Stalni predstavnik RH pri Ujedinjenim narodima veleposlanik Neven Jurica, održao je govor na javnoj raspravi Vijeca sigurnosti na temu djece u oružanim sukobima.
Mr. President,
At the outset allow me to thank the Security Council Presidency Vietnam for organizing the Open debate on Children and Armed Conflict. We commend the work of the Secretary General Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Mrs. Radhika Coomaraswamy, as well as, the many non-governmental organizations working on the ground.
Croatia aligns itself with the statement of the European Union delivered by our French colleague. I would like to make some remarks in our national capacity.
Croatia welcomes the strengthened engagement of the Security Council in addressing violations against children in armed conflict. The establishment of the monitoring and reporting mechanism pursuant to resolution 1612 and the creation of a Security Council Working group on children in armed conflict have raised the profile of children affected by armed conflict at the international level and have undoubtedly contributed to the reduction in the recruitment of children by parties to the conflict. We commend the efforts and achievements of the Working Group, efficiently chaired by France, particularly by Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert.
However, Security Council resolution 1612 also deals with a further five grave violations against children that have not been adequately addressed in the above mentioned mechanisms. There needs to be an expansion of the application of the Monitoring and Reporting mechanism to include all of the six grave violations in all situations identified in both annexes of the Secretary General's report.
Mr. President,
Another positive development was the recent adoption of resolution 1820 (2008) that demands the immediate and complete cessation by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence against civilians with immediate effect. This resolution should significantly contribute to the safety of children in armed conflict and the scope of its impact will be available by 30 June 2009 when the Secretary-General is requested to submit a report to the Council on its implementation.
In spite of the positive achievements by the UN system and the international community, the situation on the ground demands continued and stronger Security Council action in order to ensure that all parties to armed conflict act in compliance with relevant Security Council resolutions and other international instruments developed for the protection of children in armed conflicts.
Mr. President,
In order to contribute to a long-term and sustained solution to the issue of children in armed conflict the UN as a whole and the international community at large must ensure that adequate resources and funding are available to support national strategies or action plans in the area of child protection and welfare, as well as, community-based programs. The latter, as reported by various non-governmental organizations, is the key to a successful rehabilitation and reintegration of former child soldiers.
Successful reintegration requires long term, adequate and sufficient funding of community-based programs in order to prevent re-recruitment, child prostitution, stigma, discrimination and involvement in criminal activities. Moreover, children should be allowed access benefits without having to identify themselves as ex child soldiers since many children are associated with armed forces and groups in other equally harmful ways.
By giving children education and skills training in the areas that a community needs, we will help them form themselves into constructive members of their community which will hopefully more readily accept and value them in the future. By giving access to these beneficiary programs to all children affected by armed conflict, the likelihood of resentment against former child soldiers and those associated with armed forces and groups will less easily arise.
Mr. President,
Croatia strongly supports the work of child protection advisers in all Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Political Affairs missions, as well as, UN mission personnel guarding Internally Displaced Persons camps, as it has become evident in the Secretary General's report that these areas have become the recruiting grounds for child soldiers.
“The Paris principles to protect children from unlawful recruitment by armed forces or groups” represents the latest policy on this issue and Croatia believes that they in particular deserve to be internationally recognized and universally applied. We urge all parties to armed conflict to stop using child soldiers and start acting in compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law, including the Paris Principles.
We urge governments to end impunity for perpetrators accused of committing violations against children in armed conflict and we believe that there is a need for the Security Council to refer these violations to the International Criminal Court in cases where national systems fail to address them, as proposed by the Secretary General.
In order to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the programmatic response to the release, rehabilitation and reintegration of all children associated with armed forces and armed groups, the Security Council and the international community as a whole need to adopt a broad strategy of conflict prevention which addresses the root causes of armed conflict in a comprehensive manner.
By promoting sustainable development, poverty eradication, national reconciliation, good governance, democracy, the rule of law and respect for and protection of human rights we will ensure the protection of children on a long-term basis. We will ensure that they have a future.
Thank you.
Priopćenja
