A/HRC/6/19 page 54 1.3 Children and armed conflict Recommendation 1.3.1 Short-term Establish and provide sufficient resources to Gender and Child Units within the national police in Darfur as a matter of priority. Indicator: Gender and Child Units within the national police established and fully resourced. Response of the Government of the Sudan on Recommendation 1.3.1 Written information submitted to the Special Rapporteur during her mission in Sudan from 25 July 2007 to 2 August 2007 The Woman and Children Desk of the Human Rights Secretariat of the Sudan has expressed its readiness to contribute in undertaking joint work with the UN and the international community in various areas concerning children, among which in all projects that can provide children in the Sudan with security, dignity, tranquillity and welfare in its “Memorandum on visit of the UN Secretary General Envoy for children affected by armed conflict in the Sudan”, Women and Child Desk of the Human Rights Secretariat. Information orally submitted to the group of experts on 18 September 2007 The Government reported that the Director General of Police issued a circular on 3 September 2007, ordering all police districts to establish gender and child units. In South Darfur, a gender and child unit was established and was to be headed by a female police lieutenant. Information Received from Other Sources on Recommendation 1.3.1 Information received in late August 2007 indicates that family and child protection police units have been established in West Darfur in May 2007 and in North Darfur in August 2007. According to the information received, the Government had not yet set up such a unit in South Darfur. The Head of the Khartoum State Police offered technical support to states wishing to establish gender and child units (the first Gender and Child Unit was established in Khartoum in 2006). In early September 2007, the Director General of Police issued an administrative decree on the establishment of Family and Child Protection Units in all states in North Sudan. The establishment of these Units was meant to be modeled after the Family and Child Protection Unit in Khartoum, operational since January 2007 with UNICEF’s support. This Unit is intended to strengthen systems for children and women in contact with the law, both children and women victims of abuse or criminal offenders. Support provided has been provided mainly via social workers, prosecutors, legal aid workers, judicial actors, and psycho-social and health professionals. With UNICEF’s support, police in both North and West Darfur have already started to set up these Units, and the Government has already made significant investments, including refurbishment of buildings and staffing.