been no progress on revoking the death penalties or even on securing the release of the other child detainees aged between 15 and 18. Moreover, since the Special Representative’s visit, additional children aged between 15 and 18, who are considered adults under the Puntland constitution, have been given lengthy custodial sentences. In this regard, the Special Representative reiterates her call for the children’s release and urges federal and regional authorities to swiftly resolve all existing legal ambiguities and clearly domesticate the country’s international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. IV. Working with regional organizations 46. The Special Representative sustained her deep engagement with the African Union throughout the reporting period. She briefed the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa in May 2016 at its third open session dedicated to children affected by armed conflict, which focused on the protection of schools. During the session the Special Representative received strong backing from all members of the Council, who expressed their support for the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign and made commitments to protect schools and hospitals, including refraining from using these for military purposes. In June, the Office of the Special Representative participated in a workshop designed to support the development of a human rights compliance framework for African Union peace support operations. As an indication of the depth of her engagement with the African Union, throughout the annual retreat of African Union special envoys and mediators on the promotion of peace, security and stability, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2016, the Special Representative worked with participants to highlight the children and armed conflict concerns relevant to their work. Lastly, the issue of violations attributed to contingents of African Union Mission in Somalia was discussed on a number of occasions during the reporting period. 47. The Special Representative continued to strengthen her partnership with the European Union, which is a key interlocutor that engages in human rights dialogue and capacity-building with many of the countries on the children and armed conflict agenda. In January she addressed the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence at an interactive session in which views and information were exchanged on the impact of armed conflict on children, the challenges of reintegration, and the challenges for Common Security and Defence Policy missions when they face issues related to children and armed conflict. 48. In November, the Special Representative was invited to the thematic debate of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, on protecting and promoting the rights of children during situations of armed conflict, foreign occupation, emergencies and disasters. She delivered an address in which she encouraged further interaction between her Office and the Commission. Pursuant to the cooperation agreement between the League of Arab States and the Office of the Special Representative, signed in 2014, the Office of the Special Representative also participated in the general meeting of cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States that was held in May 2016. 49. The Special Representative has continued to work with regional organizations that have a mandate on conflict-related matters. In particular, engagement with NATO was ongoing, with a view to deepening the partnership on the issue of children and armed conflict and supporting the ongoing mainstreaming efforts. In January 2016, the Special Representative met in Brussels with the incoming Assistant Secretary-General for 14