A/HRC/4/45
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resolution 1533 (2004). The Working Group has further urged United Nations agencies
and donor Governments to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
with technical assistance for Auditeurs militaires in bringing an end to impunity for grave
violations against children committed by military forces or armed groups present in the country.
On the Sudan, the Working Group recommended that the Security Council pay increased
attention to children affected by armed conflict in the country and continue to strengthen
measures taken for the protection of children, including the capacity to protect girls from rape
and other forms of gender-based violence. The situation of children affected by armed conflict
in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Somalia will be presented to the Working Group in the first half
of 2007.
15.
Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), a number of parties have
established dialogue with the United Nations within the framework of the monitoring and
reporting framework for the preparation and implementation of time-bound action plans to
prevent and end the violations for which they have been cited. In that regard, in November 2005
the rebel group Forces nouvelles in Côte d’Ivoire, under concerted pressure from the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire and from UNICEF, submitted to the
Special Representative an action plan to prevent recruitment and to release children associated
with their forces. This concrete commitment is the culmination of dialogue established by
UNICEF with the Forces nouvelles in 2003. The United Nations is now working with
Forces nouvelles to identify the children and reintegrate them into their communities.
Pro-Government militia groups in Côte d’Ivoire have now also signalled their intention to fully
cooperate towards the preparation of a similar action plan, the modalities of which are presently
under discussion. A recent development since the publication of the Secretary-General’s annual
report is the commitment received from Colonel Karuna, leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai
Pulighal (TMVP) in Sri Lanka, to collaborate with UNICEF on developing an action plan to
prevent recruitment and to release all children in its ranks. The Karen National Liberation Army,
which has been reported to be recruiting from refugee camps in Thailand, has also sent a letter to
the Office of the Special Representative stating that it would no longer use or recruit children,
would monitor its units and take action to ensure that no children are within its ranks, and that it
would cooperate and allow unhindered United Nations access to monitor and verify compliance
with non-recruitment. The Office of the Special Representative is currently liaising with the
United Nations country team to finalize a deed of commitment and action plan which will
address these points.
16.
It must be stressed that an effective monitoring, reporting and compliance regime
depends largely on the collaboration of a number of critical stakeholders, particularly
Member States, United Nations system partners, NGOs and local civil society, in situations of
concern. The United Nations human rights system is an important component in this regard.
C. Application of international child protection standards
17.
Important precedents have also been set in the fight to end impunity through the
application of international child protection standards. For example, in October 2005 the
International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for five senior members of the insurgent
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), including its rebel leader, Joseph Kony, who is charged
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