Date: 28 November
Location: UN Headquarters, New York

In dozens of conflicts around the world, children are the primary victims of grave human rights violations. In 1996, the landmark United Nations report by Graça Machel “Impact of Armed Conflict on Children” proposed comprehensive actions for the international community to improve the protection and care of children affected by armed conflict.

Much progress has been made in the last decade: the Optional Protocols (2000) to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child outlaw the recruitment of children under the age of 18 years; demobilization and reintegration programs for children are becoming part of UN peacemaking and peacebuilding; advocacy and reporting by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict has furthered the commitment of the UN and Member States to this issue. The UN Security Council established a Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict through which it monitors grave violations of child rights in situations of armed conflict. And, the first trial of the International Criminal Court focuses on charges of conscripting and enlisting child soldiers - another indicator of progress.