A/HRC/28/54 (MINUSCA) to adopt urgent temporary measures on an exceptional basis to maintain basic law and order and fight impunity. Moreover, on 8 August 2014, the United Nations and the Government of the Central African Republic signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the creation of a Special Criminal Court composed of national and international judges. The Special Criminal Court will be mandated to investigate serious crimes, including grave violations of children’s rights, such as the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The Central African authorities have started the process of drafting and adopting legislation to establish the Special Criminal Court. 53. During the reporting period, the Special Representative engaged with sanctions committees and panels to provide information where grave violations against children are criteria for designation. She briefed the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic, in May 2014, and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in September 2014, and provided information on grave violations of the rights of children. The Office of the Special Representative also increased collaboration with relevant groups or panels of experts to share information on grave violations against children. 54. The Special Representative continues to work with the International Criminal Court in the pursuance of accountability. In 2014, the Office of the Prosecutor continued its preliminary examinations of a number of situations, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq and Nigeria, and completed its preliminary investigation into the Central African Republic. The Special Representative’s reports provided the Court with information on grave violations against children. 55. On 1 December 2014, the Appeals Chamber of the Court delivered its verdict on the appeal of Thomas Lubanga, confirming the verdict of the March 2012 Trial Chamber that Mr. Lubanga was guilty of the enlistment, conscription and use in hostilities of children under the age of 15. The Special Representative echoes the Prosecutor’s sentiments that that decision stands as a symbol of hope and an important step towards bringing an end to the suffering of tens of thousands of children still forced to fight, kill and die in conflicts around the world. 56. In March 2014, the International Criminal Court rendered its judgement in the case against Germain Katanga concerning an attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2003. A majority of the bench found him guilty of the crime against humanity of murder and the war crimes of wilful killing, intentional attack against the civilian population, pillaging and destruction of property. However, the defendant was acquitted of the charges of using child soldiers, as well as of sexual slavery and rape. The Chamber acknowledged that killing and maiming of children took place during the attacks and that children were present in the armed forces at the time of the attack. That corresponds with the Special Representative’s findings in 2003, that the Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri/Front populaire pour la justice au Congo (FRPI/FPJC) was recruiting and using children, as were the “Lendu militias” in 2002. The FRPI/FPJC is still listed for recruitment and use of children in the 2014 annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict.3 57. The Special Representative commends the International Criminal Court on their findings on the impact of conflict on children in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Lubanga and Katanga cases, and urges it to continue its efforts to strengthen evidence gathering in instances of grave violations of children. In that regard, the Special Representative welcomes the release in June 2014 of the Policy Paper on Sexual and 3 A/68/878-S/2014/339. 15