A/HRC/12/49 page 15 Ending impunity for grave violations against children in armed conflict 56. Member States who bear a central and immediate political, legal and moral responsibility should comply with international norms and standards for the protection of children within their territories, and take strong and urgent action to bring to justice individuals responsible for the recruitment and use of children in the armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities in violation of applicable international law and other grave violation against children through national justice systems, including undertaking appropriate reforms of national legislation for the protection of children in order to bring laws into line with international obligations, as well as strengthening child-protection capacity and training for military, police, law enforcement and judiciary officials within national security sector reform efforts. 57. States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child are encouraged to strengthen national and international measures for the prevention of recruitment of children into armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities. In particular, these include signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict; enacting legislation that explicitly prohibits the recruitment of children into armed forces/groups and their use in hostilities; and exercising extraterritorial jurisdiction in order to strengthen the international protection of children against recruitment. Rape and other grave sexual violence against children in armed conflict 58. Recognizing that rape and other grave sexual violence against children is prevalent in some situations of armed conflict, concerned Member States are urged, as a matter of priority, to adopt and implement national strategies to prevent, respond to and combat sexual violence. Children internally displaced as a result of armed conflict 59. Member States should respect the “rights and guarantees” accorded to children internally displaced by armed conflict, as spelled out in paragraph 40 of this report. Terrorism and counter-terrorism and its impact on children 60. Parties to situations of armed conflict are urged to immediately halt the recruitment and use of children, a violation of international law, in particular using them to commit terrorist acts. 61. Member States are also urged to ensure that counter-terrorism measures are in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Attacks on schools 62. Parties in situations of armed conflict are urged to adhere to international law protecting the right to education in situations of concern. This includes protecting both

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