A/HRC/18/38 57. States are encouraged to establish 18 years as the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into armed forces when depositing their binding declaration upon ratification of the Optional Protocol. States that have ratified but not adopted the “straight-18 position”4 are urged to reconsider their declarations and to raise the minimum age to 18 years. 58. In the light of the fact that ratification and the implementation processes of the Optional Protocol place a clear burden on the resources of certain States willing to ratify the instrument, leadership by one or more countries that have already ratified is encouraged, to provide guidance and other forms of assistance. 59. State parties are also encouraged to support the process towards the adoption of the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to provide a communications procedure, which will strengthen the protection of children involved in armed conflict. Under the new optional protocol, individuals or groups of individuals, including children themselves, who claim to be victims of violations under the Convention and its two optional protocols — on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography — will be able to submit communications to the Committee for examination. 60. The Special Representative urges the international community: (a) To continue to advocate for 18 years as the minimum age for recruitment and participation in hostilities; (b) To exert international pressure on parties that continue to recruit and use children; (c) To monitor and compel adherence by parties to conflict to commitments made to protect children, and to hold them accountable for failure to comply with international standards; (d) To address the political, social and economic factors that facilitate the recruitment and use of children; (e) soldiers. B. To respond to the rehabilitation and reintegration needs of former child Universal periodic review 61. During the universal periodic review process, States are urged to include, as appropriate, in their recommendations to the State under review specific references to information from the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations against children established in accordance with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), as well as the country conclusions adopted and recommendations made by the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, as appropriate. 62. The concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on reports submitted by State parties under the Optional Protocol to the Convention should also be taken into consideration by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review when reviewing a State submissions under the review process. 4 GE.11-15092 See A/HRC/15/58, para. 17. 13